LEAVING CERTIFICATES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22164, 18 January 1934, Page 10

LEAVING CERTIFICATES

UNFAVOURABLE MOTION REJECTED BY SENATE (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, January 17. In a desire to dissociate the Senate of the New> Zealand University from the conduct of post-primary school examinations and in particular of the proposed schoolleaving examination, which was supported by the senate at its last annual meeting, Mr L. J. Wild moved, at to-day’s session of the senate:—“That the resolution of the senate approving of the proposal to hold a school-leaving examination be rescinded.”

Mr Wild, who is headmaster of the Feilding Agricultural High School, declared that secondary school and technical school teachers opposed the proposal, and said he considered that the senate was not a suitable body to conduct the examination of pupils in schools as distinct from the university. “ There was little discussion when this motion was carried last year,” said Mr Wild, “ for it was passed at the last session of the senate when often a considerable amount of important business is rushed through. I have ascertained the views of the teachers’ associations since then, and it is pretty clear that these bodies are against the proposal that the senate should conduct the examination. The senate already has a tremendous burden with the entrance examination and has not yet perfected that, so why should it be burdened further with the control of thousands of leaving certificates? My objection to the examinations is a general one. There is already in the air a suggestion of a lack of confidence in the entrance examination, which would be greater, if the senate burdened itself with more examiners and examinees. I am satisfied that false standards are created in the minds of pupils by" external examinations. I am prepared to concede that in a general sort of way the entrance examination is run fairly, but I have never been able to formulate in clear terms what it does do. I am afraid the Education Department is committed to this proposal, for, being unable to conduct it itself because of the increased staff of inspectors which would be required, it has let the Univei’sity take over control. I say that the senate is not called upon by its constitution to conduct examinations _ in schools, and should refuse to associate itself with this examination.” Later in the discussion Mr Wild mentioned that the alternative system which he had in mind was the use of the record cards for pupils already in use showing their attributes as observed by their teachers and the course followed by each pupil. ', . The pro-chancellor (Mr J. A. Hanan) seconded the motion pro forma, and said that, while recognising the very severe inditment made by Mr Wild against the examination system, he had not been convinced that there was a substitute which had no imperfections and disadvantages. The explanation that the subjects for the school-leaving certificate examination were of a wide range for those pupils not desiring to go on to the University was made by Professor T. A. Hunter. He was cordially in support of Mr Wild’s desire to avoid too many examinations, he said, but the Education' Department and the University would co-operate in the new proposal, which would leave open to many pupils the chance to take the leaving certificate rather than the entrance examination. Mr H. F. von Haast suggested that the co-operation of teachers appointed by the secondary schools with the professors might be of assistance. There was no doubt that the post-prim-ary schools, public and private, did not want another examination, said Mr N. T. Lambourne, and that was the last thing, he himself desired. The proposal was that the leaving certificate would be of the same standard as, for the entrance examination.

Mr L. D. Ritchie expressed the opinion that the senate had acted wisely in placing the entrance examination back in its true position by the introduction of a leaving certificate. The proposal had the support of the Chamber of Commerce, he said, and was more in keeping with the needs of those not continuing with a university course. The public was behind the University in this matter. A division was called for, and the motion was defeated by 21 votes to 8.