The vision of a university in the British tradition: reflecting on the Universities Tests Act 1871: what have we developed and what are we losing?

Abstract

This paper intends to assess the Universities Tests Act 1871 in the British history of universities and the nation. It is not an historical analysis; it is rather a reflection on the Act seen from today's perspective. Naturally, since the year 1871, the universities have made considerable progress and it is reasonable to expect that the ideas from the Act were developed. The paper addresses two important ideas contained within the Act: (i) The notion that universities should be 'freely accessible to the nation': and (ii) The role of religion in universities and colleges (as interpreted from the legislative definition of a 'college.') Following the analysis of the two ideas above, the paper will undertake a discussion on the significance of the Act for British and other universities.