(v) Finance. In order to assist in providing financial support to enable selected adults to come up to the Universities, we recommend that funds should be placed by the Councils in the hands of the Extra-Mural Boards. As in the case of ordinary Scholars, however, the extra-mural authorities should not be expected to bear the whole of the burden of maintenance the cost should be shared between the University on the one side and such bodies as Trade Unions, Co-operative Societies, Local Education Authorities, or individual employers on the other. There is also reason to hope that help may be forthcoming from educational trust funds. An understanding between the ExtraMural Boards and such outside bodies and individuals is as desirable in the case of adult students as in that of Scholars, in order that waste may be prevented and a high standard of qualifications maintained among students admitted to residence. In our opinion the lump sum of £6,000 a year recommended in paragraph 151 above for extra-mural purposes and adult students together will be sufficient to finance both branches of work, and will enable the Extra-Mural Boards, acting under the Councils, to work in the direction recommended and to gain experience in the administration of the experimental scheme for adult students.

F. STATE AND LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS.

183. In paragraphs 154 to 182 above we have discussed various measures for making the two Universities more accessible to poor students, and have recommended :

(i) An increase in College subventions to poor Scholars by reserving Scholarship emoluments in future—with the exception of free rooms in College for Scholars who cannot afford to reside without aid, and by increasing the maximum emoluments from £80 to £80 plus rooms (paragraph 158);

(ii) a reduction of the cost of living in Colleges (paragraphs 160 to 172);

(iii) improvements in the Non-Collegiate organisations (paragraphs 173 to 179);

(iv) new arrangements for facilitating the access to the Universities of adult students (paragraphs 180 to 182).

The adoption of these measures will tend to secure an Oxford or Cambridge education for an increased number of poor or moderately poor students.

The proposal referred to under head (i), for reserving Scholarship funds for poor students, is in our opinion important as a matter of principle, even though the increased funds secured for poor Scholars thereby will be but small for reasons explained in paragraph 157.

The proposals submitted under head (iii) will be an effective aid to the improvement of Non-Collegiate education, and we trust that, as a result, an increased number of parents of moderate means will avail themselves of the opportunities of University education thus afforded to their sons and daughters at so reasonable a cost.

The proposals under head (iv) are important as instituting entirely new machinery for introducing adult students to the two Universities without the normal examinations, and as providing a substantial sum for their assistance.

Finally, we have recommended have recommended certain changes, under head (ii), for reducing the cost of living in Colleges. Such measures will tend to keep down, as far as possible, on the one hand, the expenditure of parents on College education, and on the other hand, the amount of assistance required in cases where students cannot go into residence unaided. Nevertheless it seems to us clear that neither the measures recommended by us under this head, nor any other reasonable scheme of College reform, can ever bring the cost of education in Colleges within the reach of parents with really small incomes, unless assisted by grants from College Scholarship funds or from other sources. In view of (a) the costly system of careful, individual instruction which has rightly been adopted in Colleges, (b) the cost of maintaining the old buildings and the grounds, and (c) the inevitable increase of terminal costs resulting from the fact that the large standing charges of Colleges have to be met out of receipts during the short terms of residence, College life must in our opinion always be comparatively dear. The belief, which exists in some quarters, that this is not true is, we are convinced, illusory. Consequently it is clear that, in the main, the opening of Oxford and Cambridge Colleges in larger measure to poorer undergraduates can only be achieved by the endowment of the individual student. In our opinion the best steps to take for this purpose are to increase the number of Local Scholarships and to develop considerably, as the state of the national finances permits, the existing system of State Scholarships (see paragraph 155 above)-subject to such modifications of detail as may seem advisable-so that parents may be assisted, so far as is necessary, to meet the cost of residence in whatever University institution they may select for their sons or daughters. In addition, charitable institutions can do a most valuable work by devoting their funds to the same purpose.

G.

UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE

EXAMINATION, ETC.

184. Oxford and Cambridge Universities are in the peculiar position that the University as such-as distinct from the Colleges has no real control over the admission of students. (except as regards members of the Non-Collegiate body) and imposes no entrance examination which students are required to pass before coming into residence. It is true that, as is shewn by Table C.12, in Appendix 3, most Colleges normally require the passing of the preliminary University examination, known as Responsions at Oxford and as the Previous Examination at Cambridge, or of some equivalent examination, in addition in most cases to a College entrance examination, before admitting

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"freshmen" to residence; consequently the preliminary Univer sity examination serves to some extent already as a University Entrance Examination. But it lies wholly within the discretion. of each College, and not of the University, whether to admit men before passing this examination or not, and in practice there have hitherto been numerous cases in which Colleges have permitted individual entrants to take the examination after admission. Moreover, though the University Statutes enact that students admitted to Colleges shall be submitted to the University Authorities within a prescribed period for the formal ceremony known as Matriculation," there is no Statute requiring the passing of any examination before Matriculation, and in fact all students presented by Colleges for Matriculation are accepted by the University without question, and without any enquiry into their qualifications. Similarly, it is left to the Colleges-except in cases of grave misconduct which come under the notice of the Proctors to decide when students shall be "sent down" for idleness or unsatisfactory behaviour.

185. Though until recent times the absence of University control has sometimes had unsatisfactory results in particular instances, Colleges now endeavour, generally speaking, to restrict admissions to students who are likely to pass the University examinations with credit. Nevertheless the high standard now attained by Colleges in this matter does not prevent the possibility of a relaxation of the standard on the part of individual Colleges in future. It is essential in our opinion that the two Universities should make themselves responsible for the uniform rejection of unqualified students before they come into residence, so as to secure absolutely that the time and energies of teachers, lecturers and examiners shall not be wasted on students whose capacity or performance falls below University standard. The existence of University regulations on this subject will make it clear to the outside world that unsuitable candidates are excluded from all Colleges alike, and that exceptions to this rule are not made in particular Colleges or particular instances.

Definite machinery for regulating entrance to the Universities will also be of great value should it be found necessary, as a matter of policy, at some future date to restrict the number of new entrants to Oxford and Cambridge in order that the total number of students in residence may not exceed a certain maximum. We have received strong representations as to the danger of an unlimited increase in the size of the two Universities. In our opinion this danger has been exaggerated to some extent, as a result of the sudden and exceptional increase in numbers which resulted from the war. But nevertheless the danger is a real one, and it is clearly necessary that the Universities should be on their guard against it in future. Though, as we have pointed out, it is desirable that arrangements should be made for securing a University education for as many suitable students as possible, the number of students in residence cannot safely be allowed to increase to such a point as to impair the quality of the education

provided. We agree with the opinion expressed by the Committee of Cambridge Graduates to the effect that the highest type of University education cannot be provided wholesale, and that the standard of instruction must deteriorate if laboratories are overcrowded, if the number of pupils is too great for personal supervision, and if lectures have to be given to too large an audience. An increase in numbers at Oxford and Cambridge beyond a certain point would probably necessitate the abandonment of the tutorial system on which the greatness of both Universities has been largely built up. Only the provision of substantial grants from the State over and above those recommended in our report, or, as an alternative, the imposition of much higher fees than at present, could provide either for the continuance of the tutorial system for largely increased numbers of students, or for the expenditure on extra staff and buildings which would be required to avoid serious overcrowding of Colleges, laboratories and lecture rooms.

In our view, therefore, if the standard of education at Oxford and Cambridge is to be maintained, it will be found that there must be a maximum limit to future numbers. The Universities and Colleges may be trusted to exercise a wise discretion in the matter, and should the time come when they feel it necessary to impose an artificial limit on numbers, the existence of a University entrance test will enable them to regulate entrances in the best possible way, by stiffening the test imposed and excluding those candidates who cannot pass it.

186. We accordingly recommend that in future the previous passing of a University Entrance Examination, or of equivalents or alternatives prescribed by the University, should be a rigid condition of entrance to Colleges, Halls or Hostels, and to the Non-Collegiate bodies. In addition, Colleges could continue to impose their own entrance tests so far as they may consider it necessary to do so.

It has been suggested to us that Colleges might be allowed, at their discretion, to grant permission to pass the University Entrance Examination at the end of, instead of before, the first term of residence. We are unable to recommend leaving them such a discretionary power. All exceptional cases should in our opinion be submitted by Colleges to the Council, or to some Committee or person duly authorised by the Council to act on its behalf, for the grant of special exemptions or extensions of time by University authority so far as may seem desirable in the circumstances of each case.

187. The existence of a University Entrance Examination on the lines recommended will secure the uniform rejection of unsuitable candidates at the outset. It is also most desirable that a high standard both of work and of conduct should be required of all successful candidates after they have come into residence, and that there should be an established practice of "sending down," as a matter of course, all undergraduates who fall distinctly short of the desired standard. Most Colleges have,

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as a general rule, dealt with this matter on satisfactory lines already, but there has been a certain degree of laxity in individual Colleges and in individual cases from time to time, and we have considered whether the University-as distinct from the Colleges should be given power in future to "send down students for unsatisfactory conduct or for failure to pass examinations, so as to ensure a uniform policy throughout the University. In our opinion, however, no University body would have sufficient knowledge of the individual students to be able to intervene satisfactorily in most cases of this nature, and we accordingly recommend that, except in cases of misconduct where the University already has power to act, the responsibility for "sending down" students should remain with the College authorities. It is important that the Colleges should exercise their powers in this matter with firmness in all cases, and that no student whose work or conduct is unsatisfactory should be allowed to remain in residence, whether on grounds of athletic distinction or for other reasons. Certain Colleges have already adopted a rule that undergraduates who fail in the University, Inter-Collegiate or College examination held in their first or second year are liable to be sent down. It is desirable in our opinion that some such rule should be adopted by all Societies, including the Non-Collegiate bodies, in future, so that endowments and the time and energy of teachers may not be wasted on undergraduates who are not serious students. The adoption of the rule would not preclude lenient treatment in exceptional cases where failure is due to illness or to special causes other than incapacity or idleness.

188. We have discussed in paragraph 28 the suggestion which has been made in some quarters that the pressure of numbers at Oxford and Cambridge should be relieved, and room found for students of better quality, by excluding altogether from both Universities all undergraduates who read for pass courses, and we have given our reasons for not recommending the adoption of this suggestion. In the present connection we desire to point out that if a University Entrance Examination with an adequate standard is introduced, as recommended above, the main objections which have been raised to the existence of the pass-man will have been removed. The pass-man will then be unable to obtain admittance to the University unless he can pass the Entrance Examination, and, should there be insufficient accommodation in the University in future for all candidates, the University Authorities will be able to raise the standard of the Examination and to exclude the weaker candidates. Meanwhile a few Colleges have already adopted the policy of excluding all pass-men, or of confining the admission of pass-men to special cases, but the statistics given in Tables C.14 and 15 in Appendix 3 shew that most Colleges have hitherto found it desirable to admit pass-men and that a large number of men were reading for pass courses before the war.