Examinations In The 'Publie Service

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 256, 27 July 1939, Page 11

Examinations In The 'Publie Service

Sir, —pue Hawke's Bay branch of the Public Service Association indignantly asks “In what walk of life is a man. . . . approaching retiring age, expected to get down to swotting and passing tests?” One answer is in the British and Indian armies. From the start of their service till within a very few years of retirement, officers regularly “swot” and pass tests. There are not only promotion exams, before each step in rank, but there are various courses, signalling, gas, etc., to be taken, with examinations to be passed. For all in the Indian army there are also various language tests. Far from working a 40-hour week, many officers have to work on Sundays as'well as week-days. All “swotting” has ,to take place after the “working day’ is over. To your correspondent, “Wife of Public Servant,” I would say that my husband, in the Indian army, has for the past 10 years had so much work, partly for obligatory examinations, and partly on account of office work, which falls on him as, usually, an inadequate clerical staff is provided, that for long periods he does not have more than one free evening a week. His. of course, is only one case in point—l am, etc., FULL MEASURE. Wanganui, July 25.