“OLD FASHIONED IDEA”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20096, 16 November 1939, Page 8

“OLD FASHIONED IDEA”

END OF SCHOOL YEAR COMMENT BY RECTOR EXAM. EXPERIMENT “Arrangements are being made for term examinations. However, I hope parents will disabuse their minds of the old fashioned idea that an examination is the end of a school year. That is as if a business should declare that it exists for the sake of being audited. We propose to arrange .our examination so as to allow of teaching work proceeding right up to closing day on December 14,” stated the rector of the Gisborne High School. Mr. J. Hutton, at last evening's meeting of the Board of Governors of the school.

The rector mentioned that an experiment in. the organisation of the school examinations had been n success. Favourable comment was passed by members of the board upon the scheme, which was outlined by the rector in the course of a discussion on tiie matter.

Mr. ITulton explained that there was a big subtraction from the teaching work of the school under the old system of term examinations. Instead of three term examinations, two set examinations were arranged for this year. One was held in June and the other would be completed two weeks before the end of the present term. By spreading the examination over a period of about seven days it was possible for teaching work to proceed and aJI strain to be avoided. The reaction to concentrated effort also was largely overcome and he considered that under the new conditions the examination became a source of power in the process of teaching.

During the discussion Mr. J. H. Sunderland raised the question as to how soon after the examination couio Form VI pupils leave the school. The rector said that the position was governed by the higher leaving certificate. which could be issued only to the Form VI pupils who were still in attendance on December 1.