EDUCATIONAL MISFIT

Evening Star, Issue 22974, 3 June 1938, Page 6

EDUCATIONAL MISFIT

UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAMINATION DOUBTFUL PROGNOSTIC VALUE A SOLUTION-" ABOLISH IT " The view that in its present form the matriculation or university entrance examination has a doubtful prognostic value, that it was too rigid in its requirements, and that most of the secondary schools in the Dominion were deeply conscious of the futility of much of their academic labours (while doing ivhat. they could to remedy tha position) was advanced by Mr NMatheson to-day in the course of hia presidential address at the annual meeting of the- Otago branch; of the New; Zealand Educational Institute.

Pupils entered the schools, he said* in the hope of getting matrio ” —the “ open sesame ” to all the (so-called); good jobs. The school had to do jta best to give all these pupils that hallmark of learning. Many, of the pupil* fell bv the way. Some few even, ao quirea an education in spite of the system, not because of it. Most of tha secondary schools were fully conscious of the futility of much of their academic labours, and were doing what they could to remedy the position and would do more if they were able. "Apart from its crippling effect oa the subjects, 1 believe that as at present instituted and conducted, the matriculation examination has a doubts ful prognostic value, even if we have regard for its original object only^that is, the, selection of those who ace likely to benefit by a university 'education, - declared Mr Matheson. “It is too rigid in its requirements. Why is there ft compulsory foreign language irrespective of the course to be followed at tha university, assuming that the examination is taken genuinely as a university entrance examination? Certainly, a foreign language is compulsory for an arts degree, goodness knows why. Is it argued that a man is not educated who doesn’t know a foreign language? I suppose this compulsory subject cause* more misery and drudgery to secondary pupils than everything else, unless it be compulsory mathematics,” he said. It was his firm contention that so long as this examination existed so long, would it be regarded as the measure of successful secondary education. Teachers could not force employers to regard it otherwise. The only solution seemed to be, then, to abolish it. When secondary education was So organised that a pupil received what be was mentally capable of, there would be no need for it. The academic type would go on a* at present, and why should not the university doors be open to lumP He supposed there would never be perfection} there would always be educational misfits—those children, often the victims of, parental ambition, entered on . tha wrong course; but, he asked, was .not the freedom of the primary school likely to lessen their number?