ACCREDITING PLAN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23275, 18 February 1939, Page 18

ACCREDITING PLAN

UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE

ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTED

EXAMINATIONS AND RECORDS

[iiv telegraph— own correspondent] WELLINGTON. Friday

An alternative to the proposed granting; of university entrance by accrediting; was advocated by Mr. W. A. Armour, headmaster of Wellington College, in an interview. Mr. Armour suggested that candidates for university entrance should take an approved post-primary course for a minimum of three years, and should bo in the possession of a school certificate obtained, after a minimum of three years., on the results of external examinations conducted by the Education Department, together with the candidate's school record of work. Mr. Armour also advocated the completion of a further year's course, to an approved standard, after the awarding of the school certificate. If the system of accrediting as adopted in Victoria and as suggested by the Senate of the University of New Zealand were introduced, Mr. Armour said, it would necessitate a very elaborate cumulative record-card system which would have to be devised and operated by teachei's vin secondary schools. Teachers would have to devote much more attention than at present to recorded statements of the progress of their pupils, and would have to conduct with much greater care than at present periodical examinations such as term examinations.

"I consider that as all previous ex-, animations have now been abolished," said Mr. Armour, "our secondary school pupils and the schools themselves should be prepared to face the test of an external examination, after a three years' programme of work has been covered. But I think this examination should be conducted by the Education Department, and that in the case of each candidate a summarised record of»school work should be submitted in order that any injustice that may be done in the examination may be corrected and a fair estimate of the candidate's fitness to receive the award be arrived at. "This external examination, in my opinion, is a necessary part of the scheme for the award of school certificates in order that an even standard of assessment may be maintained throughout the Dominion. Then I believe that if the candidate, having obtained the school certificate, undertakes an additional year of study of an approved course to an approved" standard, he should be awarded university entrance much on the same lines upon which higher leaving certificates are at present awarded."