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of what is happening in New Zealand. The Inspector-General's report, for example, shows that the students in science number 72 ; the students in commerce (I am speaking of the whole of New Zealand) number 255; students in law, 273; and students in arts, 624. Well, that, of course, is ridiculous; it ought to be 624 students in science instead of only 72. Then I say (hat if you are going to have an exhaustive Commission on University matters you will have to deaJ not with the New Zealand University alone, but with the colleges and with the individual teachers to see how the work is being done. Anything short of that will not be an effective mission if you are going to investigate University matters properly. I have been told that there are professors in Nev* Zealand when , the students do not rely upon the teaching at all and have coaches. Of course, that is very unfortunate, and a Commission would be able to investigate that. • 5. Mr. Malcolm.] I notice tli.it you are very anxious to have popular teachers or professors? —Yes. 6. How would you obtain them? —By appointing them. 7. What methods would you take in appointing them.' —Make sure that no man should be appointed merely for his knowledge alone, but for his teaching qualities. 8. How could you discover that?- -By what he had done; by finding out about him. 9. Would that mean that you would object to receiving professors from Home?— Not necessarily. I would take the best man I could get wherever he was. 10. But how would you discover that with a professor at Home? —I would find out whether he was able to teach. You would have to obtain your information from other people. 1 I. Has your experience led you to believe that we can depend upon the information we get in those cases? —Not always. 12. You have nothing practical to suggest?— With the present \:\w in force in Victoria College the professors are appointed for a certain number of years, but they ought not to be reappointed unless they are proper teachers. I.'!. Then it is the reappointment rather than the appointment you are referring to?— Yes. 14. I have suggested myself that it might be wise to confine all appointments of professors to men who have gone through the primary-schools training and practice—men of that sort?— Other things being equal I should approve of that. There is another way of dealing with it which I dealt with in one of my addresses —that is the German system of having what is oalled privat doeenten. That is what may be called teachers and not professors. The students in the German university may attend those people if the}' like and pay them, I understand, [f they show their ability to teacli by the number of students who attend their classes they would then be eligible for the professorate afterwards. Something like that may be adopted. 15. You said that some students did not believe in the professors, and were compelled to go to coaches? —I did not say " compelled," but they do it. Why Ido not know. 16. I notice in the report of your address you have a very high opinion of Professor Sale of the Otago University?— Yes, I think he was a very fine man. 17. Do you not know that it was his custom not to teach students, but that they were to go to coaches? —I did not know that, but I know some went to coaches. That is the English system. 18. What is your object in wishing so many students to take science? —Because I think it is the best training for people who have to do as our people have to do —to be industrious. I think it would be an enormous advantage to all the farming classes if they knew something of science. It would also be an advantage even from the more intellectual development of men if they knew something of the scientific spirit and scientific manner. 19. I understood you said—and I agree with you—that not one in twenty thousand has the scientific faculty?—l_ mean 'lie scientific faculty to become research students. I do not sa\ this should be ignored. I would have provision for research students and research scholarships, but I do not want to see the aim of the University to prepare one or two bright men every two or three years. 20. So that the course in science you would recommend for the students you refer to would be of a very general and very elementary character? —Of a general character, and gradually get better as it went on. To give an example. I would mention what took place at the Otago University in 1871. I was there as a student myself, and I went for the purpose oi education and not a degree. A great number went there, but had done very little chomistn at all, and when Professor Black came out it was wonderful how they took it up. The same with mathematics and with science. 21. You would not ask them to pass a Matriculation Examination?— No. If they went there merely for scientific purposes or any other purpose, and did not want a degree, they should not be asked to pass an examination at all. 22. Is not the work you are advocating largely done by the technical schools at present?— There is too much overlapping between the technical schools and the universities. 23. But is it not necessary to keep distinct the work required from men who are takingscience for a degree and the work required for men who are taking it as a hobby?— You can even have that by having two different classes. It would be far better to have that than one professor with a class numbering only thirty students in the year. 24. Is not the general student provided for already in our technical schools?—l do not know. I cannot speak of that personally because I do not know the work done in the technical schools, only I am told that some technical schools are actually doing university work, and that is a waste. 25. The Chairman.'] Very few of them?—l was told so in Auckland. 26. Mr. Malcolm.'] You spoke of the professors ruling the University. There is no proposal that the professors alone should do so?— Practically there is. The professors are to be the
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