Minister favours exams

Press, 6 July 1983, Page 2

Minister favours exams

PA Wellington The Minister of Education, Mr Wellington, believes the external examination system should be retained.

He said yesterday it provided a “fair and objective” and a proved set of tests against which both teachers and pupils could measure their efforts.

Also with external examinations parents, employers, universities, and technical institutes knew precisely the level of achievement young people had attained. “It strikes me as odd that at a time when we applaud increasing competitiveness on the sports field and in the market place there should be a demand for less competitiveness in the classroom,” Mr Wellington told the Post-Primary Teachers’ Association’s principals’ conference.

“I know as a result of talking with Ministers of Education and other people in countries similar to our own that where an external examination structure has been either modified or dis-

mantled, the majority of consumers have come to regret it,” he said.

External examinations were “an important aid to motivation and discipline,” said Mr Wellington.

He said a full revision of the physical education system was about to start, involving a number of notable sportsmen and women. Sporting and other extracurricular activities were an integral part of education and Mr Wellington believed they deserved greater recognition.

He said the Government introduced a new policy in 1979 to employ teacher assistants, increasing the number of assistants 50 per cent by February, 1984.

“Unless otherwise committed in advance I would expect the additional increment to be devoted to assisting with the management of sport and cultural activity,” he said. Mr Wellington said the organisation and management of school sport might be better encouraged and supported in this way.

Mr Gavin Muckle, of the Post-Primary Teachers’

Association, told the 220 principals at the meeting on Monday, that, in view of “increasing intransigence” by Mr Wellington on the issue, principals should stop their schools from helping to administer University Entrance accrediting and examining. Mr Muckle said there was increasing support from the education community for the idea of shifting University Entrance qualifications from Form 6 to Form 7, but there was “total deadlock” with the Minister. Mr Muckle said the withdrawal would mean teachers continuing to teach and assess students as nor-

j mal, but implementing their i own policies on university [ entrance. ’ A resolution calling for • the move by schools is i expected to be considered - by the conference today. ’ The conference was told ! that Mr Wellington was wrong to use employers’ views to back his support for University Entrance at Form 6. The training adviser of j the Auckland Provincial t Employers’ Association, Mr ’ Russell Hodge, said that individual employers might have expressed opinions in i line with the Minister but i the Employers’ Federation • had not.