EXAMINATION AVERAGES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 545, 15 July 1882, Page 15

EXAMINATION AVERAGES.

Some .months since we drew attention to the manner in which the average passes are taken in some districts, purporting to show the passes of each school at the Annual Inspectorial Examination. We then pointed out that the mode generally adopted is misleading, and does not show the real status of the school. The practice so far has been to allow the master to present only those whom he thought qualified, or fit to make a pass. Upon this number the average is struck. It is easy to see that such a practice may be greatly abused, and a school that has done only a moderate amount of work may be made to appear, on paper, equal to one in ■ which; both teachers and pupils have toiled hard the live-long year. The teacher who has worked hard may, perhaps, not keep back more than 5 per cent, of the whole school who are up to Standard age. That 1 is, he will present 95 per cent, of the pupils in his school for examination, after deducting infants. Another master who has taken things quietly, may keep back 30 per cent, on various' -excuses, or in other words, only present those whom he iB pretty sure of. The ! former school will do - well to pass 80: or 85 1 per cent, of, the number presented, whereas j the latter school may, after having culled out i all doubtful candidates, pass 90 per cent, of the number presented, It is clear from this that the actual amount of work done in each Of the two schools will be very unfairly presented before the public. The worse ■ school will appear on paper as the‘better. That there have been instances of this state of things is beyond a doubt. The law, as it now stands, enables the master to keep back : from examination those children who have ,nol made a certain number of attendances during the year, and those also who are under, the prescribed ages for the several standards. No doubt some discretionary power should be allowed to the head teacher of every school. There are cases doubtless where it would be, cruel to force a child into :ap;examination. Some children will take ! double the time to pass from standard to j standard that others will. But these cases are not numerous. What we complain of is not the use of this discretionary power, but the evident abuse of it in cases not a few. We observe by recent files from Auckland, that the subject is about to engage the attention of the Board of Education in that district. Since we published the article above referred-'to, the matter has received some attention from persons in authority. Various suggestions have been made to get over the difficulty. We flatter ourselves that the best and most workable suggestion that ,has yet been made was that which appeared !in our own columns on the occasion above ; mentioned. That suggestion was practically as follows : “ Give the masters discretionary power, at least within certain limits, to send their pupils up for examination, or to keep them back, but strike the average upon the whole school above Standard age. This would at once remove any temptation to keep back the children from examination, and would place the whole question of ’average passes upon a sound and equitable basis. We commend this plan to the consideration of Boards of Education and persons in authority. The subject is evidently forcing its way to the front. It is well to take time by the forelock ; to keep well ahead of any movement; watch the signs of the times, and endeavour to steer public opinion into safe channels. We invite expressions of opinion from teachers and others interested, and shall be quite willing to modify our proposal if, a better can be devised. .•. <,,,