The Aim of Education

Manawatu Times, Volume LIX, Issue 7460, 10 May 1934, Page 7

The Aim of Education

Time Come for Consideration MR WILD IN CRITICAL MOOD Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. ' Criticism of the external examination system was made by Mr. L. J. Wild, M.A., B.Se., principal of tho Foilding Agricultural High School and a member of tho Senate of tho Univorsity of New Zealand, speaking against the school certificate recently introduced for secondary schools by tho Department of Education, at a combined meeting of delegates to the conferences of tho New Zealand Technical School Teachers’ Association and tho New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Association, Mr. Wild said the university liked examinations, because they were a source of revenue. Teachers liked examinations, because they enabled them to do loss real teaching. Merc memorising was not real teaching. Correspondence schools, which had grown up like mushrooms, liked examinations, because without them they would not exist. Examinations had certain advantages: They set a standard of attainment that might be a good standard. Mr. Wild asked his hearers whether they would deny the fact, however, that external examinations gave pupils satisfaction with a percentage pass of about 50 and that they discredited 100 per cent, accuracy. The only thing worth striving for, he said, surely was absolute accuracy. It was also maintained that examinations were set to maintain uniformity of attainment in the various schools and to encourage the pupils to work, but did they do it? ho asked. Examinations were not ,the only inducement to work. Tho disadvantages of 6 examinations had often been elaborated. In brief, thoy meant a stereotyped syllabus and stereotyped methods. They restricted the initiative, narrowed the field of inquiry and restrained the natural curiosity of pupils. Ho submitted that the time had come when they should not fiddle with little bits of examinations, but consider what should be the aim of education in this changing world. Teachers fondly imagined that they were training the leaders of to-morrow, but leaders were rising in spite of them. Mr. Wild went on to criticise tho subjects set for the examinations, dealing in detail with arithmetic, writing, history, science and languages. In history they had to maintain what the Government stood for. Surely there was something bigger in the world to-day than their own Empire; so why should history study be confined to English history? If they were going to have peace in the world, how were they going to get it, he asked, without knowing the history of other countries. Mr. Wild spoko of factors in tho modern world which might bo utilised much more in Education—the screen, radio and the Press. The average newspaper, he said, provided for about two hours work a day. It also provided lessons in history, geography, economics and English from day to day.

“A Real Educational Reform” INSTITUTION or SCHOOL CERTIFICATE Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. Addressing the annual meeting of the Association of Heads of Registered Secondary Schools of New Zealand, tho president, Mr. A. K. Anderson (headmaster of St. Andrew’s College, Christchurch), said it was with some personal pleasure that the association noted tho institution of the school certificate, because suoh a certificate had been consistently advocated by it. He was certain that, whiie some adjustments in tho examination and the award of tho certificate might have been made (for example, the bracketing' of certain technical subjects and the two guineas fee were criticised) tho establishment of tho school certificate was a real educational reform which recognised the two broad groups of secondary pupils—those who wore fitted for university studies and those whoso school studies were a preparation for nonacademic callings. Continuing, Mr. Anderson said he believed the extension of the secondary course to live years for entrance to the university was advisable. Ono of the urgent needs in the educational world at present was the close collaboration ‘of university professors, examiners and teachers of examinees.

The conference adopted a motion regretting the resignation of Air. Anderson as president and congratulating him on his appointment as principal of Scots College, Sydney. Mr. E. J. Richards (headmaster of Christ’s College) was elected to succeed Mr. Anderson as president and Mrs. C. L. Young (principal of St. Alargaret’s College, Christchurch) was elected sccretarv-trcasurer.

The conference adopted resolutions urging a liaison between university professors and teachers in charge of special subjects in schools; that it be a recommendation to the University Senate and the Education Department that the Entrance Board, which is representative of all the educational bodies concerned, be constituted tho governing body for regulating tho syllabus, etc., for the entrance and school certificate examinations; and expressing pleasure that about 100,000 electors have endorsed the suggestions made by the heads of the Auckland secondary schools with a view to raising tho standard of film censorship.