"The Arts have no real enemies except the ignorant."

We feel that University teaching if it is to teach us How to think rather than what to think, could be improved by reducing lectures to a minimum and by making greater use of seminars where discussion could oust feverish note-taking. (This system is already working well in the advanced stages of the History Department and in Diploma of Education classes.)

Seminars instead of lecturers would necessarily involve a larger teaching staff. As it is unlikely that the Government would be willing to pay the salaries of a dozen extra full-time lecturers, we suggest that greater use could be made of student lectureships. Each Department in the Faculty of Arts could have attached to it at least two student lecturers in whom enthusiasm might compensate for lack of experience. (Incidentally this would improve pre-University education as it would give the advanced students—the future teachers—opportunity to clarify their ideas and to become factually more competent.)

As a further improvement we suggest a focusing point for the Arts courses as a whole—a free and optional course in Art.

History and Art.

This course in Art could follow mainly along the lines of the History syllabus and would aim, not merely to be a history of Art, but to interpret and be interpreted by history. The student of any literature would find his understanding quickened by a knowledge of contemporary movements in Art. Such an Art course would have the additional advantage of bringing to one focus a number of facts hitherto scattered through a number of courses, and by consequence but partially known.

A similar union has worked well with Greek, History, Art and Literature, it should function with the whole Arts Course.

It is ridiculous to attempt to understand the literature of any country without knowing its contemporary history—it is equally foolish to divorce History from the Arts; but under the pressure of nine units and a compulsory language we do both.