546 



NA TURE 



[September 28, 1905 



institutions of various kinds. The earliest of these arose 

 while access to Oxford and Cambridge was still restricted. 

 The University of Durham was established in 1833. In 

 1836 the University of London, as an examining and 

 degree-giving body, receis'ed its first charter. A series of 

 important Colleges, giving education of a University type, 

 arose in the greater towns of England and Wales. The 

 next step was the formation of federal Universities. The 

 Victoria University, in which the Colleges of Manchester, 

 Liverpool and Leeds were associated, received its charter 

 in 1880. The Colleges of Aberystwyth, Bangor, and 

 Cardiff were federated in the University of Wales, which 

 dates from 1893. The latest development has been the 

 institution of the great urban Universities. The found- 

 ation of the University of Birmingham hastened an event 

 which other causes had already prepared. The federal 

 Victoria University has been replaced by three independent 

 Universities, those of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds. 

 Lastly, a charter has recently been granted to the Uni- 

 versity of Sheffield. Then the University of London has 

 been re-constituted ; it is no longer only an Examining 

 Board ; it is also a teaching University, comprising a 

 number of recognised schools in and around London. 

 Thus in England and Wales there are now no fewer than 

 ten teaching Universities. Among the newer institutions 

 there are some varieties of type. But, so far as the new 

 Universities in great cities are concerned, it may be said 

 that they are predominantly scientific, and also that they 

 devote special attention to the needs of practical life, pro- 

 fessional, industrial and commercial ; while at the same 

 time they desire to maintain a high standard of general 

 education. It may be observed that in some points these 

 Universities have taken hints from the four ancient Uni- 

 versities of Scotland — which themselves have lately under- 

 gone a process of temperate reform. The Scottish Uni- 

 versities are accessible to every class of the community ; 

 and the success with which they have helped to mould 

 the intellectual life of a people traditionally zealous for 

 education renders their example instructive for the younger 

 institutions. With reference to the provision made by the 

 newer Universities for studies bearing on practical life, it 

 should be remarked that much has been done in the same 

 direction by the two older Universities also. At Cam- 

 bridge, for example, degrees can be taken in Economics 

 and associated branches of Political Science ; in Mechanism 

 and Applied Mechanics; and in .'\gricultural Sciences. It 

 certainly cannot now be said that the old Universities 

 neglect studies which are of direct utility, though they 

 rightly insist that the basis and method of such studies 

 shall be liberal. 



In looking back on the general course of this whole 

 movement in England, we find that it has been steady, 

 smooth, and fairly rapid. It has not been due to any 

 spasmodic impulse or artificial propaganda, but has been 

 the result of natural forces operating throughout the 

 nation. Universities, and the training which they give, 

 have come to count for more in our national life as a 

 whole. It should be noted in passing that the missionary 

 movement known as University Extension did not arise 

 in the first instance from spontaneous academic action, 

 but was a response to public appeals from without. It 

 had its origin in memorials addressed to the University 

 of Cambridge, in 1872, by various public bodies; and it 

 was in compliance with those memorials that, in the winter 

 of 1873, the first courses of Extension lectures were organ- 

 ised in the Midlands. .Another fact of vital significance 

 in the movement is that it has included ample provision 

 ^^Y the higher education of women. 



With reference to the present position and prospects of 

 the higher education in South Africa, I tried, before leaving 

 England, to acquaint myself with at least the outlines of 

 the general situation ; but it is only with great diffidence 

 that I shall ofTer a few observations bearing on some of 

 the broader aspects of the question. I trust to be heard 

 with indulgence by those from whom I shall hope to learn 

 more. At any rate, I can truly say that the question seems 

 to me one of the deepest interest and of the gravest 

 •mp'ortance. Indeed, it does not require much insight or 

 :magination to apprehend the greatness of the issues that 

 are involved. 



NO. 1874, VOL. 72] 



In the first place, it would be correct, if I am not 

 mistaken, to say that in South Africa at large there is a 

 genuine and a keen desire for efficient education of the 

 highest type. A sound liberal education is desired for all 

 who can profit by it, whatever their future callings are 

 to be. But the practical and immediate need for the 

 organising of the highest teaching is felt, I believe, more 

 particularly in regard to three great professions — the pro- 

 fession of Engineering, in all its branches ; the profession 

 of Agriculture (including Forestry) ; and the profession 

 of Education itself, on which the intellectual future of 

 South .\frica must so largely and directly depend. That 

 the interest in the higher instruction is so real must be 

 regarded as the best tribute to the efforts of those able 

 and devoted men who, in various parts of this land, have 

 laboured with dauntless perseverance for the improvement 

 of primary and secondary education. Unstinted gratitude 

 is due also to the University of the Cape of Good Hope. 

 It is acknowledged on alt hands that the University, as 

 the chief guardian of learning in South Africa, has done 

 admirable work in maintaining a high standard of general 

 education. Certainly it cannot be regarded as any dis- 

 paragement of that work if, as seems to be the case, a 

 widespread desire exists that South Africa should possess 

 an institution, or institutions, of University rank, which, 

 besides examining, should also teach. That is a natural 

 progress, which is Illustrated by the recent re-constitution 

 of the London L'niversity itself. I am not qualified, nor 

 should I desire, to discuss the various difficulties of detail 

 which surround the question of a teaching University. 

 That question is, for South Africa, an eminently practical 

 one ; and doubtless it will be solved, possibly at no distant 

 time, by those who are most competent to deal with it. 

 I will only venture to say a few words on some of the 

 more general aspects of the matter. 



The primary needs of daily life in a new country make 

 demands for certain forms of higher training — demands 

 which may be unable to wait for the development of 

 anything so complex and costly as a teaching University. 

 It is necessary to provide a training for men who shall 

 be able to supervise the building of houses, the making 

 of roads, bridges, and railways, and to direct skilled 

 labour in various useful arts and handicrafts. The first 

 step in such a provision is to establish technical schools 

 and institutes. Germany is, I suppose, the country where 

 the educational possibilities of the technical school are 

 realised in the amplest measure. In Germany the results 

 of the highest education are systematically brought to 

 bear on all the greater industries. But this highest educa- 

 tion is not given only in completely equipped Universities 

 which confer degrees. It is largely given in the institu- 

 tions known as Technical High Schools. In these schools 

 teaching of a University standard is given, by professors 

 of University rank, in subjects such as Architecture, 

 various branches of Engineering, Chemistry, and General 

 Technical Science. There are, I think, some ten or eleven 

 of these Technical High Schools in Germany. In these 

 institutions the teaching of the special art or science, on 

 its theoretical side, is carried, I believe, to a point as 

 high as could be attained in a University ; while on the 

 practical side it is carried beyond the point which in a 

 University w^ould usually be possible. In England we 

 have nothing, I believe, which properly corresponds to the 

 German Technical High School ; but we may expect to 

 see some of the functions of such a school included among 

 the functions of the new Universities in our great industrial 

 and commercial towns. 



Now Technical Schools or Institutes, which do not 

 reach the level of a German Technical High School, may 

 nevertheless be so planned as to be capable of being further 

 developed as parts of a great teaching University. And 

 the point which I now wish to note is this — that the 

 higher education given in a Technical Institute, which is 

 only such, will not be quite the same as that given in the 

 corresponding department of a teaching University. Uni- 

 versity education, as such, when it is efficient, has certain 

 characteristics which differentiate it from the training of 

 a specialist, however high the level of the teaching in the 

 special subject may be. Here, however, I pause for a 

 moment to guard against a possible misconception. I am 



