“THIS BUGBEAR”

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 221, 14 June 1930, Page 12

“THIS BUGBEAR”

Matriculation Test ACCREDITING SYSTEM University Urged to Act Strong approval of the accrediting system for University entrance was expressed in a discussion which took place at the Council of Education meeting yesterday, Mr. W. A. Armour calling matriculation “this bugbear.” Mr. T. B. Strong, Director of Education, and Mr. A. Bell, Assistant Director of Education, spoke in favour of the accrediting, the latter criticising the present matriculation system in the sharpest terms. The council carried a resolution regretting the delay which had occurred in putting the accrediting scheme in operation, and urging that it should be adopted. The university office could not take action to inaugurate an accrediting system without a definite instruction from the senate, said the chairman (Mr. Strong). It was a matter of getting more inspectors. The council had gone on with the scheme, and had given it approval in the past, but they had found that the senate had taken no active steps in the meantime. For the plan to come into operation it was necessary for the senate to alter definitely the statute which governed the entrance of students to the university, so that accredited students might bq admitted too. He had no doubt himself that the senate would in time endorse the proposals put forward by the Education Department. Some of the senate members were against the plan, but others were not It did not seem possible this year. Two Possible Difficulties. “I am entirely in favour of adopting the accrediting system,” Mr. Strong continued, “but I know there are certain difficulties in the way. I found that two students in Victoria who had beftn accredited for university entrance were refused admission to Sydney University. What were those students to do? Were they to set out to pass the New South Wales examination, or were they, from lack of opportunity, to forgo university education altogether? I think that that is an important point. At present students who have passed our matriculation examination are ad-, mitted to certain universities overseas. Their credentials are accepted abroad. But what if those who have been.accredited here are not allowed admission in the same way?

“The system too is said to enable secondary schools to enlarge and diversify their courses by widening their syllabuses — not ' being tied down to the requirements of a particular external examination. It was pointed out to me in Victoria that all students were not accredited, and there had to be some means of allowing those who were not accredited to show that they were up to university entrance standard. Then if that is so, the schools must keep those pupils in mind so that they could, prepare them for that outside examination. The principals of the schools were forced in this way to provide a curriculum framed on its requirements.” » The difficulty which this entailed in the smaller schools could easily be imagined,’Mr. Strong continued. Where in the bigger schools it was possible for them to have two separate forms, one of a higher grade and the other of a lower grade, the former catering for those who seemed likely to be accredited and the latter for the others, in the case of a small school staffing numbers and actual accommodation forced them to have only one form —and its syllabus was based on the outside examination. The position that the university was in was outlined by its representative on the council, Mr. F. H. Bakewell. The scheme was held up at present for the Department of Education to supply particulars of how the inspectors would work when putting the plan into operation. The senate had wanted to be sure that the inspection necessary for the success of the proposal would be adequately furnished by the department. Mr. A. Bell (Assistant Director of Education) said he did not think that anyone in the senate could object. The inspectorate was very strong at present and quite able to carry out the work. The department was well supplied. Examination a “Toss Up.” Mr. Bell proceeded to criticise'the matriculation examination severely. He quoted figures showing that in certain recent matriculation results at an interval of two years the percentage of passes had been 32 and 55 from pupils in the same schools. Figures and percentages were given for separate subjects to show how variable, uncertain and uncomparable such examination results were. It was almost a “toss-up” whether a pupil passed his matriculation or not,” the speaker said. “I know,” said Mr. Bell, “that if the school lays itself out to get the children through the examination it can do it. In the old days pupils used to pass at the end of two years through cramming methods being used. The results were marvellous.” The Sooner the Better. Mr. Bell went on to criticise written examinations as a medium of testing pupils in science subjects and other subjects. “If we have an accrediting system the whole of the child’s work during the year can be taken into consideration. I think that the sooner wo can have the system the better for education.” He moved: “That the council regrets the delay in adopting the system of accrediting for university entrance and urges the university to accept the department’s assurance that .adequate safeguards will be provided to ensure the satisfactory working of the system.” Miss N. E. Coad said that private schools were not in favour of it. They were quite implacable, she added. They were very much against the extra inspection that was involved. In addition to this, said Miss Coad, some people thought that the course would, for safety. have to be a four-ycnr one if the accrediting system came into operation. A four-year course with a hardship clause seemed to be necessary. Mr. W. A. Armour criticised some of the examinations. There would be many disappointments, however, if the system came in this year, ns pupils who were accredited would be watched by the university professors. If they did not come up to scratch, the school from which they came would be “black-listed.” Under those circumstances, teachers wojild only accredit this year those pupils who seemed quite certain to pass.' Medical and law students could not be accredited under present conditions, and the field for accrediting would thus be cut down considerably. “Bugbear of Matriculation.” It would be unfair, Mr. Armour continued, for the accrediting system to be judged on the results of its first three years. It was an excellent proposal, however, and he hoped that it would come as soon as possible. “This bugbear of matriculation,” he said, “will be done away with. That particular term will go. If we could abolish that word ‘matriculation,’ it would bo good in every way.” , . _ Mr. Bell’s motion was earned.