NEW PROPOSALS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 175, 26 July 1930, Page 13

NEW PROPOSALS.

SECONDARY EDUCATION,

leaving certificates.

{ AWARD by special exams,

Special examinations, upon the result of which will be granted leaving certificates, are proposed in a scheme formulated by the Registered Secondary Schools!/Association of Now Zealand, which/comprises private schools, as distinct from State secondary schools. ; A skeleton of it has been forwarded to the Minister of Education to the University Entrance Board and to the Director of Education. '■ i; -J..-£\.

The proposals allow for a lower and a higher school certificate. The standard of the former would be something between that of the Public Service exh aminatioii and the present matriculation examination, aud thp latter would repre-. sent th 4 standard of. considerably ad-vanced-matriculation examination. .

The recommendations are:—

Lower/ School Certificate. —(1) -After a three years' course of a broad and liberal education reaching to .a standard above that at present required by the Public Service entrance examination and somewhat below that -of the present entrance examination. (2) Based on .examination conducted by the department... (3) Certificates to show marks gained in each subject not a pass or fail examination —and a general endorsement by the principal of pupil's v(4) At least six subjects ..to be taken, i)f .which English , alone is to be . compulsory. Higher School. Certificate.—(l) After a fiveyears' course reaching a standard One year above that of . present university ' entrance examination. (2) Examination -to be conducted by department. (3) At i least six subjects to be taken, of which iEnglishalone is to be compulsory; ! selections to be made from groups. (4) /A pass to be granted on satisfactory iresults in four subjects. (5) This certificate to be won with honours in any i subject in which special papers be taken cof the standard of the present university ccntrance scholarship examination.

"A lower school certificate such as we p'advocat'e would probably meet the requirements of many employers," said Mr. INoel Gibson, secretary of - the association, "whilst the higher school certificate might well meet the'demands of those (employers who now desire matriculation Jfor their, juniors. This would remove {the cramping effect of the present uni\rarsity entrance examination. ' "1 would also point out that we think ithere is great room for ijnorovement in the mere: technique. of exam-nations, and the setting ,up of such a board as" we suggest would.grovide both' opportunity and machinery for-, producing- this improvement."