were fond of lauding to their students

[suprunp]

An ill-kept lawn ran down in front of them to a row of amputated railings, beyond which was College Road and the town cemetery, a conjunction responsible for some popular local jokes. Lecturers were fond of lauding to their students the comparative receptivity to facts of 'the Honours class over the road', while the parallel between the occupations of graveyard attendant and custodian of learning was one which often suggested itself to others besides the students.
(Kingsley Amis, LUCKY JIM)

Is my understanding of the part in bold is someway near to what was intended?

Lecturers praised in front of their students the ability of "the Honours class over the road" to receive information (maybe because that 'class' was always 'silent', which could be likened to being attentive and receptive).
A custodian of learning should mean 'a lecturer'? here. The similarity between the occupations of graveyard attendant and lecturer (?) was clear not only to students, but also to others (an allusion to lecturers?).

Thanks.

[Tdol]

1 Yes
2 Yes

[BobK]

An ill-kept lawn ran down in front of them to a row of amputated railings, beyond which was College Road and the town cemetery, a conjunction responsible for some popular local jokes. Lecturers were fond of lauding to their students the comparative receptivity to facts of 'the Honours class over the road', while the parallel between the occupations of graveyard attendant and custodian of learning was one which often suggested itself to others besides the students.
(Kingsley Amis, LUCKY JIM)

Is my understanding of the part in bold is someway near to what was intended?

Lecturers praised in front of their students the ability of "the Honours class over the road" to receive information (maybe because that 'class' was always 'silent', which could be likened to being attentive and receptive).'assumed to indicate'
A custodian of learning should mean 'a lecturer'? here. The similarity between the occupations of graveyard attendant and lecturer (?) was clear not only to students, but also to others (an allusion to lecturers?).


Thanks.

I don't think he ever made it to being a lecturer. He was a teacher in a crammer*. I don't think his last words were alluding to lecturers, but to himself - he had a low opinion of his own position.

b

PS A crammer is an organization that teaches people who've left school to pass university entrance exams. The word 'lecturer' may well have been used by the organization, as a sop to the parents of the 'students'.