THE INFLUENCE OF THE UNIVERSITIES ON SCHOOL EDUCATION 457 



' A university is a place which wins the admiration of the young by its 

 celebrity, kindles the affection of the middle-aged by its beauty, and 

 rivets tlie fidelity of the old by its associations. It is a seat of wisdom, 

 a light of the world, a minister of the faith, an alvia mater of the rising 

 generation.' 



So, with much more to the same effect, wrote John Henry Newman ; 

 and it is just because I desire to see our universities maintain and extend 

 their marvellously fascinating and attractive influence as the nursing 

 mothers of all that is best and most illuminating and most powerful in 

 our national life that I press for the reforms I have ventured to advocate 

 in this paper. 



For convenience and clearness it may be well that I should briefly 

 summarise the chief suggestions I have ventured to make. 



A. Examinations. — 1. The external examinations conducted by the 

 universities would in many cases be better and more valuable if made 

 more concrete and practical. 



2. In the entrance examination to the university (Responsions or 

 Little Go), 



(ct) Candidates should be free to offer some suitable equivalent in 

 place of Greek. 



(?>) Some other much needed improvements should be introduced, e.g. — 



(i.) An elementary knowledge of natural science and of one modern 

 language should be made obligatory on all candidates. 



(ii.) Ability to write English should be tested, and a knowledge of 

 some period of English history and literature should be required. 



(iii.) The examination in Latin or any other language should include 

 questions on some period of history and literature, and on the subject 

 matter of any prepared books, together with the translation of easy 

 passages from authors that have not been pi'epared. 



(iv.) Candidates should not be excluded from residence before passing 

 this examination, nor should they be required to pass all subjects at the 

 same time, but the passing in all the parts of this examination should be 

 a necessary preliminary to entry for any other examination required for 

 a degree. 



(v.) It might reasonably be made a rule that no scholar should enjoy 

 the emoluments of his scholarship until he had passed this examination . 



(vi.) Marks of distinction should be given for work of superior merit in 

 this and every other examination conducted by the university. 



B. Endowments. — 1. The value of open scholarships and exhibitions 

 should be considerably reduced. 



2. The money thus saved, or part of it, should be given in augmenta- 

 tion of scholarships held by poor students. 



3. A fair proportion of scholarships should be awarded for excellence 

 in a combination of subjects. 



4. As a rule, no scholar should be allowed to receive any emolument 

 till he had passed Responsions. 



5. A percentage of the endowments now awarded as entrance scholar- 

 ships (say 5 per cent, or more) should be distributed over the country as 

 county scholarships on condition that the county raised an equivaleat 

 sum in each case ; and a due share of these should be allotted to girls. 



