STANDARD OF EDUCATION

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23401, 7 August 1941, Page 8

STANDARD OF EDUCATION

Examiners’ Reports Discussed MINISTER’S REPLIES TO COMPLAINTS tP.R.) WELLINGTON, August 6. “The standard of attainment of scholars of this Dominion is steadily declining, and the report of examiners in connexion with last year's university entrance and scholarship examinations is the most devastating criticism I have ever read,” said Mr W. A. Bodkin (Opposition, Central Otago) in the House to-night, when speaking on the Estimates. “I ask the Minister for Education how his department proposes to arrest this rot,” Mr Bodkin continued. “I am not approaching this from the angle of party politics, because it is too serious for that; but the report of the Director of Education calls for a ‘please explain’ from his department.” Mr Bodkin said that no one would grudge a vote of nearly £5,000,000 for education, because they all admitted

that the Education Department was. one of the most important in the State; but it should be someone’s job to see that good value was obtained for the monev spent. Mr Bodkin quoted Professor Hight, of Canterbury College, as stating that some papers in last year's university entrance examinations were “the products of careless, untidy, illogical minds.” While other examiners had, he said, referred to “the shockingly low standard of the English examination.” Men of responsibility had sounded a warning, Mr Bodkin said, and something should be done immediately. Mr F. W. Doidge (Opposition, Taurahga) said that educationists would be disturbed to hear the reports of the examiners on the university en-

trance examination. The Minister for Education seemed unaware of the contents of the reports. The country was entitled to ask what it was getting for an expenditure of £5,000,000 a year on education. It was realised that this was an eat, drink, and be merry regime, and was the trend of education a product? It must be clear to the Minister’that he would have to go deeper than he had realised to get at what was wrong with the education, system. The ailment was in the spiritual side of the system. Replying, the Minister for Education (the Hon. H. G. R. Mason) said he had read the examiners’ reports in question, and he had gained the impression, perhaps unjustly to one examiner at all events, that it was compiled

more to show off his smart phrases than to give a true picture of the papers contributed by the candidates. An Opposition member: All examiners’ reports are the same. Mr Mason said that the university entrance examination had become more and more a certificate sought by young people looking for a iob in the world than a qualification to go on to the universities. As the circle of candidates was so much wider than it used to be, so the standard of work had declined. If school teachers were asked to present only those candidates who genuinely intended to go on to the university, the number would be much smaller and the standard higher. The Minister said he hoped during the session to be able to announce some change in the university entrance examination to prevent it be* ing misused as it was now. Replying to Mr Doidge, the Minister said that there was .a profound realisation among the teachers of the need for a spiritual side to education, which was not complete without it. Mr Bodkin had taken no account pf the revolution that was going on in the schools pf New Zealand, said Mr C W Boswell (Government, Bay of Islands), Employers to-day were getting from the schools youngsters of initiative, efficiency, and character, which was better than being able to get 10 sums right and make no mistakes in spelling, though :modern youngsters could often do that, too. Perhaps Mr Bodkin wanted schools to turn out young businessmen, young accountants who could make profits. The real profit to-day was in the mentality, the soul, the spirit of the young people. -