PROFICIENCY EXAMINATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 262, 5 November 1931, Page 23

PROFICIENCY EXAMINATIONS.

According to a Press report, the new Minister of Education has stated that the proficiency examination is not being made more difficult this year, the only changes being that three marks, instead of one are to be taken off for each mistake in spelling, and that each and every child is to be examined by an inspector; and he makes the remark that teachers fear there will be a larger number of failures this year because there will be no accrediting. Of course it will be easily understood that, even without altering any regulations, a test can be made either difficult or easy by those setting the papers, but surely the taking off of three marks instead of one in spelling is definitely making the examination more difficult. I think any headmaster will agree with me that the change in marking, had it been in vogue during the past few years, would have raised the percentage of failures very considerably. There is still another change in the test for this year, but not mentioned by the Minister. This concerns what is called formal English. It would take too much space to make this change clear to those outside the teaching profession, but it undoubtedly means a considerable stiffening up of the test. Now, sir, I wish to make it quite clear that I quite agree with the changes proposed, for I consider them quite reasonable, but why try to make the general public believe that. no serious changes are being made, and why spring them' upon us right at the end of the school year ? A great deal of misapprehension already exists in the mind of the general public about educational matters, and I think it very unfair that this should be further increased by statements coming from the head of the Education Department. When accrediting is mentioned I am sure it is believed by many that under this system all the proficiency certificates are awarded by headmasters. Now, sir, this is quite a mistaken idea.. In every Standard VI. class the work of a very large percentage of the children is of such a standard that the gaining of a certificate is a foregone conclusion. These are the only ones that in the past few years have been accredited. The rest of the class have had to face the examination by an inspector, and in many cases have succeeded in gaining their certificates after failing to pass th© headmaster's test. The position is further safeguarded by the fact that each school is visited twice a year by the inspectors, who, if they think fit, are at liberty to examine the work and see that it is up to standard. Now, the fact that accrediting is not to be allowed merely means that an inspector has to spend his valuable time in examining children about whose! attain-1 ments there is no doubt—but possibly this is one of the economy measures to keep down the education vote. It is also believed by many that the standard of work required by the educational authorities is left to the individual headmasters. This is, of course, quite wide of the .mark. Two years ago sample questions to be set were published in the "Educational Gazette," and the standard of work has been governed by these. Then again it is stated that the : standard of work in arithmetic and formal English has fallen off during the past two years. This is quite true, but why blame the teachers for it when the teaching of English grammar has been practically frowned upon, and 25 i per cent of the time previously allowed I for arithmetic has been cut out? In these days where a grading system plays such an important part in every teacher's life he has to work at full pressure or his chance of promotion would be poor indeed, so do not blame the poor teacher if the type of work he is forced to carry out does not meet with general approval. TEACHER.