SEVERE QUESTIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26589, 11 October 1947, Page 8

SEVERE QUESTIONS

SCHOOL CERTIFICATE PAPERS EXAMPLE QUOTED IN HOUSE Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON. Oct. 10. The severity of the questions in last year’s examination paper f<?r the school leaving certificate was criticised by Mr E. P. Aderman (Oppn., New Plymouth) during consideration of the education vote in the House of Representatives to-day. As an example, he quoted the following question from the historysection:—“ Explain the general principles of co-operative methods in organising production or retail trading. Illustrate your answer from co-opera-tive factories or stores in New Zealand or Great Britain.” Mr Aderman said the question was one more appropriate for a paper for the bachelor of arts degree, and, in fact, was one actually set for that examination. Why. then, he asked, should it also be set for the school leaving certificate? Was it not asking too much of young people to expect them to measure up to a question of that type? Was there not a danger in pressing for too high a standard at too young an age? It was true the question was one of alternatives, but others were nearlv as difficult. Mr Aderman also asked why the percentage required for a pass in the school certificate examination had been increased from 38 per cent, to 50 per cent. It led one to think that the department was aiming at too high a standard. He would also like to know why partial passes had been eliminated. The Minister of Education, Mr Mason, said he did not know that the examination paper in general was liable to be criticised. He agreed, however, that questions should be related to what was within the child's experience as far as possible.