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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 15, No. 7. May 1, 1952

[Introduction]

I have read Professor Hughes letter with care and I am sure that he and I (if I may be presumptuous) in great measure agree. May he excuse me if, in replying to him, I include some answers to other critics.

There are two accusations I must deny emphatically: first that I wish to tamper with academic objectivity; secondly that I wish the staff to inculcate the students with their ideas. Nothing I have written supports those two views Academic objectivity must be preserved for it is the basis of all learning. As to Inculcation to quote an editorial of mine "nor la the inculcation of absolute values desired." This should have made my attitude clear. I would go further and say that Inculcation of anything Is undesirable.

Another suggestion that I support a university wedded to a certain point of view needs comment. In my opinion universities so wedded are desirable only in a country where the population is sufficiently large to ensure that diversity of educational character is not imperilled. I would not, at the moment, support a religious university of any persuasion in New Zealand. Denominational colleges as they exist in Australian university would be desirable but I would oppose any move which would segregate any particular body of opinion entirely from the rest of the community.

It should now be obvious that the suspicion that I want a university to set out to convert students to a particular viewpoint la without foundation. It may" be that universities wedded to a particular viewpoint may convert students to their beliefs but is this any worse than the present, system which converts students to indifferentism.