THE "PASS" SYSTEM.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 9946, 27 January 1898, Page 4

THE "PASS" SYSTEM.

The memorandum by the school inspectors, which we publish in another column, entirely bears out our recent remarks as to the weak points of the present " pass " system in the State schools. The primary object of the inspectors is to explain to the Board why it ie that their report on the work of a school occasionally differs widely from the estimate which an outsider would be apt to form judging merely from the face value of the schedule of passes. They show that a teacher I may succeed in getting 100 per cent, of passes at the standard examination and yet he may be a bad teacher, and the education of the poor children, who no doubt are regarded as prodigies by admiring relatives, may be on a thoroughly wrong basis. y There could be no stronger condemnation of the present , system, and* we wish other inspectors were equally outspoken, so as to help to educate the public into demanding a change in the plan of inspection. The teaching, as we have before urged, ought to be judged according to its soundness and breadth, and not merely by the percentage of children which a slave-driving pass grinder may succeed in literally shoving through the standard examination. Meanwhile the Canterbury Inspectors are doing good work by reporting on the general progress of the schools independently of the pass percentages. They could do this much more effectively if their time was not fully taken up by the system of individual examination, which we consider is so cramping itt ill •ffeete oft 1t» *toU«u of tto

children. Even, with the limited time at their disposal, we believe that they do to some extent discourage the pass-grinder, bufc we are by no means sanguine enough to think that they have stamped him out. So long as the pass examinations continue they are certain to oooupy undue importance in the eyes of parents aud committees, and teaobers will be found $training every nerve to secure a high percentage. We wish the Education Boards would give some intelligent Consideration,, to this subject. They ought to take a higher view of their functions than merely to concern themselves with the repairs to school buildings and other matters of routine. If the Education Boards take the queetion up perhaps the politicians may be induced to give some attention to it. At present we are years behind the Mother Country in the matter of education, although in our self-conceit we are apt to fancy ourselves leading the world in every branch of human progress.