LEAVING CERTIFICATE'S

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 103, 3 May 1934, Page 9

LEAVING CERTIFICATE'S

WILL THEY BE RECOGNISED?

The. regulations -relating;to the postprimary leaving certificate examinations have now been issued." Mr. A. MoFadyen, principal of the Petone Memorial Technical College, reporting to his Board of Managers, statesthat the regulations show that in order to qualify for the certificate a" candidate must pass in English and at least four other subjects. There are 31 subjects from which, pupils can make their choice, and in 19 of these the papers shall be those set in the entrance examination bi the University of New Zealand. The choice is, therefore, wide enough, and; there aresub jeets included such- as.--.technical drawing, .applied mechanics, bookkeeping, shorthand and typing, needlework, housecraft, etc., which are suitable for pupils attending the commercial and technical courses in technical colleges. "The scheme has its advantages as well as its disadvantages," said Mr. McFadyen.y "Most pupils -will be abla to gain a leaving certificate after their three or four years at a post-primary school. _ In' the past most third and fourth-year pupils in secondary schoolsaimed at passing the matriculation examination, but not all were successful. Employers will have to be educated to the value of this new certificate, and this will take time, in view of the fact that the university entrance examination has such ahold on public opinionj "There is no doubt that the Teal purpose v of the university entrance examination should be an entrance test; for all those who-wish to enter the university. If ; this were so, then the standard of the. examination epuld be raised, and this certainly would be aa advantage to those entering the university, for .they would have a higher standard, of/.attainment.' Tho. leaving certificate'examination should'be one quite distinct from the university entrance, and the papers;, should be set "by the Education. Department. .'-'".'-'■'■.■'"■ "An objection ...to .the] proposed examination is that the papers will be [set partly by the university and partly by the Education Department,.'and the ideal will not be reached until the two examinations (which for-reasons of economy it isnow proposed^, eombine'* are entirely separated."; /— v