THE MATRICULATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19531, 14 July 1925, Page 8

THE MATRICULATION.

SHOULD THE TEST BE STIFFENED? ELIMINATION OF THE UNFIT. (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, July 13. That the standard for the matriculation examination is too low and allows students to go through who should not be admitted, was the view put forward by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce to-day before the Now Zealand University Commission. The chamber urged that the standard should be stiffened. A statement furnished by the chamber suggested that the Royal Commission should consider whether much of the money spent on higher education in Now Zealand was spent to the best advantage; whether, in short, the same arqoimt of money spent on fewer students more carefully selected would not produce more valuable results. “It is felt,”, concluded the statement, “that as the amount of money available for higher education is limited, tne standard of qualification for such education is possibly too low, while it is essential that the maximum number of students capable of benefiting fully by higher education should be enabled to receive it. It is, on the other hand, undesirable that students not fully capable of benefiting should be wasting the limited resources that are available. In the latter case the result is to curtail the opportunities of those students who could benefit still further if more money were available without any compensating advantage.” Mr W. Maohm, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said the entrance examination was of a low standard, and let through people who would not benefit greatly by universitv education. The Chairman of the Commission (Sir Harry Reichel): You know probably that the proportion of students to the population is unusually high in New Zealand. Instead of that being a matter for congratulation you think that it is one for regret ? , I Mr Machin: Yes. Our self-congratula-tion is tempered by the fact that the product of the system shows that the results would have been’better had <•<'■ l: tions been a little more rigid. The m >y released bv the training of fewer students could be devoted to education of those better class students. Mr P. Tate: Is the low standard the result of evening study after the day’s ordinary work? Mr Machin: I have not seen any signs of.stress or strain in people carrying on studies and work, but rather the reverse. It is different here from England. In England the young neorde work longer hours. Sir Harry Reichol; Then vou think the entrance examination should be stiffen? — Ves. It should for the sake of the bov himself. That was the general agreement among those who sent us here.