ACCREDITING FOR UNIVERSITY

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27221, 12 December 1953, Page 8

ACCREDITING FOR UNIVERSITY

SUPPORT BY HIGH SCHOOL RECTOR advance seen on EXAMINATIONS (New Zealand Press Association) GISBORNE, Dec. 11 “I have always felt that accrediting represents an advance on a pure examination system.” said Mr A. J. Gray the rector of the Gisborne High School, speaking at the annual break-up ceremony of the school today. “Examinations dispense rough justice. but it is often very rough. The strong and the weak get their deserts but for the very large number who are grouped within 5 or even 10 p er cent, of the pass mark, the verdict is largely a matter of chance and easily might be upset on a second trial.” he said. “The pupil’s teachers, with their closer knowledge of his year’s work and his innate capabilities, are better fitted to deliver judgment than an outsider, and though there may be some anomalies in accrediting, they are fewer than those perpetrated by examiners. “Two objections made to accrediting I firmly repudiate. Ido not believe it throws an unreasonable responsibility on to principals for, from the nature of their work, they must be prepared to make a difficult decision* nor do I think it is beyond the wit of inspectors and liaison officers to secure uniformity of standard. For this reason I welcome the recent decision of the university authorities to give the present system of accrediting a further trial before seriously considering any change. “Nevertheless, I am interested in a third alternative which is steadily gaining ground and possibly may provide the ultimate solution. This would require all candidates to sit for the examination, but also would demand from the schools their own assessment for each entrant where pupils failed by a small margin, say under 5 per cent. The school assessment would be considered and a pass allowed where it seemed justified,” he said.