HIGH SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 17920, 16 March 1922, Page 12

HIGH SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS

At to-day’s mooting of the High Schools’ Board of Governors the rector of the Boys’ School (Mr W. J. Morrell) forwarded' a summary of the results obtained, the school in the various public and Univorsity examinations at tho end of last year. Ho stated l !

The number of candidates who went up for the University entrance scholarships (three) was much smaller than ui any previous year, the main cause undoubtedly being tho attraction exercised by the Medical School. All three —P. W. Althea, R. F. Wilson, and H, M. Nimmo-gamed University national scholarships, with twelilh. sixteenth, and _ twenty-second places respectively. This is a very eatic factory result, as tho two last named wcr. thus successful at their first trial. .I'm matriculation and allied examinations tn-e total number of candidates sent up by tho school was 91—a figure beyond all precedent. Of these 59_ were successful, do passing medical preliminary and solicitors general examination besides matriculation, 2 matriculation and engineering_ preliminary, 4 matriculation and solicitors general, and 7 matriculation alone, while 11 completed matriculation of tho professional preliminaries'. (sixteen obtained partial passes, and 16 failed-. The proportion of passes was 73 per cent., as against 78 per cent, last year and 07 per cent, in 1920. 1 was quite satisfied with the results, as tho candidates going _up included a fairly largo number of thirdvear boys, whoso general progress had been quite satisfactory, but who could hardly hope lor more than a partial pass. As tho board will probably be aware, tho matriculation standard is officially stated to represent the reasonable result of four vears' training in a secondary school. It therefore followed that, to pass in three years, a candidate must bo well above the average in ability. For the senior national scholarships wo scut up 32 candidates, of whom 5 gained scholarships, and tho remaining 26 passed tho examination, 5 of them with credit. The number entering for the Public Service examination was 24. of whom 14 boys passed (one with credit) and 10 failed. As for sonic years past, tho number entering for this examination from higher forms was comparatively small, matriculation in itself being accepted as a qualification for entrance to the Public Service. For the junior national scholarships no special preparation is given at the school. Eleven candidates, however, sat, of whom 1 gained a scholarship, 7 more passed, and 3 failed. The total number of candidates for examinations of all standards was 299. Of this number 202 were successful, including those exempted from the senior free place examination by the department on my recommendation, as confirmed by the department’s inspectors, and sitting ior no other examination; 19 obtained partial passes (including 3 who failed for the Public Service, and were awarded senior free places); 3 qualified for a third year of the junior free place; and 75 failed. Tho general proportion of passes was 71 per cent., as against 76 per cent, last year. The comparison is, however, more favorable than it seems.