British and American Compared Professor A. P. Newton, in the first of a series of lectures on "The Universities of the Dominions and the United States," at King's College, London, said that he had recently visited between 60 and 70 collegiate institutions in the United States, Canada, Autralia, and Zealand, and the general conclusion he had reached was that the University system of Great Britain had been largely used as a help and guide in the foundation and development of the newer institutions in America and the Dominions. This applied more particular. ly to Australia and New Zealand. and even to Canada, although in} the latter Dominion the influence of the United States was to be found.
Unfortunately in the United States German influence had made itself felt in the educational system. One of the things borrowed from Germany was the system of "keeping in step," by which was meant dealing with the children in the schoo] and the students in the colleges in bodies, who were moved forward at stated periods and stated ages, in contradistinction to the English' system, which "sifted" the more brilliant boys out, from the general body. The German method kept the brighter boys back "in step"? with the less brilliant.
Another unfortunate borrowing from Germany was the system of "electives,'' which permitted a student to take any subject he chose in order to get his degree. Happily there was now a considerable repulsion again this system of "options" or "snaps," and the lecturer believed that in the coming rs the British and American Universities would be found coming Gioser to each other.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.