HIGHER EDUCATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26672, 19 January 1948, Page 4

HIGHER EDUCATION

Significance of Trends in New Zealand INVESTIGATION PLANNED The sections of the' , address given by the Chancellor, Sir David Smith, to the Senate of the University of New Zealand last Thursday, concerning University Entrance and the examinations for Stage I and Stage II of degrees, will be referred to the Entrance Board and the Academic Board for consideration and the preparation of a report to the Senate next January. This decision was made by the Senate at its meeting in Dunedin on Saturday when a full discussion was held on these subjects and education standards generally. This was the third occasion in the last 12 years that the Senate discussed an address by the Chancellor. Members congratulated Sir David on his introduction of these subjects to his address. The decision of the Senate was made on the motion of Sir Thomas Hunter (Wellington).

In his address, the Chancellor suggested consideration being given to the establishment of courses in

“ general education." A number of speakers on Saturday supported the idea, sofne contending that a university course should be provided for those students who sought higher education but who were not able, or not inclined, to take degrees.

Opening the discussion, Sir Thomas Hunter said that percentages of examination passes to the number _ of enrolifients often created a wrong impression. The Senate should not be concerned with figures but with their significance which could not be obtained from the figures themselves. Students were not uniform from year to year or from subject to subject. Some of the students included under the heading of failures did not sit the examination for various reasons and others passed the examination at another centre.

Professor Rutherford, chairman, of the professional board of the Auckland University said that 50 per cent, of the candidates for degrees failed at Stage I each year and 40 per cent, at Stage II and that the college, therefore, was carrying a deadweight of 70 per cent, of students who would not qualify for Stage 111 or complete a degree. Sir Thomas criticised this reasoning. Students who failed badly in their first year often went on to take a degree with honours, he said. Many students took two years to do Stage I. Many were part-time students. Sir Thomas also mentioned the difficulty of adjustment in the first year when students were thrown more on their own resources. Different methods in the compilation of statistics were used at different colleges, he added. Did the higher percentages of passes at colleges in the South Island indicate smaller classes, better teachers or a lower standard? The Pro-Chancellor. Sir James Right (Christchurch), mentioned the higher proportion of full-time students in the South Island and the large number of civil servants enrolled in the North.

Stanflard Too Low The Vice-Chancellor, Professor I. A. Gordon, said that he thought Sir David had established his point that entrance to the University was on too low a standard. He believed that too many students of too poor a. calibre were entering the universities. An endeavour would be made, he added, to ensure that statistics in the future were compiled on the same basis by the colleges. , t ~ , , Far too many students displayed a low standard of English and the general public felt concern, said Mr L. K. Munro (Auckland). He agreed with Professor Gordon that the lequiied standard of English for entrance should be raised. An exact use of English was essential to exact thinkmlmphasising that there was nothing in the policy of the Education Department which condoned a low standard, Dr C E Beeby (Wellington), who is also the Director of Education, explained that, over a period of years, there had been a lowering of standards at various levels of education The war had an obvious effect. 70 pel cent, of the male teachers being in the armed services. The Education Department was taking action to remedy any defects in its sphere with refresher courses for teachers, new text books and the removal of dead wood ” from the syllabuses.. Dr Beeby reminded the Senate that students now advanced to a higher level of education than in the past, a greater number enterin? the higher strata of the education system for social and physical reasons rather than mental development. In England, students received promotion by age instead of ability. The human material was still the same Dr Beeby continued, but a new iob was being done with a new population. Accrediting for university entrance was introduced to raise the standard and to dissuade from sitting the examination those who had no particular ability for academic woik. Many, however, continued to sit ine examination and to fail. Dr Beeby described the education system in America, dealing with the junior colleges, and added that provision might have to be made in New Zealand for alternative kinds of education for those who required advanced education of some description. Mr A E. Flower (Christchurch) considered that the primary and secondary systems required investigation. There was a constant retrogression in the essential subjects, he said. The standard of English had been declining and self-discipline had gone under the modern system. He believed that the Senate at a future date would be discussing the discontinuance of accrediting. Dr G. E. Archey (Auckland) referred to the scaling of marks in the entrance examination, and asked if it were related only to the standard of the students offering for entrance. Accrediting had created a new appreciation. he said, because teachers could regard their pupils as potential entrants to the university instead of merely candidates for an examination. Mr W. H. Cocker (Auckland) did not think it would be right to exclude from the universities those who it could be said would never obtain a degree. Mr L. J- Wild (Wellington) com-

mended the suggestion that a course in “ general education ” should be introduced. There should be no “ patching ” of the old system, but a remodelling of the whole. “ Out of Perspective ”

Mr E. N. Hogben (Wellington) said he had read to a meeting recently a letter written by a parent complaining about students’ poor English, bad spelling. bad manners, lack of respect for their parents and lack of self-disci-pline. After those at the meeting had nodded their approval, Mr Hogben said he informed them that the letter was written in January, 1815. Mr Hogben suggested that it was easy to form such views out of perspective. He reminded members that Thackeray had made many spelling mistakes. “ Examinations do not test everything." said Miss E. E. Stephens (Palmerston North). It was necessary to cater for those who did not, would not. or could not sit examinations. She recommended to members for holiday reading Stephen Leacock's “Too Much College." She asked if the concern was being expressed at the standard of the students who passed the examinations or those who failed. When there was nothing to prevent all from sitting examinations, those who failed should not cause concern.

“If you consider education is slipping," Miss Stephens continued, “ ask yourself if it is producing worse fruits than those of the last 200 years. When I look at the world and observe the results of the old educational methods I am keen to try the new." Admitting that he found difficulty with spelling. Mr A. R. Campbell (Christchurch) said he had always regarded spelling as a subject, like music or drawing/ for which one required a special antitude. As an examiner, he had failed students for freehand drawing—simply because they could not draw—but. they had later become brilliant engineers