MATRICULATION EXAM.

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 February 1939, Page 5

MATRICULATION EXAM.

I SENATE' SUPPORTS ABOLITION | [per press association.]

I CHRISTCHURCH, February 6. An imporfani. change in educational policy was approved io-day by the Senate of the University of New Zealand when it affirmed the principle that, entrance to the university should, in general, be by way of accrediting instead of by rhe university entrance examination now held. This decision followed the submission of a. report by the committee on entrance, which, having considered a summary of a report by the Council for Educational Research, recommended that, entrance to the university should, in general,

be by way of accrediting by any school on a list of approved schools drawn up by the university in consultation with the University of New Zealand. The committee also suggested that a properly, devised cumulative school record-card should form the basis of accrediting. The committee recommended that the Education Department should increase its staff of secondary school inspectors; that further provision for specialised training of post-prim-ary teachers should immediate!}’ be made: and that a liaison officer should be appointed by each constituent college and should be given

such status and functions in the coi

lego and in the schools as would enable, him to report and advise in accrediting as it. affected both the university and the schools,. The senate agreed on the committee’s suggestion that at least, three years of satisfactory post-primary study should be demanded before a school certificate was granted by accrediting, and that, for pupils who wished afterwards to be accredited for matriculation, a, further year of school work should be required. The final recommendation in the report was that the present examination should still he held for those I who did not qualify for-entrance by accrediting and who were over 16 years of age on December 1 of the year of examination. This scheme, the report explained was to apply only to the general entrance, and was not to affect the professional courses, for which special entrance examinations were now provided. These examinations would be continued as at present.

During the discussion of the committee’s recommendations, Mr. L. .1. Wild suggested that all schools should have the right of accrediting. Schools had consistently advocated the right of accrediting for a considerable period of years. He hoped that the teaching profession would be reasonably assured that’from the beginning of .1940 “this enlightened procedure” would be adopted. The Vice-Chancellor (Professor T. A. Hunter) said it would not be possible to draft and approve a statute embodying the scheme until next year.

The financial applications of the proposed scheme were referred to by Colonel G. J. Smith, who said the finances of the university would be seriously affected. He suggested that a fee of £2/2/- should be charged for matriculating. “I do not think that will meet the situation at all,” commented Professor Hunter. “Many people are taking the examination who do not matriculate.” He suggested that the executive committee he authorised to dis-; cuss with the Minister for Education j (lion. P. Fraser) the financial considerations that would be involved if I such a. scheme was put into effect. The Chancellor (Hon. J. A. Hanan): 1 take it that this scheme would not be put into effect unless our funds are restored in some way.

The senate approved the principle of the scheme outlined by the commitlee and decided to submit it to the Academic Board, the Entrance Board, and the Professorial Boards of the colleges for a report io the next meeting of the senate. Professor Hunter’s suggestion that the executive committee should discuss, the financial considerations' of the scheme with the Minister for Education was also approved.

INCREASED FEES Increased fees "'are to be charged by the University of New' Zealand for most of the examinations it conducts. This was decided on the recommendation oi’ the finance committee. The inqrea.se will be about. 25 per cem._ The committee’s recommendation was: “That in view' of the. financial situation disclosed by the estimates, the executive committee be empowered io include in the statutes an amendment, of the scale of examination fees other than those foi the entrance examinations on a basis that a. fee. of 10/« be increased to 12/6.

ARTS AND SCIENCE. i , ! CHRISTCHURCH. February h. A recommendation that examina-i lions in first-year subjects for the elf*- t erees of Bachelor of Arts and Baehr-; lor of Science should be conducted I bv the university colleges and not, by the University of New Zealand, was adopted by the Senate of thei University, to-day. The tion was made by the Academic | Board. The recommendation read: 1 u "| the examinations at. stage 1 for sub-; jects of B.A. and B.Sc. courses he | handed over to the respective professorial boards, which shall report to tlie university the awards of pass or ’fail’ on lhe recommendations ot a Board of Examiners consisting ot the beads of departments and Hie other teachers in the. faculty. In submitting the recommendation, the. Pro-Chancellor (Dr. .1. Hight) said that, results would thus he announced earlier and congestion in the November time-table would lie avoided. . . Dr. 11. G. Denham said it shim d clearly ho understood that there was no intention of carrying this method of examining beyond Stage I. The preparation of the time-table, had liecome extraordinarily complicated and much-needed relief would be. given. Ii had been felt, ioo, that the present system of setting papers common to the four colleges led to hardship, and the suggested system would allow a fairness not allowed by the present system. The- details of the scheme had vet to be worked out.

The—Vice-Chancellor (Professor T. A. llunieri said that unless something was done there would be great difficulty in finding accommodation. The* suggested practice had been adopted before, and it was not such a. radical change. a.s might be thought.

“I gather that this reform is being brought about, not because of any

principle, but because of mechanical difficulties." commented Mr. I’. A. de la. Mare. "Here wo are .going to do dm right thing, hut wo should do it a- a matter of principle. That being Sl ', wt- should do the si'tm- tiling with stages It and Hl- 1 very much hope Ibat this stage will followed (lie other stages." The proposal was adopted, and oilier recommendat ions by the Academic Board that, were approved were that all students, external or internal, should be required to lake the degree examination; that the Otago members of the- hoard be a committee to draw iii, n. detailed scheme and .report, to ihe next, nmeiiu.g Of Hi* board: and ihat the question of the extension of the scheme to the examinations for the degree of Bachelor of Laws he ipforred to the Otago members' of the hoard. It was also decided that economics 11 and Hi should bo examined in Now Zealand. but not. economics for the Master’s degrees.