H.—IB

1878. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION. REPORTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of Hit Excellency.

No. 1. The Chancellor to His Excellency the Governor. Mt Lord,— University of Otago, 30th April, 1877. In accordance with the provision in "The Otago University Ordinance, 1869," I have the honor to transmit to your Excellency the following report of the condition and proceedings of the University for the year ending 31st March, 1877. The session opened as usual on the Ist of May, 1876. In the report of the Vice-Chancellor for the previous year, made to the then Superintendent of Otago, a considerable increase in the number of students —namely, from fifty to sixty-nine —was brought under notice ; but during the last session there has been a decline in the number of students, and consequently in the attendance, at the several classes. At the same time, the number of matriculated students has increased. The subjoined statement for the last three years will show this :—

1874 1875 1876 Number of students ... ... ... 50 ... 69 ... 55 Of whom matriculated in each year ... ... 5 ... 6 ... 8 Numbers attending the several Classes. English Language and Literature ... ... 3 ... 3 ... 4 Latin ... ... ... .... ... 12 ... 19 ... 17 Greek ... ... ... ... ... 2 ... 7 ... 0 Mathematics and Natural Philosophy... ... 21 ... 26 ... 24 Mental and Moral Philosophy ... ... 11 ... 9 ... 9 Chemistry ... ... ... ... 16 ... 15 ... 10 Anatomy... ... ... ... ... 0 ... 4 ... 1 Geology ... ... ... ... ... 13 ... 3 ... 4 Law 5 ... 12 ... 10 French ... ... ... ... ... 0 ... |6 ... 7 Italian ... ... ... ... .. 0 ... 1 ... 0 German ... ... ... ... ... 0 ... 13 ... 8 83 118 94

Notwithstanding the anxiety of the Council to establish a Medical School, they have met with difficulties in addition to those which were mentioned in the report for the session of 1875. But they are such as may be overcome. No objections have been made to the qualifications or efficiency of our medical teachers. Our preliminary examinations for medical students, which are those required by the General Council of Medical Education and Registration of the United Kingdom, have of course been accepted by that Board, while the Universities of Edinburgh and Aberdeen will accept, as part of I—H. 18.