THE BORDERLAND OF SCHOOL AND COLLEGE. 213 



But not only have South African schools excluded these branches 

 of mathematics, they have — until quite recently — cut down 

 Algebra and Geometry to absurdly small proportions. In fact 

 the last decade of last century saw the matriculation mathematics 

 hardly more than a glorified edition of primary school work. 



How then is the scope of school work affected by the boundary 

 line which separates it from University studies? The authorities 

 of the University may turn round and ask us why we do not go 

 forward with all the work we claim to undertake : drawing, wood- 

 work, elocution, an additional modern language and practical 

 mathematics. Our answer is this : — " We cannot do so until you 

 establish a minimum age for matriculation." As long as the 

 parents of would-be mandarins see the very material advantages 

 which are gained by the boy who matriculates at fourteen, they 

 will lead the w-ay in clamouring- that their boys shall be pushed 

 forward ; and the whole body of parents and pupils will continue 

 to despise every branch of education which does not give palpable 

 assistance to the passing of public examinations at the earliest 

 imaginable age. 



Boys matriculate at fourteen — there are probably several such 

 cases every year — thirteen is not unknown. Yet most colleges 

 at Oxford prefer their freshmen to be nineteen and refuse to take 

 them under eighteen. The Scotch universities have arrived at 

 much the same opinion ; one, at least, of the South African Uni- 

 versity Colleges has enforced a minimum age ; and it only remains 

 for the others to follow- suit or for the University to 

 take action as a body. In the meantime their decision may be 

 accelerated by the assurance that the consummation is as devoutly 

 to be wished in the interest of the schools as in that of the 

 University. 



One other matter concerns the affairs of the Borderland. Con- 

 trary to British and American precedent, the South African 

 Colleges have unanimously accepted the rule of senates and have 

 rejected the rule of Principals. This is eminently a matter of 

 which they are themselves the best judges ; but one result has 

 come about which has not yet been publicly criticised. The Col- 

 leges are ruled by groups of specialists, and there is no official 

 adviser to consider the new student and his interests apart from 

 the conflicting claims of the various subjects in the curriculum. 

 A definite example may be the best explanation of this deficiency. 

 A shy boy of very good ability recently entered one of the colleges 

 with the idea in his mind that he Avould study biology and qualifv 

 himself for a scientific profession connected with agriculture — 

 either as a veterinary surgeon or as a bacteriologist. This boy's 

 actual attainments had, so far, been mainlv mathematical, 'and 

 he was, accordingly, appropriated by the Professor of Physics. 

 A year later he told his old schoolmaster that his plans had been 

 changed. He was working for a degree in mathematics and 

 physics and could see no prospect of future employment except as 

 an electrical engineer ; but he was still convinced that natural 

 science and agricultural work would have given him far greater 

 satisfaction. 



