SENIOR FREE PLACES.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20730, 15 December 1932, Page 13

SENIOR FREE PLACES.

THE EXAMINATION TEST. I'M. I). E. HANSEN'S COMPLAINT. Crmcnsiu nt' tlte reactionary tendency slioivit hy the Education ]>epartment in setting its recent Doniiuionwido Senior Ifco Place examination was expressed by Dr. D. I''. Hansen, Principal of tlio Technical College, m liis address at tho annual prize-giving, ui the College last evening. Dr. Hansen particularly attacked tho cx.unitnalion on tho ground that it did not allow tor discrimination between the different types of post-primary schools, and that it caused the teaching to dominated by the ••examination fetish" from which the Technical --ellego had previously been free. "This year the Education Department saw lit Lo institute a Dominion examination for Senior Free Places, and set a uniform examination for all types of post-primary schools," saia Dr. Hansen. "Comparatively short notice was given of tho examination, which in itself was not fair. Then uioi-t of the tests wero written ones, whereas a considerable proportion ot our work is practical, so that our practically-minded pupils may not hstvo found the test a satisfactory one. The practical tests pet were in some fases not well chosen. Effect on tlio School. ''it is ::lso most regrettable that the Education Department should maintain its conservative tradition of allowing ( 400 marks each for subjects like Latin, French, and Maori, and only 201) lor others like history, geography, shorthand, book-keeping, trade drawing, etc. Tho tests were on a whole not a fair test o! tho efficiency of our teaching, and the results, in the opinion of our staff, will bo inconclusive. "It was interesting also to note how the introduction of the outside examination upset our school working, especially by throwing undue emphasis, in the minds of pupils, on the subjects which they were preparing ior the examination to tho exclusion of others. In the past we have rejoiced in the fact that our curriculum and method of teaching were not dominated bv the influence of external examinations, and this year's experience bus phown bow great and how harmful that influence can be. ! '