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Salient: An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria University. Wellington Vol. 24, No. 2. 1961
Religious Studies Questionnaire
Religious Studies Questionnaire
The Education Sub-Committee's questionnaires at enrolment unfortunately missed several hundred students at the beginning of the week. They will be contacted.
So far the analysis reveals 125 students who would like to take a University course in Religious Studies. Those to come are Arts students, so the numbers may reach 200. The actual content of the course required shows a slight bias towards comparative religion and the philosophy of religion. Comparatively few would favour Hebrew or Greek Bible studies. One student would like to take Bible studies in English and Methodist Church history! Seventy-five would oppose such a course.
The questionnaire was stimulated from several sources. The report of the committee on New Zealand universities, better known as the Parry Report, states (page 95):
"We would like to commend the idea of courses (in religious studies on a non-denominational basis) and would suggest that funds might be made available in the first instance as an extension of a department of history and philosophy." Already other New Zealand universities have made a move in this direction. The Canterbury Students' Association did recommend such studies to the Parry Committee, thus indicating that, students have some powers in these direction;.
In August, 1958, the N.Z.U.S.A. Council's Education Committee carried the following resolution.
"That the committee recommends that N.Z.U.S.A. Council support in principle the introduction of a Stage I unit for a B.A. degree consisting of a study of comparative and historical trends of religions of the world and their theologies and influences, with prescriptions being determined by approbate authorities within that framework."
Finally, the Victoria Education Sub-committee received a letter from the Student Christian Movement in October, 1959, requesting the conduction of a questionnaire to give a concrete basis on which to carry late work.
The current questionnaire was thus conducted to ascertain the number of interested students at Victoria and the nature of the course required. Future action will be decided at the next Education Sub-committee meeting. However, before this happens there must be an education sub-committee. A number of resignations have left vacancies which need to be filled urgently. Interested students are asked to contact the chairman of the Education Sub-committee at the Students' Association Office. It is hoped that a fresher who intends to major in Education will be included.
Other activities will include dealing with the letters received from students last term regaiding the language requirements for Arts and Science degrees. The recent questionnaire has, we hope, created a precedent for students and groups of students to use the committee in a democratic manner to deal with genuine moans, groans and suggestions.