‘BEYOND ITS FUNCTION’

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10801, 18 January 1921, Page 3

‘BEYOND ITS FUNCTION’

THE BOARD OF STUDIES CRITICISM BY UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR. THE ITvOEOSED COMMISSION. TU© Chancellor of tile University of New Zealand (Sir Robert Stout), in liis annual report to be presented to the meeting of the Senate this week, makes reference to the \rneetmg in November of tho Board of Studies and the resolutions passed thereat. ‘Tor a .second time," says the Chancellor, “the board appears to me to have gone beyond its function as laid down in. tho statute creating it, in recommending the issue of a ‘Royal Commission on the University and University Colleges of New Zealand headed by some eminent educationalist from the- United Kingdom/ What the inquiry is to be about is not stated. Is tho Commission to be that of a ‘visitor’ to see whether the professors, instructors, and officers are fulfilling theii duties and are competent to do so; or is it to consider the present constitution of the University bodies? It docs seem peculiar tjiat though New Zealand was able to find within its boundaries members who were competent to be a Royal Commission in 1879, it is not now apparently thought that a Commission would be properly constituted if it lacked ‘some eminent educationalist from the United Kingdom/ Can it be that after forty years of University education, New Zealand is less able to find a University > Commission than it was In 1879? "If .the Commission is not to act* as a visitor is supposed to act, then it appears to me unnecessary that any ‘eminent educationalist' trom the United Kingdom should be asked to consider what the Dominion requires so far as the constitution of our University bodies is concerned. No one who is a stranger to our history and to our environment can be expected to appreciate the needs $f university education in -New Zealand.. We differ in many respects in our social and political life from our kin beyond the sea. Further, it may be pointed out that we have the example of the various parts of the Empire to guide us in determining what form our highest educational institution should take, and I feel certain that however eminent the educationalist might bo who would be selected to act as mead of the Royal Commission' the people of New Zealand; being a demociatio people, would not. likely submit to a decision ofl any man who is not personally acquainted with our history and conditions. We know, so far as the conduct of examinations is ("concerned, what the practice of the ancient Universities of Oxford and Cambridge is: No teacher examines his own students. We also know that the charters of the most recent English Universities provide that external ’'examiner© must be appointed. If the system of external examination is wrong, it is strange that the ‘eminent educationalists' of England have not found it out * CONDUCT OF EXAMINATIONS..

"The Board of Studios has again dealt with the conduct of examinations. This also was not remitted to them by ilia statute that created the Board of Studies. Their duty is to make recommendations as to the appointment of examiners, etc. What is .now proposed is a revival of the demand that the teachers should be the examiners. The proposal deals with only the conduct of examinations of the Grade/ The matriculation ex* amination and the examination for scholarships and higher degrees than bachelor, are to be left apparently as they are. The board proposes —(1) That Hi each subject a special board of examiners consisting of the responsible teachers of the subject together with an assessor. (2) Papers to be "set by the assessor after consultation with the teachers in each college. (3) Papers at each centre to be marked by the teacher at that centre, and all the papers to be also marked by the assessor. (4) In doubtful cases, opportunity to be given for the assessor to meet the teacher concerned. In cases of disagreement between the teacher and the assessor concerned the special board of examiners shall decide. (5) Tli© assessor to be paid for his services; the teachers to be invited to do this work without payment. (6) The results as a whole to be dealt with by the chairman of the Wellington committee of the senate, together with the chairman of each professorial board. "AN UNSATISFACTORY SYSTEM.”

"It appears to me that this would be a very unsatisfactory svMem. First the assessor has no real status in the examination. It is true the assessor is to set the paper, and apparently he may set what paper he pleases, so long as he has consulted the teachers. Suppose he sets a paiper that none of the teachers approves of. What would happen? Then the papers are to be marked, and if the assessor disagrees with the marking of the teachers, the special board of examiners which consists of the four professors and the assessor is to decide. That seems to be * the proposal but the sixth paragraph provides that the results as a whole are to be deal£ with by the chairman of the Wellington committee of the senate together with the chairman of each professorial board. What does this meanp • , . "Apparently the chairman of the Wellington committee and the four chairmen of the professorial boards are to be an appellate tribunal. The senate is to be ignored and its function to finally decide on the students who pass the examinations as to be delegated to a new body. At present the chairmen of the professorial boards are four professors whose subjects ere as follows:—Modem languages, mathematics, mental and moral philosophy. Suppose the decision of the English assessor is not accepted; will the decision of the four 1 chairmen and the chairman, of the Wellington committee be acceptable? It might happen that the majority of the members of this final appellate tribunal might not be much acquainted with the subject in which it had to decide. Ido not think that th^senate can possibly ragree to the suggestion. • "It is satisfactory to notice that the ground for appointing -professors as examiners, which was urged dn previous years, has apparently been abandoned. It was formerly said that tjle only competent person to examine students was the teacher. Now we are to have a board consisting of five persons, four of whom have not , been teachers of some students lexamined, and the chairman of the Wellington committee senate, who may never have been a University teacher, to deal finally with "pass” examiner' tions. If, however, the Board of Studies has known or docs not know of persons resident in New Zealand not engaged in teaching university students who are competent and suitable to act as examiners—eve® at the pass gtnge’ of our degrees—how comes it that up to the present no (recommendations of such persons ne examiners have ever been made by the board ? Considering the number and ability of /settlers who hold University degrees obtained in our own Uni-, versity and in the Universities of the United Kingdom, of America and elsewhere. at might have been expected that some of them would have bee® recommended by the board.”