PROFICIENCY TESTS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 106, 31 October 1931, Page 14

PROFICIENCY TESTS

NO CHANGE INTENDED

MINISTER'S STATEMENT

A denial that it was intended to make any change this year in the regulations governing the issue of proficiency certificates was made by the Minister of Education (tho Hon. It. Masters) in a statement last night.

"Proficiency certificates will .-be awarded this year in accordance with precisely the same regulations that wero in operation last year," said the Minister. "The tests that will be used will vary very little from those set in former years. In some of the subjects the time allowed for tile various papers has been altered, but the content of tho tests and the scale of marks have been correspondingly changed. The only real difference made in the assessment of the pupil's work will be the adoption of a standard of marking in spelling that was in use until two years ago. "Last year the practice was to mark spelling in such a way that it was possible for a child to pass in this subject who had ten errors. As the test is nut ono of any great difficulty and contains only words in common use, it was felt that it was not reasonable to allow any pupil to pass who made so mouy mistakes. The statement in the telegram from Duncdin that 'there will be no accrediting this year and many will fail' is surely a reflection on the judgment of the headmasters ou whom the duty of recommending for accrediting candidates falls.

"The Department does not think that the requiring of all the candidates to face the examination will place anyOne at a disadvantage. It ought not to do so, since the pupils who are accredited • have always been considered to bo those who aro quite certain of passing tho examination. As regards the standard required for a pass, the Department will, as in previous years, adopt every reasonable precaution to see that the work done by the candidates is assessed uniformly throughout the Dominion. In accordance with long established practice the inspectors will in all doubtful cases confer with tho class teacher and tho head teacher before the results aro determined."