THE PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20036, 18 September 1930, Page 15

THE PROFICIENCY EXAMINATION.

SURVEY TO BE CARRIED OUT. £THE PBSSB Special Serrica.] •WELLINGTON, September 17. A profieieney examination survey is to be carried out by the Education Department this year, and details were set out in the following circular received by the Wellington Education Board this morning from the Director of Education (Mr T. B. Strong).

'*A» you are doubtless aware; various methods have, with the approval of the* Department, been adopted by the inspectors in determining the award of proficiency and competency certificates. Yon are also aware that the percentage of passes varies at times very considerably between one district and another. The Department therefore proposes to make a survey of the whole position and to this end will arrange for a synchronous examination of the candidates to be held on the came dates, now 20th and 24th, and under the same conditions for the whole Dominion. The teachers will, as usual, furnish their estimates of the candidates' attainments in the examination subjects and will, independently of these estimates, give assistance in marking the tests set at the synchronous examination. They will not be asked to mark all the subjects and all the marks will be assessed or reassessed as the case may be by the inspectors themselves, who will report to the Department whether the teacher's marking appears to be on the whole reliable or not. The inspectors will be asked to make as full notes as possible of the attainments of the candidates as evidenced at the time of their own inspection visit and will, as has always been the practice, take into consideration the teachers' recorded estimate of each candidate's ■ qualifications. Every care must of course be taken to provide adequate supervision of the candidates when under examination. The co-operation, of the Education Board is desired in making the survey. Full details regarding the Bcheme will presently be sent to the Board and to the inspectors." The Board agreed to co-operate with the Department in every way. It is understood that the Department has no intention of reverting to, the examination system. The survey this year, when all candidates will be bound to sit for the examination, is merely being made to assess the system throughout the Dominion as a whole so as to place the proficiency examination on a more equitable basis.