SECONDARY EDUCATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21132, 15 March 1932, Page 11

SECONDARY EDUCATION.

PUBLIC ScRVICE TEST. HIGHER STANDARD DECIDED. EQUIVALENT TO MATRICULATION [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER."] "WELLINGTON, Monday. Alterations in Ihe examination system relating to secondary schools were announced to-day l,>y the Minister of Education, tho Hon. ft, Masters, who said the desirability of malting certain changes had been under consideration by the department for some time. At present, pupils on completing their junior free placi course, were awarded senior free places if recommended by the principal of the school and if approved by the inspector. Sliould a candidate fail to be accredited, lie must take the department's examination for the intermediate certificate, the bolder of which was entitled to a senior free place. The Minister said he thought it desirable to test tli» operation of the accrediting system, just as had been done last year in the aw; rd of proficiency certificates, and to require all candidates for senior free places to sit this year at the examination for intermediate certificates. This did not mean that the accrediting system was to b ? entirely abandoned. He merely desired it to be tested for the sake botli of th-3 pupils and of teachers, whose standard of judgment might gradually vary from year to year, becoming either too high or too .low. Qualifications of Applicants.

A further change would bo the abandonment of the s.'ublic Service entrance examination, a pa is in which was 110 longer a high enough standard for entrance to the Public Service. For some lime past, more than sufficient applicants were offering with a university matriculation pass. The Public Service Commissioner agreed that the present Public Service entrance examination should be discontinued and that there should be substituted an examination of the standard required for university entrance (matriculation), but with a wider range of subjects to meet the requirements of different branches of the service, and to iif; in with technical school as well as secondary school courses. Successful candidates at this examination would be arranged in order of merit and thus applicants foj: positions in the Public Service or with private employers would have a deftnito standard of attainment) to offer in support of their applications. The examination should be particularly helpful to those employers who desired to give preference to applicants with special qualifications which would be revealed by the subjects in which the applicant had passed at the examination referred to. Title ol ''School Certificate." As the examination would generally bo taken by pupil, at the end or toward the end of their pest-primary course, the pass certificate woual be called, as in Great Britain, a "school certificate." It would correspond in standard to the present lower leaving certificate, which had proved of little service and which would therefore be abandoned.

The present standard required for a higher leaving certificate would not be affected, as a pass in either the university entrance examination or the school certificate examination would be considered a sufficient pre requisite qualification. At present a large number of pupils left the post-primary schools without any definite certificate of attainment. Under the new system, qualified pupils would receive an intermediate certificate, usually at the end of their second year, and a school certificate at the end of their secondary course.

The subject! for the school certificate examination would be so chosen and prescriptions woul l be so framed that the examination might be taken by technical school pupils is well as by secondary school pupils. This should have the effect of stimulating interest in technical school courses, which heretofore had not, in general, enabled candidates to qualify for lower or higher leaving certificates.

NEW FOLICY WELCOMED. FEWER EX AMINATIONS URGED. The decision to abandon the public service entrance examination in favour of a new examination of matriculation standard, but with a wider range of subects, was favourably commented upon yesterday by Mr. li. J. D. Mahon, headmaster of the Auckland Grammar School. "I think it is a step forward as the public service entrance examination is now of no value •whatever; it leads nowhere," said Mr. M ilion. "In my opinion the abandonment of the examination will bo no loss at aU, since appointments to the public service have practically ceased. For some time past cadetships in the serA'ice have been awarded to applicants who have either the higher leaving certificate or matriculation, and I agree with the Minister that the present examination is no longer high enough for entranco to the public service." Referring t.o the proposed new examination, Mr. Malion expressed tho view that the introduction of a wider range of subjects should prove an advantage. The additional subjects would, as stated by the Minister, help to meet the requirements of tl'C different branches of the service.

Air. Mahoi, said there were far too many examinations- at present. If the new test was going to be up to matriculation standard it should be possible to co-oper-ate with the university authorities and combine the two examinations. Nothing would be ga;red by having distinct tests.