Intelligence Tests

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 185, 4 May 1936, Page 13

Intelligence Tests

Sir, —In Thursday’s issue of “The Dominion” there appeared a letter signed “Parent,” regarding the Minister of Education’s views on mental testing. New Zealand expects progress from the Labour Party, which stresses the value of education in its propaganda. Yet recent conversation with important educationists failed to reveal what the MiniAter expects New Zealand to believe regarding the value of intelligence tests. Our Director of Education, after nis visit abroad, is content to allow New Zealand, to think that she has little to learn from other countries, when, in reality, she has not even attempted to place her system , on a sound scientific basis. The frequent correspondence on homework in schools, on corporal punishment, etc., prove that. The teachers of New Zealand are floundering to produce results and when they fail the child suffers through homework and punishment. It is said by men who know that Up to 90 per cent, of school time is wasted through lack of scientific knowledge of the child, not to mention the incalculable damage caused to his delicate nervous sys. Adults will testify that when they consider the fruits of their school lite. . . . New Zealand should have had long before now bureaus in each large centre to assist the teacher in giving psychological and remedial help to the child. Every teacher should have the right and the means to demand to know why bis children cannot progress without the aid of homework, the cane and neurosis. Our present system forces us to produce certain results regardlees of the child’s ability to stand' the strain, and on the other hand, if the teacher does his real duty to humanity, he has nothing tangible to bolster up his appeal against the low grading he receives. Problem children should be helped before they reach prison. We are still waiting for some enlightened ruler to establish clinics to help teachers. Intelligence tests are a step toward solving o ur pedagogical sins. They are instruments to sort out the sheep from the goats, nnd since we cannot make a silk purse from a sow’s ear. they should indicate where we should cease torturing the child and give him culture instead of complexes. Intelligence tests arc the child’s weapon of defence, apart from their innumerable uses as instruments in finding out new facts by research. Men in responsible positions should be doing their utmost to foster the spirit of inquiry and should be looking forward to the time when real clinics will be formed to help teachers in their problems, not with imbeciles, 'but with ordinary everyday children. The Council for Educational Research is pioneering this field, and it is to be hoped that our country is progressive and democratic enough .0 applv the unbiased facts which we hope it will find.—l am. «‘^ X . TEACHER . Wellington, May 1. [This letter has been abridged.— Editor.]