N.Z. SECONDARY EDUCATION

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25677, 14 December 1948, Page 4

N.Z. SECONDARY EDUCATION

DECLINE SEEN IN STANDARDS

ACCREDITING SYSTEM CRITICISED » “It is quite true that our standards are not as high as they were 10 years ago; but this must be largely put down to the cumulative effects of the war,” said the headmaster (Mr R. J. Richards) at the annual prize giving ceremony of Christ’s College last evening'. Mr Richards was discussing recent trends in New Zealand secondary education. The new scheme of secondary education had resulted in a considerable widening of the curriculum, and since boys’ vitality was not unlimited, widening the stream inevitably made it shallower, he continued. He would not say that this was all bad. If in some places, things were not so good, in others there had been an improvement. The average new boy coming to the college now was not so well prepared as 10 years ago; this was not the fault of the primary and preparatory schools, but was the result of the very grave shortage of teacher.s in those schools. Hie secondary schools were therefore loaded with an additional burden. Also, the new set-up in secondary education was much more exacting on the staff. “I believe, however,” said Mr Richards, “that gradually as staff short'ages are made up in the primary schools, and as we grow more accustomed to the new scheme of things, our standards will recover.” Under the new scheme, boys generally stayed at school longer—a very important gain.

The accrediting system for University entrance had now been tried for some years, and on the whole he thought it should be altered, but not given up entirely, Mr Richards continued. The system had good features. In any examination, there were always a number who would normally pass but failed because of chance circumstances. It was a good feature of accrediting that such candidates got their due reward. But accrediting did not give the freedom that its protagonists originally claimed for it. The worst feature of the system was the bad psychological effect on those not accredited.

“What would .1 advise? I would say combine the two systems, and make everybody take the examination,” said Mr Richards. “At one end will be a number of clear passes; at the other end a number of clear failures., and in the middle are a number of doubtful cases. Then, I would say, take the school records of these and settle their fate in that way. The University liaison officer is an entirely admirable creation, and I sincerely hope that, if ever accrediting is abandoned or changed, the liaison officer has come to stay.”