MATRICULATION MARKING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 64, 2 March 1929, Page 6

MATRICULATION MARKING

SWIFT AND ERRATIC JUDGMENT Thames, March 1. In the course of lengthy letters to the “Thames Star.’’ in regard to a statement concerning matriculation marking, Mr W. H. Hoult, head of the Thames High School, says:— “The matriculation examination today in its unwieldiness cannot compare well with that of 25 years ago. The number of hopeful candidates has vastly increased. The examiner, in English and his assistants have to mark, I believe, some 4000 papers in three weeks—only very few minutes can possibly be given to candidates in a two to three-hour English papers, the culmination of three or four years’ work at secondary .schools. Judgment is nearly as swift as, but far more erratic than it will be on the students’ final Day of Judgment. “Teachers generally criticise most Violently the marking of English and French papers. It is here undoubtedly that the queerest results are obtained. Mathematics, science, history and so on can be more definite, as the items arc right or wrong. The present breakneck system cannot pre tend to do justice to such elusive things as languages. “Now for a word or two on the examining personnel. From evidence gathered from testimonials from young teachers applying for positions at this school, I am, I believe, on safe ground when I state that ‘assistants’ are frequently students at universities. Furthermore, some testimonials in some cases will show that these young folk have never had any practical teaching experience. I here hasten to state that I do not wish to to challenge the honesty of any assistants, nor do I wish to suspect for a moment that any assistant has ever favoured any special candidate or school. But Ido in all seriousness question the ability of such students who have never had any teaching experience to sit in judgment on, say, English or French composition. Directions can be given them carefully, but even then the risks of uneven marking arc appalling.”