Three-a-day exams opposed

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32633, 15 June 1971, Page 14

Three-a-day exams opposed

Criticism of a University of Canterbury plan to institute a new end-of-year examination programme, with three examination periods a day instead of the present two, has come from the president of the university’s students’ association (Mr D. F. Caygill).

Mr Caygill described the plan, which was approved by the university council recently, as “a retrograde step.” He said that under the new plan it was certain that, although few if any students would have three examinations on one day, the number sitting two examinations in one day would increase. Where the periods concerned were the first and last of a day, students would in fact be working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. This would be far worse than extending the examinations over several weeks. Mr Caygill said the university should consider * proposal put forward by the Victoria University professorial committee on examinations. It had suggested that

there be no formal end-of-year examinations for stageone subjects, internal assessments of students’ work being made throughout the year instead. “This would cut down the problem of an extended examination period,” he-said.