AGAINST & FOR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 January 1941, Page 6

AGAINST & FOR

.! THE ACCREDITINti SYSTEM •' VIEWS OF SCHOOL PRINCIPALS. DECISION OF THE SENATE . CRITICISED. 'By Telegraph—Press Association.) This Day. • Opposition to accrediting was ex- . I pressed by the Principal of Wellesley [ College. Mr. W. H. Stevens. Accrediting. he said, had meant the lowering : of standards in the case of senior free 1 place examinations and many boys : were accredited who could not pass j any examination. He felt that the same ■ thing might happen with University I entrance —that in due course accredit- \ Ing might become a more or less mech- ! nr.ical thing, and eventually lend to a lowering of standards, He saw no reason why matriculation could not be ( used as a standard for employers as (Well as a standard of entrance to the i University. Many boys of matriculaC | lion standard did not know what they I ■ were going to do in life. Matriculation ; I could be a very excellent examination j i if the syllabus were broadened and if i ithere were stricter supervision over j the papers set. The syllabus should; ; set out what candidates would be ex-1 ; peeled to know. According to Mr, J. N. Millard, secre-• tary of the Secondary Schools Prine!-; pals’ Association and Principal of the; i Hutt Valley High School, the accredit- ( img system adopted by the Senate' ’ would no’ meet with the approval oti ; his association because it would not re- i ■ move the narrow University Entrance| I syllabus, which was the principal ob- > Ejection to the University entrance ex-j amination Secondary schools would, still have to prepare pupils along lines: the principals thought too restricted. | Mr. Millard said the University Eni trance Board had suggested to the; \ Senate that the entrance examination ; i be replaced by entrance by provisional,' ; matriculation at the age of 18, with pro-’ vision that principals could recom- ; intend anyone who had |>assed the ; rehoul examination ami spent another, year at a secondary school The: -eheme. which was cnly an extension . of what the Principals’ Association had proposed, apparently had been rejected by the Senate in favour of an i accrediting system, which the princi-p-uls thought would be nt> improvement cm the examtnation sv.stem unless the r.arr’-w syllabus was removed MR RENNER’S MEW ACC R E DITIN G FAVO I’R ED n, T.-|«- Sl4 ; h-Pn-.-. A-irotiw . WELLINGTON This Dav. The Principal ■..! Rongotai Colkg. ' Mr Martyn Renner* slated uwlay ini regard to tlw University Senate’s ac-' ! lion, that he had always boon m fav’ur -f accrediting An examinMion i which could make a final and ultimatei decision regarding a pupil's future ear ier .md by which ail the work that I had gone before could be made to go for nothing because of bad luck in a::. exsimhiation or because of the unsuit-l ability of .i paper to a pupil. was wrong Only about one in cvei v sixteen! t-upib; matriciilating entered the I'n. i verein Also. r. fundament.allv I •vroiii; to make one examination res-H possible for a pupil’s future career Dfcm-uig the metLotls of accredit-' iio. j,iii.’il-.: Mr Ih’Htier said, he thought ? the Schoo! Certificate could be taken; I u has.■’ Only one .übjeet was cam-, : .0 ry. and consequently it was fair.; er : i the pupil than matriculation , where f-’tir .subjects were cumiiulsory : irrt-q i-ctive ..f -he aptitude of thej i.-.qM If p.ii’.L 1.. for the Seho..,/ t’rit.iira!.-. and -.pn-nt another year at ■ -'.-rerttfiea’e work they e..u!,d !h<-ni be . , . •••!.!’-.! o the rev- m ; .’ inn I w n of j who. In the opinion of’h<‘ ]-.ni!i':f-;>! Co-.dd be accredited in a’ 1 ' •■n n imber of •mine, ■- no* exam-ma-d .■ - -:hr ! S- -me form < f '-Womn ■! would he rvipiired for -mulw.'-o : - ' a. i- or getting pnvaje •o-v and o o-0,0 >,, enter the u, .. i