Notes

Abstract

BY a majority of seventy-five in a House of close on eight hundred Oxford has decided, for good or ill, that the Greek language shall no longer be a com pulsory study for any of her alumni. In favour of the statute embodying this policy, which came before a full meeting of Convocation on March 2, speeches were delivered by Mr. C. Bailey, of Balliol College, Dr. Farnell, Rector of Exeter College, and Dr. David, Headmaster of Rugby. The opposition was under taken by Mr. R. W. Livingstone, of Corpus, Mr. R. Carter, Headmaster of Bedford Grammar School, and Mr. John Murray, M.P., of Christ Church. The issue before Convocation was, perhaps, not quite so clear as it might have been; for it is probable that many voters thought that the rejection of the statute would have meant the perpetuation of the old form of Responsions, an examination which is allowed on all hands to be in need of radical reform. There is no doubt that in any case, whether the statute passed or was rejected, no attempt would have been made by the advocates of Greek in Responsions to make that language compulsory for passmen or for honours candi dates in science or mathematics. But the feeling against compulsory Greek in any circumstances prevailed with the majority of voters, and Oxford has distinctly and definitely decided that, so far as she is concerned, the Greek language, however desirable as a study for specialists, is no longer to be considered a necessary element in a general education. The present vote may be taken as the final settlement of a keenly debated and long-protracted controversy.