[BUKWA.sii] A REVIEW OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO 65 



iliat the system would bring the alîiliated colleges completely imder 

 the control of the central univei-sity. Thus, for the first time the 

 examination system was introduced into our educational work, which, 

 \vherever adopted, tends to place the teacher under the control of the 

 examiner and to reduce the teaching body to a drill-school for examin- 

 ation. Accordingly, to enter this affiliation was to assume an unknown 

 burden of work. It was doubtless intended to grant some assistiince 

 to the affiliated colleges in bearing this burden, and for this a clause 

 of the act was supposed to provide. The supjiosition was seen to be 

 illuso^}^ The Senate was required first, to make provision for th:' 

 expenses of the University and next for University College and then 

 the surplus, if any, was at the disposal of parliament for the assistance', 

 of higher education. It is needless to say that there never was a 

 surplus. 



The outyling colleges, inexperienced as they were in the far reachiiig 

 effects of this new system borrowed from France and the I)rain of Xapo- 

 leon, entered, with the exception of Trinity, into affiliation. It is not 

 knowTi that they ever sent up a student for examination. An instinctive 

 fear made them hesitate to place themselves under a yoke which deprived 

 their teaching of all freedom. The country did not furnish an abundant 

 supply of examiners, and the first appointed were the professors of 

 University College. This relieved one institution from the evils of 

 the system but made it all the more objectionable to the others. The 

 final result was failure of the system as a means of the unification of 

 the university work of the countr\^ 



That this new constitution could not accomplisli the desired end 

 soon Ixcame evident. It is not sufficient to make it trulv provincial 

 that a uniAcrsity be controlled by the state. It must gather about it 

 the support and confidence of the great body of the people. It must 

 so meet their needs and correspond to their ideals and convictions, that 

 they will with some considerable unanimity unite in its support. It 

 must avoid everything that may create prejudice or jealousy or give 

 the appearance of sectionalism. In the spirit of friendly cooperation 

 it should place itself in touch with the whole educational work of the 

 province Avhether maintained by the state or otherwise, and in every 

 possible way assist and lead to the attainment of better results. To 

 attain such an ideal was, under the circumstances no easy task. Xot- 

 withstanding the fact that the provincial university was ably manned, 

 liberally supported and equipped, and that excellent work was thus 

 done, there were elements present which prevented the success of the 

 scheme in its broader purposes. The vital centre of the university was 



Sec. II., 1905. 5. 



