EDUCABLE CAPACITY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 23 September 1927, Page 8

EDUCABLE CAPACITY.

CHILDREN OF TARANAKI. COMPARISON WITH'OTHERCOUNTRIES. REPORT ON RECENT TESTS. A comprehensive report on the survey of schools in the Taranaki education district Which was carried out with the. authority of the Education Board 1 on March 16 last was presented by the senior inspector (Mi- N. iR. McKenzie) at the meeting- of the board on Tuesday.

The result of the survey was summarised by Mr McKenzie as follows: —• “In reading- and in arithmetical reasoning (problems) Taranaki children reach the recognised, standard. They are, on the whole, above the London standard in mechanical arithmetic, but are much below the Detroit standard in this branch. (Spelling is above the normal in Standard 4 and Standard 6, barely normal in Standard 5, and distinctly below the normal in Standard 3- As regards vocabulary, the position is not clearly defined, but our children appear to fall below the American children.

“The results of the test of educable capacity, as well as other parts of the survey, suggest that Taranaki children develop mentally at a rate which does not correspond to the rate in England, the United States and Canada. Our vounger children appear to be mentally less mature than the children of those countries while the development of our children in their early “teens” is apparently more rapid than that of their northern cousins. Fuither investigation is desirable.

“It would be interesting to know if the value attached to the gaining of a certificate of proficiency has any bearing on the comparatively high score* made by Standard 6. “The marked preference for, or dislike of, certain subjects demands a careful study with a view to detecting end removing the causes of the latter. “It should be noted that a large majority of the children examined in Taranaki and Marlborough and a very considerable number of those tested in the Dominion survey are country children, whereas the London, Detroit, and most of the- Canadian children with whom they are compared are pupils of city schools.

“So far as can be judged by the comparatively small number examined, the Maori appears to be the mental equal of his white fellow pupil.’ 7 HOW THE TESTS WERE MADE. Before giving the detailed results of the tests, Mr McKenzie’s leport explained their nature, as follows: —‘ “The tests used were the Haggerty test ,o'S educable capacity, • delta 2, revised by N. R. .McKenzie; the Haggerty reading examination, sigma 3, form A, revised by N. R. McKenzie, an arithmetic test composed of the Courtis (Detroit) general test B, form .Y, and five of Ballard’s tests, and the spelling test (from Ayres’ scale) used in the British Columbia Government survey.

“As these tests are thoroughly standardised they enable us to make a fairly valid comparison between certain phases of our school work and corresponding phases of work in England, the United States, and Canada. “The giving of the tests and the marking of the papers were entrusted to the teachers to whom explicit directions were issued. The results were, carefully analysed by a committee of teachers set up by the two local branches of the New Zealand Educational Institute who worked in collaboration with myself. “In addition to working the tests, each pupil was asked to give the following information: (1) His occupation outside of school hours; (2) the number of Schools which he has attended; (3) the number of books which he has read during the year; (4) the langu'age spcKen in nis home; (5) the school subject he likes best; (6) the school subject he likes least. The influence of these, with the exception of language, on the pupils’ success at school has .not. yet been worked out, as no one has been able to spare the necessary time. It is hoped that advanced students of Victoria University (College will use the information as materials for the preparation of these. To this end, the board lias already agreed to place the worked papers at the disposal of the college. Individual teachers have prepared charts showing the correlation between the educable capacity and the actual achievement of their pupils in each of the subjects tested, While one or two have worked out the correlation bv means of a mathematical formula. It is hoped that charting and calculations on a more extensive scale will be made in the near future both by our own teachers and by University students.

The little work done in this connection tends to indicate that a high degree of correlation exists between the results of the test of educable capacity end reading and spelling considered separately). The correlation with mechanical arithmetic, so far as it has been worked out, appears to be low. “Although these results are in agreeno nt with the findings in other parts of the world, more investigation is essential' before a definite pronouncement' with reference to Taranaki can be made.

o‘The number of pupils tested in Taranaki was 4140. In addition, 225 pi pils of Tc Hapara School in the Hawke’s Bay education district were tested for educable .capacity on the same day under the direction of Mr W. A. Cartels, headmaster. “In making comparisons, it should be noted (1) that our survey was made early in the school year before the pupils had effectively entered upon the werk of their nominal classes, and (2) tl at New Zealand children are much younger than the American children in corresponding classes examined by Dean Haggerty. The average of the Taranaki children -was: .Standard 3, 10 years 5 months; Standard 4, II years 5 months; Standard 5, 12 years 3 months; Standard 6, 13 years 2 months. As children of a given age may be distributed throughout all classes, a just comparison between our children and American children cannot be made (even if their experiences were not different) until our age normals are completely (calculated. This calculation will take some time.”

The board passed a vote of thanks to the following who formed committees set up by the two Taranaki branches of the New Zealand Educational Institute in connection with the tests: Mr F. A .Bates, Mr D. P. Evans, Miss EC A\ Evans; J. Furrie, Mr M. Goldsbury, Mr T. B. It. Julian, MrG. A. Lyall/Mr C. A. McKinney, Miss 11. Tarry, Mr Thos. Taylor, Mr "W. L. Wagstaff.