Changes Sought In School Certificate

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30839, 26 August 1965, Page 1

Changes Sought In School Certificate

(New Zealand Press Associations . WELLINGTON, August 25. The Post-Primary Teachers’ Association will seek an extensive revision of the school certificate examination.

The association's annual conference in Wellington today resolved that: The educational philosophies on which the examination is based should be re-assessed. Undue specialisation permitted by the present school certificate regulations is undesirable. Candidates should no longer be required to attain a minimum aggregate pass of 200 over four subjects. Candidates should offer no fewer than five subjects at their first attempt.

The conference rejected a suggestion that accrediting be introduced for the examination. Miss G. L. Gardner, a delegate from Auckland, said spe-

cialisation was in wide disfavour. “We do not want to produce either illiterate scientists or unscientific humanists,” she said. Mr J. R. Kelly, convener of the association’s curriculum committee, said the present examination was too difficult for about half the candidates The less academically able pupils had to be given some form of adequate goal. At the same time the very able needed a greater incentive. The Minister of Education (Mr Kinsella) has told the association that he is anxious to push ahead with a revision of the school certificate examination.