CHANGE NEEDED

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 24, 29 January 1929, Page 12

CHANGE NEEDED

ENTERING UNIVERSITY

MATRICULATION EXAM

TOO DIVERSE USE

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.")

DUNEDIN, This Day

■ The question of raising tho standard of the matriculation examination or of abolishing it altogether, was discussed at length at yesterday's sitting of the Council of the New Zealand University,

The matter was brought up by Professor Segar, who moved: 'That tho Education ■Department bo requested to devise some scheme, which will enable tho University to conduct a. university entranco examination, solely as a university entrance examination, and to submit such scheme 1 for consideration of Entrance Board before its next meeting. Professor Segar's argument in support of his motion was that pupils who had passed tho matriculation examination at present were not ripe for university work, and another year's study was necessary to fit them for that work. Tho Academic Board was of opinion that some such thing should bo done. At the present time a large number of boys and girls who did not intend to enter the university sat for the entrance examination, and it was in tho interests of tjie Academic Board that the numbers should be reduced. If the standard of tho entrance examination were raised it would have a beneficial effect in that direction. The argument which had defeated the proposal in tho past was that a great many of tho candidates for the entranco examination were not in good circumstances, and it was suggested that those candidates could not stay at school .for another year, which a raised standard would involve. There were two classes of candidates: Candidates I'who intended to go on for university work and those were- the only ones with which they wore really concerned in the university, and there was a second and larger class which sat_ for tho examination for tho satisfaction of passing an examination of some recognition.

THE ONLY WAY OUT.

The only way out that he could see, continued Professor Segar, was for some examination or some leaving certificate to bejn-ought into existence that would meet the demand of that second class of candidate. Tho reason for requesting the Education Department to doviso some scheme was that it was thought that tho Department should have the opportunity of bringing forward such a scheme, because it would desire to control any examination or leaving certificate. They were asking the Department to consider the matter and to recommend some scheme that would make the entrance examination merely an examination for entrance to the university.

,The motion was seconded by Sir Rob crt Stout.

Professor Hunter moved as an amendment that the words 'Education Department" bo cut out and "Entrance- Board" be inserted, and that the latter part providing for the scheme being submitted to the Entrance Board bo deleted. He thought it was not fair to put the burden on the Education Department. The Department was fairly represented on the Entrance Board, and that board was the proper body to deal with it. It seemed to him that the secondary schools should be freed from the domination of the matriculation, examination. Mr. F. Milner seconded'the amendment. IN THE HANDS OF EMPLOYERS. Mr. T. B. Strong, Director of Education, contended that the position was not in. the hands of the Education Department or of the Council, but in the hands of employers, who demanded the passing of matriculation as a condition of employment. He thought that the solution of the problem could be found by the University Council itself by abolishing the examination altogether. That was the only cure that, he could sec for tho present situation. Because as long as the examination existed they could not prevent employers using the passing .of tho examination for their own purposes. So far as the possibility of employers using some other standard to enable candidates for employment to secure positions was concerned, that already existed, as the Education Department issued a lower leaving certificate which was used very rarely indeed. The only solution was for the matriculation examination to be abandoned altogether, and for a certificate to be awarded by principals and inspectors. That would be more satisfactory than the present 'system. Those who were familiar with the marking of examination papers knew how much was dependent on. chance. No matter how much examiners tried to secure an equality in-the standard of marking, that standard could, not be obtained, and the only certain way of deciding the matter was to depend on tho recommendation of a teacher or