UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1713, 2 April 1913, Page 5

UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS.

'Six', —There is such a' ring of. honest purpose in "Lumen's'; letter of Monday lasfcthat I'cannot find it in my Jieart.'o retaliate on him for his unfeeling reference to my mental short-sightedness in failing to see the full purport of his first letter, though for that matter he ,fails to grasp the main substance of mine. 1 think that instances of individual passes and failures and small differences in nere'entages are being allowed to cloud' tUr> main issue. My personal grievance is not that my boy or girl may have been failed at the entrance examination, but that before "they can enter on a professional course or legitimately and effectively talcs advantage of such,, scholarly instruction and training as Victoria College, provides, iho University by its-me-thods of examination practically insists on their being subjected to a course.of so-called'.secondary training (and nreparation which is not only harmful to them physically and mentally, but which is opposed to every sound principle of true education. , I am willing to admit that from soino points of view, tho present system may work admirably. I believe, for example though I aln unable to speak from nersonal knowledge, that the' totalisator is an excellent means of arriving at certain results in horse-raeing, but whether it is good for liorse-racing as ' a sport or for the horses themselves or even for the fortunate ones who may be lucky enough: "to strike divvies" is "quite another question. "Lumen" seems to takj it for granted that Tarn-an advocate for 110 examination at nil. I am not; nor do I advocate the lowering of the standard of matriculation requirements. As a matter of .'fact, I think,, the standard ,-hould be raised, but raised by rational and intelligent courses of instruction, .ind by a inner system of examination. The tendency of the present system is to .ower the standard. Even according to its own canons the mere fact of sotting ambitious tests and allowing candidates to scrape through with 30 or 35 .per cent, of marks condemns it. "Lumen" says that "he who has a thorough and profound knowledge of his subject has nothing to fear in any examination." Wo are dealing mainly with, matriculation examinations, and candidates and .1 wonder just how .many matriculation candidates or University graduates for that matter "Lumen'' lias known "with thor§hgh and profound" knowledge of their subjects? He. surely cannot be serious. : If our examination r.vsten: were only what "Lumin" maintains it is, "o lest of knowledge" (he does ret say of education), and if it rested at that, perhaps not so much mischief-would b* done, ' ut it has been so abused and carried to such extravagant lengths that it lias become the sole end and object, of our so-called education .itself. Every subject, evory course of instruction, is n:>w expressed not in true educational out m examination values. The public haidly realises how examination-ridden education is in this country. Consider for a moment the, career of a pupil through his various educational stages till lie graduates—eight or nine years in the primary sc'-001, with periodical and annual examinations by teachers and school inspectors—even in the Sunday-school lie does not escapethen examination for junior national scholarships and free plate—after that tho secondary school—at least three term examinations here annunlly with junior Civil Service and senior free-place examinations after say two years-then matriculation, and oil to the university—barely six months of study and Instruction m the year, and he has to prepare for tho annual. double-barrelled examination of his college and the university. The higher the stage'at which lie is "examined the less educational benefit does he probably derive from it—more true education in the kindergarten than in the sixth standard—more educational .benefit in ills first year at his university college than in his last when ho is preparing for his filial degree -test, for, like the "dyer's," even the, "nianiis summa" of the profpssor "is subdued to what it works in." No wonder the avernge graduate, with his mind distorted and stunted with years of preparation and examination, rolls up his diploma, sings his "Nunc Dimittis," that lie at any l-pte has finished with text books and "Icarnius." "I,union" maintains Hint I havc:'tom.heil cm 'what alter all is only "a very 'insignificant and necessary 'canker'" (why necessary!•'). Ijiil your earrespo'ndenco shows thai 1 am not tilono in the opinion' that this "canker'''is silly

one indication of_ a disease affecting (lie whole system. We arc now well into tins second generation of. those who have conic under tho influence of our university method, and wliat results are there to show for all this examining and testing? Is any trace of university teaching or influence to be found in the social or inns trial life of the people—in politics or in tlio public press? With all its elaborate syllabuses and examinations in languages living and dead has the University been able to create even in its own 6cllools the faintest classical atmosphere or taste for or appreciation even of (hat literature? Last year out of some 151)11 graduates there were three competitors in the Bowen ■essay, not one of whom was considered worthy of being awarded the prize, and we have n member of the Senato itself complaining that the -New Zealander can't speak his own language. I honestly believe that the modest little society known as the "Cercle Francais" has dono more iu this city for the true appreciation of .French literature ' and French thought than the University with all its lisping 1 . In science, as the "Reformers" have already pointed out, the transactions of the New Zealand Institute bear witness to the insignificant part taken by our graduates in that original research work which is the highest ideal of science teaching. The charter of the University kys down as its main function "the promotion of sound learning." There are men in this country—some of them in this city—who are not graduates, but whose valuable and original contributions to. science have been recognised and honoured by some of tho most distinguished learned societies at home. Has 011 V University, which is supposed to promote "sound learning," recognised or encouraged tlymi "causa honoris" or in any other way? No, they , haven't presented themselves for examination. Probably there would be no one hero competent to examine them in their special subjects if they did. . The University is a public institution, and it will ultiinatelv have to justify itself, and its methods, not to. the high priests and devotees of this examination fetish, but to the common sense of tho public at large, and if it fails to do this, then the public will undoubtedly see to it that the State take such steps with regard to its reform as would be taken in the case of any other Statesupported institution where public.use- : fulness has been weighed in the balance and has been found wanting.—l am, etc., ■ X.