§ MR. BIGGARasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 1477 Whether, at the examinations of the Royal University of Ireland, each examiner always takes up the same subject, or course of study, and whether this is the subject usually taught by him to students attending his class; whether students unable to attend such classes are expected to compete on equal terms with those who have the benefit of practical acquaintance with the examiner's special method of dealing with his subject; and, whether, at the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, London, and Dublin, a different custom is followed to guard against the undue advantages arising out of the circumstance of invariably appointing the same examiner in the same subject to make awards to his own pupils as well as to other students?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, I forwarded the hon. Member's Question to the Secretaries of the Royal University, and I have received the following observations from them thereon: —
The examinations of this University are conducted by Boards of Fellows and Examiners corresponding to the various departments of the courses of study. Some of these Boards consist of several persons. Every examination paper is required to be approved by at least two or more Examiners. The members of each Board apportion among themselves the branches of the subject in which candidates are to be examined, and we believe that it is the regular usage that the same person shall not examine at the successive examinations in the same branch or portion of the subject. All answers to honour papers are adjudicated upon by two or more Examiners, and in the course of the examination every candidate usually passes through the hands of all the Examiners in the department concerned. In this way every opportunity for possible unfairness or unevenness of examination is guarded against as far as practicable.I may observe that at Oxford and Cambridge Examiners examine the young men who have attended their own lectures, as well as others; but the endowments being very much larger, and the number of Fellows very much greater, the variety of choice of Examiners is greatly increased. With regard to the University of London, the Examiners are paid specially.
§ MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether the Government are prepared to grant the Returns, of which Notices stand upon the Notice Paper, relating to the Queen's Colleges (Ireland) and the Royal University (Ireland)?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, the Government have come to the conclusion that it is desirable to hold an inquiry into certain matters connected with the Queen's Colleges, of a nature the result of which can be laid before Parliament. The inquiry will be by a small Commission appointed by the Lord Lieutenant. The exact terms of reference are under consideration; but I am of opinion that they will cover, as I think they ought to cover, all the points on which hon. Members have applied for information by Questions or Returns. Here I would observe that I do not think the inquiry will take in the special Questions relating to anatomy put by the hon. Member for Monaghan (Mr. Healy). With regard to the Returns and Questions put on the subject, it is the intention of the Commission to afford full information. With regard to this, I need not repeat what I said the other day—that the Queen's College, Cork, asks for an inquiry. I hope that, under those circumstances, the hon. Member will not consider it necessary to press for the Returns.
§ MR. HEALYMay I ask if any information is to be given with regard to the personnel of this Commission? There are strong grounds for thinking that this inquiry having been asked for by the Queen's College, it is proposed to make it a whitewashing inquiry.
§ MR. TREVELYANThat is hardly a proper supposition to make until there are some grounds for it. I have always been very frank with the House, and I have stated that a thorough inquiry was wanted. There are serious matters to be cleared up, and these are the serious matters that hon. Members have been agitating about.
§ MR. JUSTIN M'CARTHYAre we to understand that there will be an inquiry into the whole system of the University and Colleges?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, I do not know that I need trouble the House by going into particulars; but perhaps I may just state the three principal points to be inquired into. Points of pure discipline the visitors must deal with. There are three important points, however, about which complaints have been made. First, that notwithstanding the amount of these endowments, the students of the Colleges do badly at the Royal University. Second, that the 1479 number of students is kept up by educational tests being unduly lowered. Third, that the College prizes, especially in the Scholarships and Exhibitions, are not fairly distributed amongst the various branches of learning. Thorough inquiry into these matters will cover all matters referred to in the Question and Returns.
MR. O'BRIENMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether a Commission appointed by this House would not satisfy the public better than one appointed by the Lord Lieutenant?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, the Government would be unwilling to resort to that course unless compelled to by a Vote of the House.
§ MR. GRAYMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he intends, in the Estimates for the current year, to ask that the same amount shall be granted for the maintenance of the same Scholarships and Exhibitions in the Colleges as heretofore?
§ MR. TREVELYANYes, Sir.
§ MR. GRAYThen, will the right hon. Gentleman insist on getting this Vote without giving the House the information asked for in these Returns, or does he expect that the Commission will report previous to the Vote being taken? Are we to understand that the right hon. Gentleman declines to afford the House the information contained in those Returns, which can be obtained at practically no expense beyond the cost of printing?
§ MR. TREVELYANI will hurry on the appointment and operations of the Commission, and when we come nearer the time when the Votes for the Queen's Colleges will be taken, I will be prepared to answer any Questions put to me by the hon. Member.