NOTES ON EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 734, 5 February 1910, Page 13

NOTES ON EDUCATION.

■ ■:: (By Sooeates.l CONCERNING EXAMINATIONS. ■■ With the prefatory observation that ..'Nowhere is it more necessary to/define one's terms than in a. discussion' of the question of examinations," Professor T. A. -Hunter, of the .Chair of Philosophy and Psychology at Victoria College, has very, clearly set out .in the columns of The Doitnnqii the case for the opponents of the examination system which is at present in operation in New Zealand. Professor Hunter's standing in the teaching profession entitles his remarks on any question of education to be read with that respect and,attention which are due to the opinions of an expert, and when he says, at the conclusion of - an able and trenchant review of the present method of examination, that it "encourages wrong ideals in .'. teacher and Btudent,. places a premium' on cram' and mediocrity, and renders advance, almoat one is compelled to agree that a. condition of things which inspires such a conclusion calls for Borne investigation. :• Professor Hunter- has - 60 thoroughly stated the case in his artiole that it-only-remains for the inquirer -to follow his line of investigation, and examine its several, points. The first: of. these, the most vital, in fact, is his contention that the examination of students —whether,in the primary and secondary schools : or in', the university—should bo the special function of the teacher, not si a specially-appointed examiner. It is ."his destructive weapon; it. enables, him : to. discover the weaknesses in the assimilative powers of his pupils, and in the powers of presentation that he himself possesses.. Away, from these natural surroundings it has no-value whatever." Having denned what he considers to be the true function of examinations, Professor . Hunter.- proceeds to explain that vaguely-understood phrase of : teachers— the-examination burden.:.' -The. evil' against which we inveigh them'when we speak: of the' curse of the examination system is: that which arises when '-'.tne' pupils'_ training- is judged by mere examination results—particularly- when, the examination is a written .one—evaluated exclusively by those who have had no part or lot in the , education of the pupils.' This, then; is the examination burden, and, although there. have been feeble attempts to.free us from:it, e.g., : in the' primary ■ and secondary; ■ schools, they have met with but partial success. Thus far'the writer has made himself perfectly', clear.''■: Lot us, defer comment for the moment,' and accompany him 'a I little further. ; Having stated his posiI tion, he refers his readers to a leading 'article in The Dominion of; January '5, in which,;ho says: "Three, arguments seem to lie'hidden in the,.apology that is made for. the system. .;-'.":; ;

'-~ (1) That; the examination purports to be a test of efficiency;.. : ; "• ■' (2) That, the examination assesses the work of the instructor j..-': •'- (3), That: examination , properly guards'the interests' of the students. '.;::•;'

At -this point, it becomes -necessary, to criticise Professor Hunter's;' interpreta-, tion of tho leading article to which he wfers.'.' In,. the t first, place,; the contention expressed w'as that "fundamentally," the examination purported to:be a-test Jof; efficiency. This, though perfectly true of a properly r conduoted examination may not-.bo"frue of/the examination' system which obtains in New Zealand. As a.matter/of. fact,' it most' certainly is not; Secondly, it was riot argued.that' the ex-: animation assessed .'the work of the instructor. and safeguarded the interests o.f but that in order to. accomplish these,; to arrive at a true' estimate of 'teaching ' ability' -.this vinvolves'. J the interests'- of .the'; pupil—"some radical change in, the.methods of examination"; was required, "some method-whereby .the work of the instructor"- might be "fairly assessed" and "the interests of.the pupil properly safeguarded.";. These, I take it, are contentions/not unfavourable to-the attainment of .tbe:best aims '■■ of education, and not, inconsistent-with' Professor Hunter's.-.-., ; , ; :i :: :; l! , ,- :''-.'-"', .. : :

Educationists will heartily concur in' tho opinion expressed" by., Professor: Hunter; that the present examination system. '.is an 'evil, :but^there: .may- be , a coh.siderable' diffe'rencej.'of ; opinion 'concern-: ing- the ro'medy..: Onevis'inclined'tb sympathise with' any_:, endeavour-towards, the [attainment of ; high"- ideals . : in education; and ,to support ;'6uch an■ endeavour . as' far as may be practicable. But it would be- difficult, nay,, undesirable, to introduce, such a system as .would give ; effect to. Professor Hunter's -suggestions;, -It- is, indeed, a very,, serious question' whether we _have not "already . over-stepped' the limits .of discretion in l recent amendments of the New Zealand education system:so far'as examinations' are concerned.. One need; not proceed further .than ■. a careful investigation.of the present condition of pnmary school education to '■■ feel "assured that if the New Zealand system has' become more idealistic, .it has also become less practical—and this loss, as people are beginning to discover, is of more serious .moment- than the gain'in the other' respect., Every teacher'in- charge of a school is; invested with the powers of examining and passing his _pupils .up v to, and. including, Standard Yr;-in 'which' class a leaving- certificate, or a certificate I of proficiency, may be • obtained, the super'TOion.of his-work, by. the inspector, b'e- ! ing left, entirely, to the latter's discretion. If all teachers were efficient,.there would be no need to apply any ; test of their professional- skill.- .But' since there : must be assumed to be in this, /as in othor professions, a certain proportion of inefficient employees, it.becomes necessary to' ascertain to'what'eitent- such inefficiency exists, so: that the interests;, of;:,their pupils,-and-of their assistants/may be protected from: the effects- of incompetence. .There is no other way of ascertaining these^ things than,by.applying'some test--tli6 .test -of examination, intelligently and .conscientiously conduoted by an inspector. ■. If, in, certain; places, the examination system has proved; to be a burden ratier than a species of enlightenment to the. teacher, either of two causes may nave: contributed to that 'unsatisfactory state of .affairs-the teacher-: may■■ have' '3'.- 1 *'!"';: or ; the - inspector's methods may have,been:unfair. But one , cannot, surely, condemn the system because of ..things?.; The inefficient teacher, does, not- desire, the • inspector's ei-aminationi the expert teacher does not need, it,-the latter/ihas not been heard to soriously condemn it. There is room for_an immense improvement in our system of school inspection, and-it would be a, distinct step in advance.if: the system .could ,be so modified that inspectors ■ could v arrange ..to - be V- present - at the teacher's final examination of'his bunils overy_ year, that he might, not only ascertain the methods and quality of the instruction given, but also tho methods of examination :adopted;> Examination is ,an art ,m- itself, and must be studM '!£„?? ■? fc iv Mt , a 9. a perfunctory observi» ' • B Z\ ann S inaccuracies; which are conspicuously present in the scholastic .equipment of -the present-dav pro.iiciency certificate-holder are to fie r£ ,£' Thebesettmg sin of ■HS"; ln ■». t»W is one of the : S^'J f I f Dr c nl -! deni -system' of educaof' '^' the ta ? d l»3t requirement Lw^-i 11 " educaHon is efficient teachers and thorough inspections.

wSi^r I l 3p ?^ o ?, rf schools Is now If tr t^ Ish J ed J . i sj 1 '? Sydney, t^ aI S? nd dlstnc ts, and much good IkL' 8 hV De ' a £ Co ? l PHshed; The invest!gation of tho physical measurements-and conditions of eyesight was extended during the year into .several' fresh: districts, including the northern river district and. BroKen Hill, and records of nearly 50,000 school children were received. As regards national physique, a conference represen-' tative'of. the various State EducaHohal ilepartments was held in: June. Inst to discuss the question., of . unifying the systems of physical .training in the sohools ot ; the Commonwealth, and the recommendations of the conference are .now being considered in connection with the cadet proposals of the Federal Government. : ■. v *