QUESTION OF " CRAM" DISCUSSION ON EXAMINATIONS

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 24, 29 January 1908, Page 7

QUESTION OF " CRAM" DISCUSSION ON EXAMINATIONS

.UNIVERSITY SENATE'S' VIEWS. The chief subject of the deliberations of the University Senate to-day was the question of entrance examinations and the system of examination generally raised by a motion of the Rev. Mr. Cameron which was as follows: — 'That the question of accepting the certificate of)master3 of approved secondary schools in place of the matriculation examination Bo rerefcrrcd to a recess committee to and to report to the next meeting of the senate." '.iiie mover said he was glad to see that the question had been raised by Professor Starr Jordan. The whole question of examinations should be faced by the senate. It was nothing new thi't he proposed, Professor Starr Jordan had approved of it as being the practice mi America. It was also done in Germany. The leaving certificate of the higher schools was accepted for entrance to the university. The only condition was that the school had t a nine years course. Sine* they had no eimilai schools in New Zealand, it would simply lower the standard if certificate! were accepted from all schools. The recess committee should classify schools a ? T f . nrnls h a report. Tho department should allow pupils to enter high Bchool; after the sth standard instead of ths oth, so that they might begin learninp iMia. earlier, rend have a longer coure't than at present, possible. All secoadan schools should furnish a •curriculum that would satisfy the senate befor< they could be put on the list of up provsd schools. This would lead to j longer contiawftnee of pupils in hie! schools, which Mould increase in ef facicncy. A nc»iier advantage would b< that liberty o f action would be 'giver to teachers in high schools. For r long; timo there waft an outcry thai pupils were cramped and clogged bj standard crcamination in the primar> schools. T/ne same thing was true with regard to ' high schools. The civil ser ; vice and matriculation examination fol lowed fay the junior scholarship ex amiaataoxi dominated the high anc secondary school curriculum. The out side examiner was cramping the life oi the- school. It had been said that uni versity examination had raised the standard of high and secondary schools In 11JJ4 a report summing up the opinions of the principal teachers it SGeoacdary schools was laid before the sonafe. All opinions hinted at a -Und emy to pure cram and memory work. -The effect of university examinations was deemed disastrous to the cultivation, of good literature in schools* INFLUENCE OF CRAM. Even if half of that was true it was time, Mr. Cameron said, that the senate considered its relation to secondary schools. The life oi the School was dominated by outside influences. The teachers should be able to develop the life of thftir schools without the incubus of cram for outside examinations. Tfe work of the ye&r should ba the subject of examination. The certificate of a teacher after such examination should be accepted, after the pupila had passed live or six years under an approved curriculum. Such a reform would give liberty to schools and "scholars and furnish better students to tho university. There were difficulties in tho way, of course, but the senate should net let the financial aspect of the question stand in the way of reform. Mr. Hogben seconded the motion. Ha wished to provide a safeguard in a condition that the university might examine any candidate for entrance to an affiliated college. Other safeguards suggested themselves. In America and Germany a leaving certificate was granted on the student's wholfc career at school. In New Zealand the senior free placa examination had become a bond instead of giving the liberty tho department had anticipated. It was desirable that the certificates of tho principals of high schools should be accepted, but there were dangers. In England there was a syndicate, which examined the schools, and the system appeared to have worked woll. In New Zealand the revision of the lists of approved schools would depend upon th's affiliated schools. Mr. F. Baume, K.C., warmly advocated the motion as making entrance to the university depend not on' knowledge of something about to be done, but on what had already been done at schools. The system of graduation should commence in the primary schools, and continue throughout. SIR ROBERT STOUT'S VIEWS. The chancellor said they were not ready for this move y«t.. It would be most invidious to select certain schools and approve thorn to the detriment of others. It would mean that the university would have to examine secondary schools. The result would be that the secondary schools wouM really dominate the teaching of the university. A low secondary school would send students incapable of doing the work required at the commencement of university life. In England th*y charged for inspecting schools. They could net get rid of examination. There rronld bo endless trouble with parents. Eton now inspectors complained that th» passes were not sufficient. His opinion was that tha inspection of the secondary schools should be handed over to the university, which should do all tho examination necessary for tho Civil Service, various scholarships and everything. It should bo the ono examining body of the Dominion. The university certificates should alone be looked to throughout New Zealand. OTHER OPINIONS. Professor J. M, Brown opposed the motion strongly, and supported th© chancellor in advocating tho unification of the examination system. The aare of matriculation should be raised, and two divisions should be established— one for entrance to tho university, and the othor as a leaving certificate. *If tho matriculation examination was abolished, the university would lose £3000 a year, tho basis of its finances. Professor Sale said that tho students entering tho university during the lasi four years were far more imperfoct than ever before. Some of the students were in a condition that was perfectly appalling. They wero more likely to "improve matters by tightening up the matriculation system than by handing it over to secondary schools. Professor J. li. Brown said that unless the university of New Zealand put its house in order, it would become one of the most conservative institutions in che world. He supported the motion in order to suppress as far as possible tho element of cram. Professor, Sharttf denied that tho incubus of cram was anything like so heavy as described by Mr. Cameron. The logical outcome of Mr. Cameron's remarks would bo that degrees would b9 given on the recommendation of the professors alono. Hon. Mr. Tole considered that the matriculation examination was ingrained in the minds of the people who regard it as a sort of hall-mark — an inpnmatur of education. The motion was carried by 12 votes to Z~