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Otago Daily Times, Issue 14245, 20 June 1908, Page 9

THE EXAMINATION OF SCHOOLS. It appears as if the new regulations governing the iuspention and examination of schools were likely to be yet a bone of some contention before the> new system they introduce- is in harmonious operation. The lengthy memorandum on the subject from its Chief Inspector which the Education Board received this week should make the position jairly clear to those who care to digest its contents carefully. For a considerable time past members of school committees and others interested in education have been Agitating in this district for the purpose of securing an alteration in the date of the annual examination with a view to bridging a gap between the primary and ilio secondary school and to the removal of an anomaly whereby inspectors have •held an examination at mid-winter from the result of proficiency in which pupils have not been able to profit in starting their secondary course until tile beginning of the following year. 'The aim was to get the examination date removed as nearly as passible to the end of the year. The inspectors opposed the change as involving the introduction of au impracticable system, and there the matter remained until the new regulations with reference to the inspection and examination of schools were gazetted last April. We have previously set out somewhat folly the substance of these regulations, which provide, among other things, that the school working year shall commence in January and that head teachers shall hold an "annual examination" in November or December, whicn shall determine the promotion or classification of pupils, this being given effect to at the beginning of the year, instead of as heretofore about mid-winter and immediately after the inspectors' examination for general efficiency. While the new regulations require of the inspectors, as far as tuo time of their visits is. concerned, nothing more specific than that they visit each school twice during the year, giving due notice on one of these occasions, and furnishing an "inspection report," they appear to be framed with a view to encourage the making of the notified visits towards the end of the year. Whether this has been the precise intention or not, obviously if the inspectors are to maintain the old system of examining the pupils in ft yoar's work in one standard as a test of efficiency immediately after the head master has examined them for classification purposes, they will only be able to do so by Holding their examination towards the end of the year, as the head master has been required- to do in the case of his " annual examination.' The Otago inspectors, however, judging from the memorandum submitted to the Education Board, do not interpret the new regulations as pointing particularly to the advisability of making their annual tests for efficiency at the end' of the year, nor do thev apparently contemplate any radical alteration in the date of their annual nbtified visits as necessary. On the other hand, they are evidently prepared in future, in making such visits, to utilise the new provision stipulating that where he considers it desirable an inspector may hold an examination of any class in i school upon, the work done during /the current year or during the prece/ding twelve months, ami may modify' the classification of the head teacher as a result in cases where he thinks fit to do so. As they point out, this course, has the drawback that in the largo schools it means that the same pupils are tested in the work covered by more than one teacher, and this cannot be regarded as affording so satisfactory a basis of examination as a year's work m one class under the same teacher would furnish. The conclusion is that, unless inspectors examine schools as "car the end of the year as possible, then- reports will not bo based on so satisfactory a foundation as in the As the new regulations specify nothing as to the date of inspectorial visits, and as all schools obviously cannot be examined within the last few weeks of tile year, we are chary of suggesting that the inspectors are overlooking one of the intentions of the nw regulations; but as it is in the larger schools that an objection they discern to the proposed method .of examination would manifest itself most, there seems no reason why in future these should not be insgecied a* late in the- year as jjob-

sible. That, the effect of tho new regulations, although they are not very specific on the point, is strongly in (he direction of throwing the date of examinations for proficiency certificates towards the close of the school year the inspectors appear to have recognised, and suggested arrangements for the future are evidently based on that understanding. The regulations arc liberal in the scope they give the inspectors as to methods of determining the qualifications of candidates for proficiency certificates, and it is to be hoped that no unforeseen difficulty will subsequently hinder the introduction of the desirable system of having all candidates for free secondary education examined at the end of the year with a view to the uninterrupted continuance of their higher studies. The examination of candidates from country schools at centres does not commend itself from all points of view, but it is possibly the best expedient that could be found under the eifcumstances, and is not in itself a sufficient drawback to materially detract from the value of the step gained in the establishment of a good principle. In practically rejecting the option allowed them of accepting the head master's verdict as a guarantee of qualification for a proficiency certificate, the inspectors seem disposed, in a manner by no means flattering to teachers of large schools, to ignore to their own cost a plan which should work well in large institutions. For the rest, the new regulations have yeb to stand the test of experience before an authoritative opinion can be given as to whether or not their results, all things considered, are going to be as good as the intentions which no doubt prompted their introduction.