PROFICIENCY CERTIFICATES.

Evening Star, Issue 14637, 5 August 1911, Page 5

PROFICIENCY CERTIFICATES.

♦ AEE ALL THE SIXTH STANDARD PUPILS PRESENTED? THE INSPECTORS"ARE SATISFIED ON THE POINT.

Mr R. Ferguson said at the annual meeting of tho School Committees' Association on Wednesday that iu some schools teachers did not put up all tho pupils in the Sixth Standard for the proficiency certificate examination. This was not fair to other teachers, as a better' percentage of passes would be got by those teachers who selected pupils for the examination. He had heard of two schools where this practice was followed. This morning one of our reporters inquired into this matter at the Education Office, and was fortunate enough to find Mr Richardson (chief inspector). Mr Bossence, and Dr Don in attendance. These gentlemen courteously consented to make a statement on the subject, and this is what they said: — The assertion is that some teachers do not present all the children in the Sixth Standard. Of this we have no knowledge, because we expect that all tho children who are in the Sixth Standard and are eligible for proficiency will be presented, and we believe that they are. There may be a few eases where a Sixth Standard child has been taught only Fifth Standard arithmetic, and consequently is not eligible, because the Sixth Standard arithmetic must be passed. There may be other cases where the attendance has been very irregular, and such children would probably be notified by the teacher that they have no chanco of success. But we'believe that in practice all the eligible children are presented. Ii it is not so, wo should be glad to know of tho exceptions. The remedy is in the parents' hands if any grievance exists. A pupil who is kept * back by a teacher can always he E resented at the central examination eld in December. Nominally three days' notice of such presentation is required, but we do not stick at that. It is a free public proficiency examination, irrespective of being on any school roll, and is so advertised. As a matter of fact, grown-up men often present themselves at this examination.

The percentage of passes is not recognised either by tho Department or by ourselves. No record of the percentage is kept. It is the general efficiency of the school that counts. The official figures really Btipply a complete answer to the complaint. The total number of pupils in Standard VI. at the end of the year, for the whole province, was 1,219, and 923 obtained proficiency certificates, whilst 168 obtained competency certificates. That leaves 129 to be accounted forj and the PJJ include probably nearly 120 f ailnres.