LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE NEW UNIVERSITY REFORMERS.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPEOTATOP.."]
SIR,—As one of the "New University Reformers" whose efforts you noticed in your last number, I should like to be allowed a few words, not in order to combat the doctrines advocated in your article, with which I do not materially disagree, but to explain the misapprehension of our views which has led you to infer such disagreement.
An unfortunate misreport of a sentence of Professor Rolles- ton's speech was, I think, the primary cause of your mis- apprehension. You represent him as saying that "the examination system is entirely unnecessary for the great mass of mankind." What he did say was, that it is "entirely neces- sary." The difference in sound between the two phrases is slight, and I myself thought, at the moment, that he had uttered the words you quote ; but I, of course, found out my mistake when he went on to ask, " Is it not possible to consider the interests of the great mass of people without neglecting or swamping the interests of really good men'?" This question fairly puts the problem that we have set ourselves to solve. We do not wish to get rid of the present system of examinations, but we wish to reduce it to its proper place ; and this, it seems to me, is just the place that you claim for it. As long as a youth's studies are in the stage preparatory to that in which original research should be commenced—as long, that is, as they are somewhat elementary in their character, and proportionally general in their range— it is desirable to guide them by a carefully defined curriculum, and to test the adequate accomplishment of such a curriculum by an examination. And I am glad to think with you that the English Universities are superior to some at least of the German, in the care which they take to frame such courses of study in different departments. When we say that "the Examination system is our enemy," we do not mean this use of examination ; we mean the system by which the examination-room is turned into an arena where a prize of 1200 a year for life, or for a long period, may be won by the pen of a ready writer. An examina- tion thus exalted into the end and goal of academic effort is rendered incapable of fulfilling its proper function, for its function is to secure that study be well directed, and study cannot be well directed if it be concentrated upon success in examination. Again, we wish to restore these prizes to their original academic purpose, by making them a provision for students who should be for the most part also teachers; and we do not think that the selection of such students should be decided by competitive examinations, as such examinations will neither test nor encourage adequately the highest kind of study.
Further, you charge us generally with a disposition to postpone the interests of teaching to those of study. Now, we have, at any rate, the avowed aim of securing the chief portion of college endowments for a body of "resident teachers of various grades." It is true that we wish these teachers to be also students ; but then we proceed on the assumption that the function of academical teaching cannot be so well performed, if it be divorced from inde- pendent study and original research. By academical teaching I do not mean all the teaching that it may be expedient to carry on at the Universities, but all the teaching which ought to be supported by endowments. I am not at all anxious to drive away from the Universities those youths who need to be taught like school-boys, but I do not think that society is bound to provide for them this sort of instruction at this stage of their development. In short, as regards all except the highest—the truly academical—kind of teaching, Mr. Lowe's position seems to me unassailable. And I do not understand you to deny this, but you suspect that our con- viction of the necessary implication of study and teaching is derived from a consideration of the needs of study rather than teaching. It is difficult to trace with perfect accuracy the series of steps by which one has arrived at any conviction, but I think that any I person resident at either University is just as likely to be im- pressed with the degradation of teaching divorced from study, as with the mere fact that too little study is done. But surely this psy- chological analysis is irrelevant. The question is whether the assumption upon which we are proceeding is true or false. It is 1 very desirable that this issue should be raised in a clear and defi- Elite manner. For however it be decided, I do not conceive that we can remain as we are. The present arrangements of colleges, as far as the residents are concerned, are clumsily and ineffectively aiming at the same combination of study and teaching which we wish to attain by a better and completer organisation. If this be the right aim, the colleges must be remodelled upon some such plan as we propose. If we are wrong, then let a fair partition be made of academia endowments, and let scientific research be .organised independently of education. As things now stand, acience languishes, while education is, on the one hand, de- moralised by excessive prizes ; and on the other hand, is, on the -whole, not much better or cheaper than if it were provided entirely 'by the "law of supply and demand."—I am. Sir, &c., Trinity College, Cambridge, Nov. 26. HENRY SIDGWICK.
[We are confirmed by this letter in our conviction that the new University Reformers are comparatively indifferent to the intellec- tual discipline of average youths of 20, and too intent on foster- ing the growth of the highest and most original intellects, after these have once revealed themselves,—of course at a considerably 'later age. Mr. Sidgwick denies that the tutors who are to teach such youths need any endowments,—i.e., that the tutors who are to do nine-tenths of the work of our existing Universities need -any endowments. Surely this is confessing to our accusation.
Pattison showed the same disposition by his wish to appropriate not only the fellowships, but the scholarships, to the -endowment of research, and with this proposal we conceive that the meeting generally felt a more or less distinct sympathy. We Tegard a system of University scholarships attained by examina- tion and appropriated to the cost of the drilling of ordinary youths at the University, commonplace duty as it is, as a feature of the very 4highest importance in any University system.—En. Spectator.]
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