PROFICIENCY TESTS

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 69, 15 December 1931, Page 10

PROFICIENCY TESTS

Minister’s Statement REPLY TO PROTEST Effect of Examination In a reply to the Wellington School Committees and Educational Federation on the subject of stiffening up the proficiency examination read at last evening’s meeting, the Minister of Education, Hon. R. Masters, said that the changes were not sufficient to cause any well-taught pupil to fail. The substitution of examination for accrediting affected only the best pupils, those who would have been recommended by the teacher because he considered them certain passes. The regulations provided for the issue of competency certificates to those candidates who did not quite reach the standard for proficiency examination. The federation, in its letter to the Minister, had said it seemed to be the intention to stiffen up the examination and thereby cause a number of children to fail in the examination tests. That would deprive the child of the benefit of free secondary education, and cause it to go out into the world branded as a failure, so affecting its chances of obtaining employment. If it was considered the examination had been too easy in the past, then the tightening up should have been done at an earlier period. If ; the decision had been made with a view to reducing the number of freepiace pupils for the purpose of economy in the cost of secondary education, then the federation* considered it a most retrograde step which would have a harmful effect on the future of the children. The federation asked if it was intended to issue leaving certificates for children who failed in the proficiency examination.

Mrs. J. Robinson referred to what had happened at the Newtown School, where the papers were gone over a second time, with the result that several more were passed. That showed that it was recognised that a blunder had been made. Reference to figures from Auckland published a few days ago was made by the secretary, Mr. N. F. Ingram 1 , who said that similar returns for Wellington would be available in a few days. Apparently Wellington had fared better than Auckland, for the results in many Wellington schools were reported to be very satisfactory—only one failure was reported in one case, while another school had 100 per cent, passes. Even so there had been a second overhaul of the papers in Wellington by the Inspectorate.

Mr. G. T. Ashbridge, Miramar South, thought the satisfaction of the federation would come in seeing that the number of certificates Issued was up to last year’s figures. Mr. P. S. Broad, .Kilblrnie, said the impression was that the children had to “go for it.” Competency, however, was sufficient to take a child to the Technical College. Mrs. Robinson said a good many who did mot get their proficiency in the first round had got it now. On the motion of Mr. Ingram It was decided to write to the Headmasters’ Association for information as to the system of examination. AGITATED PUPILS Effect of Propaganda BUT FAILURES FEW Bv Telegraph. —Press Association. . Nelson, December 14. In his interim report on the proficiency examinations, Senior Inspector T. J. Griffin says that candidates for the most part entered upon the examination in an agitated frame of mind due to the disturbing propaganda that emanated from outside sources. “The results were highly saitsfactory, however. The public school results show that 672 candidates sat for the examination. Of these 528 gained proficiency, 109 gained competency, and 35 failed. There were 78.6 per cent, gained proficiency certificates, 16.2 competency, and 5.2 failed. These results must be regarded as distinctly good. In 1928 the average per cent, for proficiency candidates was 75 for the district, so that this year's results show a distinct improvement on those of that year, although they are lower than those of last year. In awarding the certificates, the inspectors this year, as in former years, were guided largely by the estimates of head teachers.” The chairman, the Hon. W. H. McIntyre, M.L.C., said that the report could be regarded as very satisfactory. In reply to Mr. Knapp, the inspector said that the arithmetic paper was distinctly harder this year.