52 HENRY DEANE. 



add to the aggregate of knowledge, and thus benefit the nation 

 at large. 



I wish to say a few words as to methods of teaching. Students of 

 small classes like those in the Engineering and Medical Schools 

 at the University, have an incalculable advantage over those who 

 have to work in larger classes, as they have better opportunities 

 of personally coming into contact with their teacher. Means can 

 be adopted by the teacher by which the individual student's 

 application to his studies can be tested from time to time. This 

 seems to me a matter of very great importance. It can scarcely 

 be denied that the object of a teaching institution is to teach, and 

 not merely to lecture. If the chief object of a University were 

 to test knowledge by examination, lectures might well be dispensed 

 with, as after the course had been prescribed and text-books re- 

 commended the student might be left to himself or his coach, and 

 it would be cheaper for him as he would have no class fees to pay. 

 If an institution, however, undertakes to teach, every opportunity 

 should be given to the student to enjoy the personal influence of 

 the professor, his assistance, guidance and advice. This would 

 result in some considerable supervision and authority over idlers, 

 who ought to be made to realise the time and opportunities they 

 are wasting. 



In the English universities, where residence is required, a good 

 deal of supervision is exercised, but in non-residential universities 

 it is all the more necessary that the short hours during which the 

 student is under control should be utilised to his best advantage. 



Of course the University professor is dealing with young men 

 who are supposed to have arrived at years of discretion. He can- 

 not indeed treat them as school-boys, but he can call them to a 

 sense of duty and encourage them. Even in the case of large 

 classes, some means might be found by which the lecturer could 

 inform himself of the progress being made by each individual 

 student. Could the right influence be brought to bear, I am sure 

 that we would not hear of the enormous proportion of first year 

 students who fail to pass the year's examination. The young men 



