EXAMINATION FETISH

Hokitika Guardian, 29 August 1924, Page 4

EXAMINATION FETISH

INFLUENCE OX TKACHING. DUNEDIN, August ‘27. In an intorriow prior to his departure for the North. Dtufc.ssor Albums mi id: “Tin- education sy.stoni Ls exceedingly good ill New Zealand, but it nevertheless seems to be « little too rigid (eaij ared w ith Europe an systems. About thirty years ago the Dominion was always ahead of Britain, hut now, while not behind probably, it appears to have become rigid, while Britain i.s moving. “fa Britain, to take one instance, a .system of inspection lin.s lieen to a large extent substituted for the examination system. The idea now is to roir,'lit'ate upon two important external examination:;: one when the pupil is a 1 ;::t sixteen years old, and the ether w licit lie is eighteen. It is thought that too frcV|ii«'nt examinations are inclined to exercise an undue inti 11 0nec on teaching, especially in i-ec- < ni'ary schools. ’’ The examination at sixteen would he for a having eertilieale. and that, ill eight era for matri: illation. The latter would I c the linal examination for the better class of schools. While there might lie a little falling off on the I art e r iime tvadiei’s in New Zealand if the e.\jiminat ien system were relaxed be thought that the geneial result would be good. The usual age for m:itrieulation in Kiiglnnd was eighteen, idler w hirh entile the ('nivorsity. The erdinai'v <Otir.se would he: I'.lelilentary to I'l'.urieen and .secondary to eighteen. Broles-ur Adams remarked on the general respect for spiritual things.

e-iag the term •in its w idest t-'-iiso. t]i a lie had found in the Dominion. This applied to other things tliali education in which the people shewed intl'lV.sti

Speaking of the Citiversities. he said, t! '. wldle the | rolilem of University ( In: Cion hid been grappled with exceedingly well, he had another “hat'’ to oiler. '‘Good lesults are Hither o.ersbadirwed by the lack of freedem sii!l'c:e:l by professors in connexion with term examiuatious. Thp general primtiple in Kng'atid is that a p.roles- •••:>!• shall determine the work and shall have his share in climating the tesiilts. To my mind this gives the tul: :• a freedom that with a proper man makes for greater edit ieney than can be attained under a hard-and-fast rule." When asked his opinion regarding the ist ililishmeat of junior high schools. Bn ! s-or Adam- said that, he l inked u| ui, the move as a good one, indicating. at any into, a spirit of dis-otis-In lion with things as they were. And this spirit was often a healthy sign.