THE SCHOLARSHIP REGULATIONS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2042, 8 August 1885, Page 3

THE SCHOLARSHIP REGULATIONS.

A few days ago attention was drawn in our leading columns to the absurdity of the new legulations for scholarship examinations recently issued by the Board of Education. Since then the members of the Hamilton West School Committee have given full conßideiation to the subject, with the result that they ha\e drawn up the following report which was forwarded to the Boaul, on Thursday :—: — 1. The principle on which provincial district seholai ships are founded is to encourage primary education. 2. R;:s-ior ScHor.\it-.Hirs. (a) The proposed i emulations for these, while within the letti r, ate outride the npiut of the Act. Vide Education Act, Sect. :>l. (Ij) The syllabus excludes all children attending piim.uy schools, owing to the . fact that ni.tnv of the subjects aio not ■ taught hi Mich school-., (c) Even District High Schools, witli tho obligation to teach tliu highci standards, could not possibly o\eit.ike the work. (d) The heading of the syllabus states that the examination computes such subjects as, bcuiK included m the schedule of the entrance examination of the Um\ ersity, me each year detei mined by the boaid. (c) To show th.it tins is far fiom being the case, we quote the following fiom tho proposed and the Univci.sity regulations, respecti\ ply :—: — I. Matiiculation [-Euclid Books I. and 11. JuniorUnnewty | Euclid Books 1., 11., Scholarships. | 111., IV., VI. Proposed Public) Euclid Books L, 11.. School Senior \ 111., IV., VI., plus Scholarships. j definitions Book Y. 11. Mntricula- I DlcUtl( '»- P'^is writt-, English. I 1 "' COm ' } The same, and pataphiase, illustration nnd explanation of passages selected from woiks of any of the Junior University standaid English Scholarships. )■ writeis, general ques tions on etymology, giainmar, end tho uses of woids ; also, a .short essay on some easily understood j .subject. P sT C f S^'rl>'" c »" Unh ersity (f) It w ill thus be seen that so far from corresponding with matiiculation sjllabus, the senior public school syllabus is in two subjects identical with that for the Junior Univeisity Scholaiship examination. (q) While the age for the Public School Senior Scholarships is limited to I~>, that for the Himeisity Jumoi Scholarships is extended to 21, and it is further provided that no candidate under 1<» is admissible. (h) Tho simple in itriculat'on examination is equal to that for ;i teacher's Cla?s 1) certificate (i) That while it was possible under the old system of a purely classical education to secure the tequired piohciency in the single subject of classics, it would be utterly impossible to secure it in English, Latin, mathematics, with the addition of another ancient or a modern language, applied mathematics, or natiual or experimental science. 2. Jl.mok Stnor \ns.iif['s. (a) The avetage age for piesentation for the fomth standard in this provincial dis trict is 13, and at that ago only 7~> Per cent, of those examined pass.. (b) These «cholarships are open only to those under 13. (c) The syllabus for these scholarships is niogn difficult than that for the sixth Standa* ('mil is next to impossible to get from childreifl^lM y*\ais composition as demanded by th<» s^^kbiis, and the l eduction m the maximum n^k* by 40 p^i cent, leads one to behevo tn^the diafteis were aware of this eudent fiict. (c) The gap fiom tht> thud to the fourth standaid is the h^-tlest to bii'l^e, and tho general demand ffow is tn spreid the work of the tlnee highest stand.udsovera period of four ye.us. (f) This sjllabus offeis a inducement to the tenchi-t-, to neglect the bulk of the class in oidei to unnaturally force on one or two precocious child nl, to the probable detiiment of their physlnl, and certain injury to their iimntal, 1 3. Si <;<;hsno.\s. ™ (a) We agree with the proposal to make two clashes of scholaislnps— senior anJ junior— as also with the limitations of age. (I)) That junior scholai ships bo open to children mulct 13. (c) The syllabus foi llioso scholarships to bo that required for the Fouith Standard, with the addition of a knowledge of the analysis of a simple sentence, and m anthinctK the easier cases of \ ulgai and decimal fractions. (d) That senior scholarships be open to children undei 1."). (c) The oyllabus to be founded on that for the sixth standaid except reading. Candidates to read passages from an author to be chosen. The extra subjects to be • — 1. English— A play selected fiom Shakespea re. 2. Algebra — To simple equations. 3. Physiology and Laws of Health. I 4. Elementary science— One subject, either agiicultural cheinistiy, botany, or mechanics. <. Hamilton, Ist August, 1885.