The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY JULY 18, 1910.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 July 1910, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY JULY 18, 1910.

DISAHPITIFS OFCOUXTRY

SCHOOLS

Some s:v« comments were made «t the NV Zealand Farmers' Conference, Jlf >t u'tJek, in regard to school exanii'iitiion.s. It was elcfirlv shown, in ti'o course of a long discussion, thi school children from the sparry settled districts were unfairly mated at ex,animation times under the system now prevailing. T:> a city dweller the practice objected to m-iy seem too small to bo worth talking about, but those who best know the country school and its children, and their characteristics, Will all realise the importance of 'the objection. "What the farm t.s' delegates complained of was tn.! practice of bringing children from hamlets and homesteads, over distances, to undergo their <>:<- animations for leaving and proficiency certificates in strange" snr-

roundings ami amid strange people. In the city schools the result of this practice places the pupils at little disadvantage, if nny; for tho environment of any one school is much the same as that of its neighbours, and tho children who ar-o brought together for examination arc city children in city surroundings. The whole life of the city children endows them with a selfassurance that prevents them being prejudicially affected when they are I placed in somewhat abnormal conditions. But the case of the country school pupils is very different. Cliiid'Mui trained in remote districts, and accustomed to see few, if any, children beyond the score or so, may ba jess, constituting the scholars of tbuir own community, veritably shrink into their .inner selves wheii brought into tho presence of complete strangers. This experience of "school-fright" is had enough when produced by the advent of tho inspector among them; but tho disability is ten times intensified when the schoolliouso and the majority of the examinees are new also.

_ It seems to us that if it is -impossible for the inspectors to visit all schools the examination of the fifth and sixth standard scholars could be relegated to certain head-teachers of recognised educational standing. By this means a doubly useful purpose could be served; for not only would the children be examined" under conditions likely to facilitate success, but the quasi inspectors would get some desirable' training (preliminary

to their own appointment as permanent inspectors when vacancies may n,i<ise. To allow the teachers of each .st'liool to issue- to theiir own pupils the necessary proficiency or "leaving" certificates perhaps would be to place too great ft power in their keeping—especially in view of the fact that educationalists have * o-Jiimenttnl already upon. a. 100-low , standard, being sot by inexperienced teachers when examining their classes for promotion. Thcro is, in fact, a not nnjnsfc suspicion that occasionally a teacher wJiose strength of character fails him or her promotes an unfit pupil rather than, raise the wrath of a doting parent.