UNIVERSITIES. Great Britain in proportion to population does not make as ample provisions for university education as is made in most other European countries. There was, however, in the last half of the nineteenth century a remarkable increase in the number of universities and in their attendance, and the sphere of their influ ence has been decidedly increased. The new col leges which have grown up have not been ham pered with the restrictions which tradition has imposed upon the two old English universities, Oxford and Cambridge, and greater emphasis has been placed upon science and the adaptation of their courses to the practical demands of the local industrial conditions. The London Uni versity constituted an examining body in 1836 (when the original London University, founded in 1826, became University College), and was trans formed into a teaching body in 1898, comprehend ing in 1900 twenty-four different colleges, with an enrollment of 4789. In 1878 colleges situated at Manchester, Leeds, and Liverpool, respectively, were federated under the title Victoria Univer sity. The Durham University, established in 1832, was extended in 1871, so as to include the colleges of medicine and science at Newcastle upon-Tyne. Birmingham University was consti tuted in 1900. All of these were established through the aid of private beneficence, but now receive aid from the Government. In 1900 Ox ford had 3481 students, and Cambridge in the following year had 2958. The University of Wales, composed of a number of affiliated colleges situated at different points, was established in 1893. The four Scotch universities, Saint An drews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh, date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The
financial status of the Scotch universities has recently very greatly improved, and since the further extension of the secondary system of education in Scotland the universities are enabled to give more attention to the strictly university work and less to preparatory courses.
The necessity of signing the Thirty-nine Ar ticles in order to matriculate at Oxford and Cambridge was removed in 1854, as was also, in 1871, the exaction of religious tests as a condition of securing degrees, except for the theological degree. In the last quarter of the nineteenth cen tury women were admitted to the university ex aminations in a number of branches at Oxford and Cambridge, and colleges for female students have been established in connection with both in stitutions. In 1878 London University opened all its faculties to the examination of women on perfect equality with men, and the Victoria and Durham universities and those of Scotland and Wales have since followed the example. The effort to extend the advantages and influence of the universities gave rise in the latter decades of the nineteenth century to the custom of afford ing, at various points, courses of lectures and class work, and holding summer meetings, etc., for the benefit of non-resident and non-matricu lated students. This system is generally known as university extension work. Furthermore, a system of local examinations under administra tion of the universities has grown up, certificates being granted to successful candidates.