SIXTH STANDARD EXAMINATIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 246, 23 November 1909, Page 4

SIXTH STANDARD EXAMINATIONS.

REPLY TO " PARENT." A few days ago we published a contribution from "Parent," complaining of the new system of conducting examinations fur proficiency and competency certificates' of Standard VI scholars. The burden of the letter was that the scholars from country schools were placed at a distinct disadvantage »y 'being submitted to their test in strange surroundings, where even the teachers were strange. Such a method w:is bound, the letter inferred, to produce nervousness', whilst t.he town boys and girls, used to the school and .supervisors, would not be so afflicted. There was a good deal of comment upon the subject at tho time, for the letter seemed logical enough, and a '* News reporter determined to find out h° w the country school pupils fared. The results being now available, he approached the inspector of schools' yesterday afternoon on the point, and asked for some idea of the results gained. ''The result," he said, "is that the successes gained by children coming from country schools compare very favorably ' with those gained by pupils sitting for 'the examinations in their own school*. In many instances, where strong teachlers are in charge of outside schools. Uie work presented by those pupils was, if 'anything, better than that received from the large schools. On the other hand, where the teaching was known to be unsatisfactory, the result was only what might reasonably have been expected. In the inspector's opinion the average result was better than was generally received from children sitting in their own schools. He attributed this to the fnc* that this was looked upon to some extent as a competitive examination, where school would be pitted against school, and both teachers and scholars worked much harder ni preparation tiuni they would have done in tiie ordinal - ; course, there being an incentive to pu forth their bes't eltoris. lie cinpa.u-.iscu tho point that in a small school unuer a strong teacher, who usually took charge of the pupil at tiie third ui fourth, standard and passed him successfully through the remaining suuidant&, the child Jiad undoubtedly a Ue» training than in a large scJiool where it was seldom the ease that a teacher had any scholar under him for more than a year, and where there was bounu to be some weak link in the teaching staff. Of course, where the contrary I was tho ease—i.e., where tiie country head teacher was weak, the results were' bordered on the painful. The following' are thb> details of the examinations at; one centre, country schools being nuni- j bered from one to eight:— | Pupils

The maia school, where the examination was held, and whose pupiis were consequently familiar with their surroundings presented 25 pupils for examination, oi whom 1(J gained proficiency certificates. 4 competency, and live failed. 'Percentages were: Country schoolsProficiency 75 per cent.; competency, 22.3 per cent.; failures, 2.7 per ceiu. Town schools—Proficiency, tf-i per cent.; competency, 10 par cent.; failures, 2U per cent.. The figures seem to answer "Parent's*' letter.

School Presented trol. Com]). Failed 1 9 S 1 0 2 0 <i 3 0 3 1 0 1 0 4 3 2 U l' 5 2 1 i 0 6 3 3 U u 7 2 1 1 0 8 7 G 1 1 3G 34 27 8 2