THE INFLUENCE OF THE UNIVERSITIES ON SCHOOL EDUCATION. 449 



seeking to enter them. To the mass of the people they were something 

 vague and far off. 



Sixty years ago a distinguished German, in his description of tliem, 

 said that their aim was to produce gentlemen, especially Tory gentlemen ; 

 and I am not sure that any of us could prove him to have been altogether 

 mistaken. 



But for half a century the process of nationalisation has been going 

 steadily if not rapidly forward. It has been and is the earnest desire of 

 the men who inspire and direct our university life to make them national 

 institutions in the best and truest and broadest sense of the term ; and 

 they are, I feel sure, ready to give sympathetic and favourable considera- 

 tion to any criticism or suggestion which is likely to help towards this 

 end. 



Thus I venture to think they will welcome the discussion by so weighty 

 a body as the British Association of these very practical questions : — 

 How do our ancient universities act with special or directing or deter- 

 mining influence on English school education ? And in connection with 

 this influence are tliere any reforms which would be clearly beneficial ? 



The answer to such inquiries has to be mainly sought through obser- 

 vation of the examinations they conduct or require, the use they make 

 of their endowments, and the type of teachers they train and send forth. 



Through its examinations the university largely determines the 

 curriculum or relative amount of attention bestowed on different subjects 

 of study in the schools that prepare for it. 



Through its endowments and prizes it fixes the bent of study to be 

 pursued by the most promising and ambitious students ; and finally, by 

 the stamp it puts on the teachers sent out, their attainments, their 

 tastes, their aims, opinions, and ideals, it sets the tone and tendency of 

 both life and work in the wide field of school education. 



I. As regards examinations we have to look chiefly at — 



(1) Examination of schools or of boys and girls still at school. 



(2) Entrance examinations to colleges or to the university. 



(3) Examination of students during the university course. 



By their school examinations, such as the local examinations, the 

 examinations of the Oxford and Cambridge Joint Board, and examinations 

 for commercial and other certificates, experience shows that the univer- 

 sities have done a xevj good and useful work, and they have done it in a 

 liberal and progressive spirit. 



The committees charged with this work have been allowed a tolerably 

 free hand ; they have sought the best practical advice, and they have 

 aimed at consulting the needs of diflerent types of school, whilst careful 

 to maintain a reasonable standard of proficiency as a qualification for 

 their various certificates. 



If there are defects in any of these examinations the authorities of 

 .schools and public opinion are to a great extent responsible for their 

 continuance. 



But when we turn from these outside examinations to the conditions 

 of entrance to tlie university itself it must be admitted that we meet with 

 .some survivals that seem altogether out of date, and some obvious defi- 

 ciencies that call for attention and reform. 



Taking the case of Oxford, with which I am more familiar, it is to be 

 noted that the examination known as Responsions or its eciuivalent is 



1901. GG 



