ABSTRACT

318 Record 0/ Eventa. LEnglilhwoman'l R"ie\~ July 16th, 1881. {)f tbe Women's College do not warrant the hope of its long remaining able, under tbe present conditions of its existence, to achieve the same results. 7. Tbat your memorialists further regard it as difiieult ü not impossible, satisfactorily and permanently to keep up any 8,Yl!tem of higher education witbout a fixed standard of examinationa possessing a weIl recognised value in the eyes of the public, and that no certificates of tbe passiug of such a standard are so generally valued as University degrees. 8. That, moreover, inasmucb. aB the possession of such certificates is esteemed a high advantage by the growing number of young women engaged in teaehing of 8 more advanced kind, it is, in tbe opimon of your memorialists, highly desirable that the obtaining of such eertificates should be brougbt within reach of properly qualified members of that elass' in this district. Your memorialists may add tbat tbe increasing competition in this district for the higber certificates in the Ioeal examinations of the U niversity of Cambridge illustrates the continued growth of the elass referred to. 9. That, as your memorialists also beg to point out, the University of London has recentIy opened its degrees to female candidates, many of whom enjoy opportunities of academical instruction in üniversity College, London, and other colleges, while tbe University of Cambridge has for some time allowed the knowledge of female students to be tested by informal examinations identical with tbose held for its degrees. 10. That your memorialists venture to commend to your favourable conaideration the above facts, taken together with tbe following provision of the royal charter recently granted to the Victoria University :-" The University sball baye power to grant and confer degreeR and other distinctions (except medical degrees) on all persona, male or female, who 8ba11 bave pursued a regular course of study in 8 Collega in the University, and sball sllbmit tbemselves for examination." 11. Tbat in tbe humble opinion of your memorialists a signal benefit would be conferred upon this district in which the Owena College has for some yea1'8 been the recognised centre of bigher education, and in wh ich it now bolds tbe peeuliar position of the only incorporated college of the Victoria University, if the Council of tbe Owens College were to signify its readiness t.o consider means for enabling st1.!dcnts of the 'Vornen's College to qualify as candidates for a Victoria Univcrsity degree. 12. That in the humble opinion of your memorialists· this end rnigbt be gained either by the Owena College admitting the W omen's College as an integral department of. tbe Owens College, and providing for the students in Buch department courses of study, attendance upon which would qualify them for the Victoria degeeej or by the Owens College admitting properly qualified studeI;lts of tbe W omen's College to Buch courses of stndy in tbe Owens College as rnay be approved of by the Council of the Owens College, and as would enable such students as students of tbe Owens College in like manner to become candidates for tbc degrees of the University. 13. That in the event of the adoption of tbe latter course tbe preparatory or earlier part of the instruction necessary for students of tbe Vi' omen's College before tbeir admission as students of tbe Owens College could, in tbe opinion of your mcmorialiRts, continue to be satisfactorily furnished by tbe Women's