ENTRANCE TEST

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 7 August 1941, Page 6

ENTRANCE TEST

university Examination MIS ISI OF SYSTEM I DUG AHO N ST A N DARI) (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) Wellington, This Daw • I looked forward with interest to the publication of the annual report of the Education Department and a more disappointing document. I have never perused in view of the fact that it was published after a devastating Criticism of the standard achieved by candidates had been published bv the examiners,” said Mr W. A. Bodkin ‘National, Central Otago) in the House of Representatives m the general debate on the first clause of the departmental estimates. “In spite of the fact that the vote for education has been increasing steadilv for years there is direct evidence that the standard of attainment of the scholars has been steadilv declining,” he added. ’What does the Minister intend to do to stop the rot?’ General support of this statement was given bv Mr V. W. Doidge (National, Tauranga) who said it was astonishing that the Minister of Education seemed to be unaware of what was happening. The country was paying upwards of .115,000,000 a year for education and the department seemed to be imbued with the policy of the Government of eat, drink and bo merry. It was a question of why work, why study. The Minister should endeavour to find out what was wrong with the education system. The Minister of Education, Mr Mason, said that he had read the report of the examiners in respect to those who sat for university entrance and in one case at least the examiner appeared to be mo-e anxious to got off smart phrases than to come to a true valuation of the papers. It was an exaggerated kind of demonstration of the writer’s command of language Mr Mason said that the examination was occupying a false place in the community The majority of candidates did not sit with a view to entering the University. More and more went in for the examination in order to qualify for a job. There were many more entering for that purpose than for the purpose of completing a university course. There was undoubtedly a time when those who sat had an idea of going to University. They were a selected set of pupils. No longer were they so selected. Those who sat comprised everyone, so to say. As long a? the matriculation examination was used as a “ticket” for applicants for a job so long would we have a vast army of candidates not fit to enter the University. It was another illustration of the unfortunate mis-use to which the examination was put. The Minister hoped during tiie session to be able to announce that some improvement had been made in respect to the examination to minimise the mis-use being made of the present system. Mr C. W Boswell (Government, Bay of Islands) said that the member for Tauranga a little while ago said that the schools in New Zealand were reeking with Communists and the member for Central Otago had endeavoured to show that the standard of education in New Zealand had reached a low ebb. He had not taken into account the revolution going on in the schools of the Dominion. Employers were getting from the schools youngsters of ability, initiative efficiency and character which was better than being able to get ten sums right and make no mistakes in spelling- although modern youngsters could often do that. too. Perhaps Mr Bodkin would like to see the schools turn out young business men, young accountants who could make profits. The real profit to-day was in the mentality, the soul, the spirit of the young people. Nothing had been said about what was being done for the under-privileged child, nothing of the work in the native schools, nothing of physical training, arts and crafts, music, singing. the drama and the community life in the schools.