MATRICULATION

Hokitika Guardian, 17 June 1930, Page 7

MATRICULATION

EXAMINATION CONDEMNED

A OCR EDI TING SYSTEAI FAVOUR EL

WELLINGTON, June .13,

The University entrance examination ran the gauntlet of severe criticism from members of the Council oi Education to-day, when the system o! accrediting in lieu of examinations was discussed. Matriculation was described by one member as a “toss up.” The Council carried tile following resolution :

“That they Council regrets the delay in the adoption of the system of accrediting for University entrance and urges the University to accept the Education Department’s assurance that adequate safeguards will be provided to ensure the satisfactory working of the system.”

Mr T. B. Strong (Director of Education) stated that at the recent meeting of the University Senate the question was not dealt with in a genera! way. The University officers should not take any action without a definite instruction from the Senate and he nad been informed that the ViceChancellor proposed to place the mattei before, the next meeting of the Scum to. He foresaw Mi at nothing would be done this year, The Senate must pass a definite resolution that the Statue governing Matriculation must be altered in a definite wav. No doubt the Sonate would pcm firm thr proposals, though tnere were certain members who had voiced opposition. He thought the majority of the members of the Senate were in favour of giving tlic system a trial for a few years. No doubt the Senate would

consider the position of students who were accredited in New Zealand, but who wore-not accepted abroad. Those who failed to be accredited must have the right to sit for the examination held for outside students.

In the course of a general discussion it, was stated that the Senate wanted a strengthened inspectorate.

.Mr M. A. liell, (Assistant Director of •; Education) said there were nine .men, and women already, willing to take part in the work. Referring to the disparity in examination records; he said that in 1925,. 32 per cent, of the students passed the examination, and -two years later, with approximately .the same number of candidates, the same schools and the same teachers, 55 per cent, passed. Could a greater attack be made on the efficiency of an examination than that? The result of the examination was vital to tinwhole career of the pupil, and it was a toss up whether a child passed or not. Last year, before the examination results were known, the Department wrote to the principals of secondary schools, and asked them to place their pupils under four headings: (1) Those who should undoubtedly pass; (2) those who had a good-chance of passing; (3) doubtful candidates; (d) those who had no chance at all. In 'regard to No 1. 90 per cent, passed, 10 per Cent, of the “undoubted passess” failing. 01 those who had a good chance,” GO per cent.- passed. Of those “poor ;chances” 20 per tent, passed, and ol tue duffers, 8 per cent, passed. For a system that gave such results the Department wanted to substitute a system of accrediting, where the re suits of the schools examinations were taken into consideration, with the opinion pf the lonc-her. The sooner the auc mil ting system was put into operation the better it would be foi the schools, and Lne whole of the education system. Miss Goad wanted tu know whether private schools did not favour .accrediting

Mr Strong: It is not proposed to make it compulsory,

Miss N.' F,, Quad remarked that accrediting should be done for the University entrance official examination ,or for the University as they knew it.

Was tll§ psychology of the examination of to-day in accordance witk the .development, of education, in New Zealand? asked Mr W. A. Armour. AC' credited pupils would be watched by the University professors, and if the pupils did not do well the" schools would he black-listed. Consequently, principals would accredit only pupils of whom they wore absolutely sure, and no border-line eases would get ally benefit from accrediting. Further, there was no use in accrediting candidales for medicine or law, Accrediting would have to he introduced gradually. The public might he disappointed at I lie results at the beginning: “If we all dropped the word ‘matriculation’ we would do more good than anything else,’’ he said,