HISTORY PAPER FOR MATRICULATION

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23848, 18 January 1943, Page 4

HISTORY PAPER FOR MATRICULATION

UNIVERSITY SENATE’S DISCUSSION

(P.A.) DUNEDIN, January 16. The New Zealand University Senate discussed criticism of the history paper set for the last matriculation examination, critics having stated that the contents of the paper gave the impression that the examiner had not only failed to give prominence to British historical development but had been motivated by prejudice against British Imperialism. Dr. William Newlands sjid that the complaints were mainly that some questions were outside the syllabus range and that the examiner seemed to accentuate the bad portions of British history. The Chancellor (the Hon. J. A. Hanan) said he could not understand the action of the Board of Moderators responsible for authorising the paper. Dr. James Hight said that the paper was such that a well prepared candidate should obtain a pass. While excessive attention had been paid to affairs after 1920, there was scope in the questions for pupils to reveal their knowledge! Mr W. J. Morrell said that some questions were more suited for scholarship than matriculation candidates, but they had had papers in the past which were not so valuable from the general education viewpoint. The Senate decided to take no action.