TESTS IN SCHOOLS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1009, 27 June 1930, Page 11

TESTS IN SCHOOLS

CLASSIFYING PUPILS NEW METHODS FOR TEACHERS Press Association WELLINGTON, Thursday. Referring to the matter of efficiency in schools, in a statement upon the conference of inspectors and departmental heads, the Director of Education, Mr. T. B. Strong, said today that the position of the schools in relation to the teaching of spelling, writing - and individual reading, was discussed and an examination made of the results of certain tests prepared by the department in regard to these subjects. For some time the department had been preparing standardised tests in order that the promotion of pupils from class to class should be made on i a uniform basis throughout New Zea- ! land. The tests would presently be issued and they would serve as a guide ; to teachers in their classification of i pupils. ••The conference agreed that every 1 encouragement should be given to ! teachers to depart from traditional | methods of teaching and traditional j schemes of organisation,” said Mr. ; Strong. “It was considered, however, i that any new schemes should be care- ! fully examined and their adoption not j approved unless it was certain that j they would not be deleterious to the progress of the pupils.” Mr Strong expressed disappointment at so little progress having been made in the introduction of new j methods and said he desired the in- ! specters to give teachers all the free- 1 aom that the new syllabus held out to them. Ho emphasised the danger of I assessing the efficiency of a school or j of an individual teacher by measur- j able results. It was, he considered, I quite possible for the inspectors to ‘ form a reliable judgment as to the j teacher’s capacity in developing the ! character of pupils. Character training was the principal function of the teacher. He felt sure that with success in character training would come also proficiency in the ordinary subjects of instruction.