THE MATRICULATION EXAMINATION

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 99, 21 January 1938, Page 10

THE MATRICULATION EXAMINATION

Education Director’s Views

QUESTION OF ABOLITION

With the object of giving post-pri-mary schools greater freedom in forming their courses of work, the senate of the University of New Zealand has decided to set up a committee to consider the report which is being drafted by the New Zealand Council of Educational Research on the university entrance examination and further to consider the advisability of abolishing the examination and of substituting for it some other qualification for entrance to the university. The committee will report to the meeting of the senate in Christchurch next year.

At the recent conference in Dunedin, from which Wellington delegates returned yesterday, a motion leading to the senate’s decision was brought forward by the Director of Education, Mr. N. T. Lambourne, who said that members of the senate were cognisant of the criticism levelled for some time by post-primary teachers and secondary school principals against the domineering influence of the university entrance examination on the work of the schools. About 5000 candidates sat the examination each year, and approximately half of that number passed, yet very few of them entered the university. The schools, however, had to frame their curriculum in accordance with the prescriptions for the university entrance examination, and some of the compulsory subjects were difficult for many of the candidates. The present year was very opportune for a review, of the situation, and very shortly there would be available the report of the New Zealand Council of Educational Research on the entrance examination. It was desirable that a committee should be set up to investigate the position fully and report to the next meeting of the senate so that the question could be discussed and modifications made, if necessary, which would meet the requirements and allow schools to follow a course that would satisfy the majority of the pupils, Mr. Lambourne suggested that the committee should consist of the vice-chancellor, Professor T. A. Hunter, Dr. Sylvia Chapman, and Messrs. W, J. Morrell, L. J. Wild, A. E. Flower, and H. D. Mahon. It would consider the advisability also of abolishing the examination and substituting some other form of entrance examination. Mr. Flower, who seconded the motion, said they had been at it for many years now, and the committee ought to be able to bring down a convincing report.