1907] Urging a Fresh Start 



In that document, published at the time, I made 

 two recommendations: first, the union of the four 

 colleges at one point, preferably Christchurch, and, 

 second, that papers be examined and degrees granted 

 by local faculties without appeal to London. For this 

 system perpetuates what is in my judgment the 

 weakest feature of the British university system, the 

 tradition whereby its components are looked upon 

 merely as coaching schools. Such a view belittles the 

 function of the teacher. Classification into "exam- 

 ining universities" and "teaching universities" I z" and 

 regarded as farcical, because those of the former class i ng wm . 

 are not "universities" at all and contribute very little 

 to the extension of knowledge. A university should 

 furnish the highest factor within its reach, the inspira- 

 tion of lofty personality; moreover, as I had occasion 

 later to insist in London, such an institution is far 

 greater than the sum of all its parts. If the bright 

 students and excellent professors now scattered 

 among four colleges, each with inadequate libraries 

 and laboratories, could be gathered into one center, 

 the University of New Zealand would soon take its 

 place among the great universities of the world. 



As to the other matter, I suggested that, discarding 

 London traditions, a degree should be regarded not 

 as a certificate of standardized proficiency but rather 

 as an institution's judgment on work accomplished 

 or at least completed under its own direction. In 

 New Zealand all examination papers are graded by 

 employees of the University of London, a "teach- 

 ing" institution only by virtue of independently 

 organized, affiliated schools which it does not con- 

 trol. Once a ship carrying a year's output "home" 

 was wrecked, and degrees had to wait a twelvemonth 



C 233 3 



