THE MATRICULATION EXAMINATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14700, 7 December 1909, Page 7

THE MATRICULATION EXAMINATION.

vSo much professorial authority has been adduced to support tho contention that tho matriculation standard, should bo raised that wo shall not ho at all surprised if tlio Senate of the New Zealand University, when it receives the report on this subject that is to he forwarded to it by the Board of Governors of Canterbury College, shows itself quite prepared to take the matter seriously into consideration. If we accept it as a fact, and it is expressly so declared by professors and lecturers —mid they are really in tho best position to know,—that students are admitted to our university colleges unable to copo with tho course of study that is proscribed, especially in respect of one or two subjects, wo must admit that tho maintenance of the present standard perpetuates a double injustice. It is not fair to the college professor that 'ho should liavo to teach those tilings for proficiency in which a matriculation pass ought to vouch, and it is no kindness to permit insufficientlygrounded students to commence a university course, for in such circumstances their lot is not enviable, and they are liable to bo discouraged. Again there is weight in the argument that the gradual lowering of the matriculation standard, which, we aro told, has been going on for years, will, if not arrested, bring about a fall in tho valuo of New Zealand University degrees. But in giving its consideration to this question the Senate will do well to givo attention also to a special aspect of it to which a. correspondent has directed notice in our columns— namely, the need of greater exactitude in the determination of what shall be tho standard by which tho examiners shall be guided in setting the matriculation papers. It is complained that at present there is 110 uniformity of standard, and that tho papers vary from ycair to year in accordance with the special idiosyncrasies of the examiners. Our correspondent, tho Iter. Mr Russell, singles out the algebra test that was set recently as an .illustration of the hardship entailed by absence of conformity to a definite matriculation standard, and letters which have appeared in our Ohiristchurch contemporary the Press subject the algebra and geography papers to somo scathing criticism. The advocacy 011 the one liand of the raising of the standard of tho matriculation examination and the complaint 011 the other hand tin it some of the tests set by examiners arc unreasonably severe involve 110 inconsistency. In reality the plea for a uniform inatricuhition standard stands quite apart from tho question of whether or not that standard should be raised. It merely emphasises tho importance of n knowledge 011 tlio part of students and teachers of precisely what the requirements of this examination are.