Young Teacher Looks At School Certificate

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30482, 2 July 1964, Page 11

Young Teacher Looks At School Certificate

An article appeared in last month’s “In School and Out” page describing the School Certificate examination as “the passport to the dearest desires of many young people” an authentication which can either make or break a pupil in terms of vocational prestige. Where it is alleged that the level of academic achievement is not rising, the author points to this examination as the dominant, restrictive factor. Furthermore the examination and the resultant certificate are so constituted as to create a demoralising effect off. pupils who are uncertain about their ability to pass and offer no “definite alternative aim and bias” to these pupils.

The author's chief concern appears to be (and rightly so) with the plight of the unsuccessful 50 per cent of the Pupils sitting the examination each year and the paradox that, while entry into various professions is becnminv increasingly selective, only 50 Per cent of all fifth-form Pupils sitting the annual examination is given the passport which is rapidly becoming the only nationally recognised means of qualifying for 'election into the desired profession This dilemma, the implications of which are stated in the article, has not. however been attributed to the staffing problem or remained ’■onncticMt Thia the recent

Fonort of the Commission on F-ineation (July 1962) has shown.

The abolition in 19S8 of the o’-nfleiencv certificate, the ' ew Zealand eoofvalent of the English “11-plus,” meant

that all primary school pupils could now continue their education. It appears, nevertheless, that a similar barrier has been created at the fifth-form level, frustrating those pupils who are unable to attain this goal. For a standard to remain functional, some level of aspiration must be maintained, otherwise it ceases to be a standard. Especially where methods of staff recruitment are becoming more selective, it is essential that some academic standard be maintained regardless of whether this method is instituted and controlled by the State or by private, commercial organisations.

Since the School Certificate Examination is a State-estab-lished standard and document it is not inexpedient to cite various proposals which the Government through various committees, has put forward for further deliberation, as the above-mentioned article appears unaware of these, or at least has not mentioned them. Fixed Percentage

According to the report of the Commission on Education, the greatest criticisms of the examination are centred around the fixed percentage of annua] passes, and the fact that the School Certificate course, although not a prerequisite for University Entrance. does not adequately equip those pupils who wish to carry their studies to University Entrance level.

The fact that the examination has become a national standard and the accepted goal of many secondary school pupils has not been denied, but is in fact .considered a worthwhile goal provided considerable extensions and modifications are made concerning its present limitations.' The School Certificate Review Committee therefore, has suggested a number of proposals to the Commission on Education. These include: (1) greater incentives for pupils of high academic ability (2) tangible evidence of attainment for those who are not successful in passing the examination and qualifying for S.C. (3) a useful certificate of education for those pupils who complete at least two years of satisfactory work at post-primary school but whose objective is not School Certificate.

Referring to the first proposal: greater incentives are to come in the form of additional honours sections included in certain papers, hereby bridging to some extent the eap between the School Certificate and Universitv Entrance levels of attainment and giving to those nupils of above average academic ability a wider scope for attainment Conversely, merit will be

given in the form of a Fifth Form General Certificate stipulating success in individual subjects only to those pupils who after three, years' secondary education require a ’standard of attainment. The core subjects are retained, including English, but in this way “they would have the abiding satisfaction of knowing that in the subjects of their choice at least, they have measured up to what is generally accepted as a reasonable standard of attainment” The two certificates are to be such that they can be combined into one document if necessary and will, as a result of its discrimatory character, be of much greater value to both pupil and future employer, apart from the fact that it will continue to function on a national basis.

National Certificate Those pupils who desire two years’ secondary education, should be given according to the committee, a National certification the grounds of two years, satisfactory work. The Commission, contemplating this proposal, opposed the idea that qualification for this certificate should be in the form of an external examination as this does not give the precise information needed about the pupil who falls in this category. Nevertheless, is has been recognised that these pupils need more than the testimonial and school report in order to stand a fair chance of being considered for a desired profession or occupation.

Innovations such as these, however, invariably take time to become established and are not without administrative problems. Especially where there is no organised pressure to accelerate governmental action, do these problems take even longer to initiate reform.

MISS WYN KINGMA, wht gave these views, is a 23 year-old primary school teacher now completing t university degree in pre paration for post-primary teaching.