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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 27, No. 13. 1964.

A. R. Haas discovers — "The Inadequacy Of A Dependent Utopia,"

A. R. Haas discovers

"The Inadequacy Of A Dependent Utopia,"

We are educating far too many for pointless, aimless, uncritical living.

Professor Oliver said this in a memorial lecture, on May 1, 1963, in memory of Donald M. Andersen.

In his lecture, recently published by Pauls. Professor Oliver noted the inadequacy of the university in New Zealand, the "tolerably work shy undergraduate", the university teacher with a "slavery to statistical pass rates, a deification of the examination system a contempt for our disciplines and our pupils, a timidity amounting to cowardice which encourages us to place niggling research and administration above the more exacting primary task of teaching", and the lack in New Zealand of a School of Pacific Studies, of an adequate Asian studies centre; of the facilities to enable us to obtain a deep awareness of man's condition. He like Dr. Sutch, spoke of the lack of the 'quality of life' in New Zealand.

Dr. Oliver has in this invaluable lecture a reminder to the present day student to sense the value of his studies, a reminder to university staff to be deeper and to reapply (or apply) themselves to the understanding of man's condition, to the politician a reminder that education is the 'heart of the matter', and must be treated so, and to the community a reminder of the need to exercise restraint today, so that tomorrow may be secure.

Pauls are to be congratulated in publishing this lecture. May it be only one example of a more intensive effort to retain the rare pearls of wisdom that emanate from our universities.