U.E. board to decide on scrapping Latos

Press, 19 April 1980, Page 10

U.E. board to decide on scrapping Latos

PA Auckland The University Entrance Board will decide whether it will scrap the controversial Latos (language achievement test for overseas students) test at a meeting planned for the end of May. This will be the board’s first meeting since the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) told the Western Samoan Prime Minister (Tupuola Efi) that the Government wanted the language test screen for university admission scrapped for overseas students whose education was based on the New Zealand system. Critics asserted that Latos was being used to reduce the numbers of Pacific Island students studying at New Zealand universities. The Western Samoan Government said it was upset about the test, and its apparent effect on Samoan students. The secretary of the board (Mr M. Murtagh) said Hie Government had . -V •

made its views known. The test would be discussed by the board on May 28-29. “We are an independent statutory authority, but we do not live on an island,’’ he said. It was standard board policy that, if the rules for university admission were changed during the year it would only be a relaxation. Schools would soon receive a newsletter explaining that Latos was still a requirement for university admission. Mr Murtagh said the board was concerned that the test was being used by other people for purposes other than that for which it was designed. The Education Department had, for example, used it as a test for entry to technical institutes. “I am getting a little peeved at taking the flak for other people who are using Latos,” he said. He disputed Wellington reports that asserted 13 out of 18 Samoan students this vear were barred from New Zealand universities

because of the Latos test. Eight were offered places, seven were rejected on academic grounds, and three were rejected because they failed Latos, he said.