LOCAL MATRICULATION RESULTS

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 27 January 1933, Page 4

LOCAL MATRICULATION RESULTS

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —I notice with interest the letter of “Ex-pupil” m reply to mine. “Ex-pupil” is quite wrong in attributing to me annoyance over my child falling for matriculation. As; a matter of fact, my child passed, and in Latin, too, but NOT as a result of the tuition received: at the school. In a matter like this personality does not count, and that is why I wrote over a npm-de-plume, but you have my leave, sir, to let “Ex-pup il” see my name, He will then see, that, as ypu know, ins statement is not true. He quotes with groat glee the fact that the school secured three scholarships. Let us analyse this fact. Yes, Hawera sghool did secure three Taranaki scholarships, but they were the tail-endens. Stratford High and New Plymouth Girls High School were 'both ahead of Hawera.; surely not much to write home about-. And another pupil, evidently not an entrant for this scholarship, a boy from New Plymouth High, was ahead of them all, as the results, show'. The maximum' number of marks; was 2800. One girl, who won the highest place as Junior University scholar received close on 2000 marks. Needless to say, she did not come from Hawera.' Of the local entrants, Miss Olive Archbold ■ obtained 1284 marks, a little over 40 per cent. I mention this girl because she w r as the girl most often spoken of by my own children. From what they have .said I am convinced that she is a most capable student; Had she been a pupil at the New Plymouth Girls’ High Schoolone of the. most efficient in. the Dominion—l venture to say that she would have obtained' this .scholarship a year before she did and with higher marks. At the same time I offer her and her .fellow scholarship winners my hearty congratulations, hut I say that their successes have been due more to their own abilities than to. the school. Will “Ex-pupil” state what marks m Latin these pupils obtained? I venture to .say that it will he an eyeopener to the whole district. If the results are not out yet perhaps he could give last year’s results, because 1 believe that some of the candidates were .sixth year pupils, who had previous.lv sat for this scholarship. While I am on Latin, will “Expupil” cite for us the marks obtained by matriculation .students for the past five years? I am sure that some of the language teachers will be so proud of them that they will gladly supply the figures. There have not been many pupils taking Latin, so the recital will not take much space. This recital will he an even bigger eyeopener. One of the candidates secured 2 per cent, another 5 per cent, another 10 per cent, and so on. I do not think one pupil in these five years secured 60 per cent or over. Compare this with what is done alt New Plymouth. It makes the sorriest readme that any school could have. It.is justsheer hardihood to defend such a pitiable display. . . " . Now,- in conclusion, I will again ask “Ex-nu/nil,” "who is so proud of the “two” languages taught at the school, to .give us the marks obtained in Latin hv the scholarship candidates this vear Of available), and if not. then Inst year, also the marks obtained by the entrance scholars. —I am, etc. PARENT.