INTELLIGENCE TESTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3755, 2 March 1926, Page 36

INTELLIGENCE TESTS.

A MATRICULATION EXPERIMENT. KEEN DISCUSSION IN SENATE. When the Entrance Examinations Committee submitted its report to the University Senate on Tuesday morning a keen debate on the admissibility of intelligence tests for matriculation arose. The committee recommended that an intelligence test should be applied, as an experiment, to high school pupils in the four main centres, by the Education Department in conjunction with the professors of education, during this year, the results to be correlated with those of the matriculation examination, and forwarded to the Senate for its information. Professor Wall (convener) said that this was a very contentious matter. They had had a good deal of information on the subject, and a memorandum from Professor Shelley, professor of education at Canterbury College, dealing with a test he had conducted at Christchurch Boys’ High School. The time had not arrived when they should make the test a necessary preliminary, but he did think that an experiment should be made, as the Education Board was willing to conduct it. The success or failure of the candidates would not in the least degree be affected by tho examination. It was just an interesting experiment. Sir Robert Stout: Is this to be voluntary ? There was no reply. Sir Robert Stout: I conclude that as there is no answer, Professor Wall doesn’t know. Professor Wall said that he had never heard of pupils doing voluntary work of this nature. He had always thought that a school was a place where authority was exercised Sir Robert Stout wanted to know more about it. “I presume all these students offering for matriculation at the four centres have to take this test?” Professor Wall: No. “Whose responsibility and expense is it, then ” “The Education Board’s,’ 5 replied Mr Caughley. “Well, then,’ 5 Sir Robert proceeded, “all these candidates have to stand two examinations. Professor Shelley and others say that examinations are a great curse, and vet, according to them, you are going to have two tests instead of one. What is an intelligence test, anyway ? I have an idea it is a sort of. crossword puzzle.’ 5 Professor Wall said that he could not explain briefly what the tests were. They would have to see the papers.. However, they were quite well known in educational circles. If such tests were applied and found successful it would not mean more examinations, but instead, perhaps, the other examination throughout Otago and Southland might disappear. In a half-hour intelligence test, he claimed children could be better classified than in the 15-hour examination demanded by matriculation. Sir Robert Stout insisted on an illustration. Professor Wall: Well, the kind of paper I’ve seen asks what plants belong to a certain class, and so on. The Hon J. A. Hanan: That’s general knowledge. Professor Wall said that he had seen the results, and they were very interesting. They certainly did classify the students quite as well as examinations or teachers. The whole aim was to substitute for these long examinations something infinitely shorter. Professor Hunter said that Sir Robert’s request was unreasonable. There was a tremendous amount of literature on the subject and if they wanted samples they would have to get them. ’ Sir Robert: Then I would move that we do get thorn. Mr Caughley said that this resolution did not commit the Senate to anything, but was simply an experiment. All that was being asked was that the Senate should ?ut * itself “on side” by trying out the system. Any results and deductions would be placed before the Senate. Surely the Senate was not going to decline to give it a trial! Sir Robert: But what form will that trial take? There was no answer. Mr Caughley said that there was nothing to prevent the Education Board from carrying out the tost in any case and submitting a report. The Senate ought to take up an enlightening attitude of deciding first and testing the schc.tie, for which certain claims wero made—whether justified or not he could not say. If the tests were made, however, they should bo of a confidential nature, that, was tho results should not he made known. “I have a high opinion of the tests.” said the Hon. J. A. llanan, “but after trying them on friends of mine, men whom I thought wero possessed of high intelligence, I was disappointed. I carry these tests in my pocket, and when I apply them to my friends I am disappointed. In fact, those tests are better answered by those who havo not the benefit of higher education. They aro very simple questions, and nine out of 10 go down. I tried one on a proferaor if psychology once, and told him if he could not answer it ho had not the. intelligence of a child> lie wont into the theories of psychology, but I asked him for an answer, and he gave it up, thereby confessing Ho had not the intelligence of a child.” . ... Mr lianan said that he had no objection t-i tho motion, but ho wanted to know the nnturo of the tests. There was a big

difference between tests of intelligence and tests of knowledge. Mr Morrell said that he had very serious doubts of the value of the tests except for experimental purposes. They had been originally used he said, to distinguish the normal from the sub-normal and for that they were well fitted. lie was opposed, however, to the extravagant claims made for them. It would be wrrong at the present stage to place full reliance in the tests, and in that view ho was supported bv several authorities. While he declined to support the claims made for the testa he saw no harm in them as an experiment. He moved as an amendment that the matter ehould be taken up. by the Department of Education in conjunction with the board selected by the professors of education and psychology. Professor Wall said that he thought the committee would accept that. Sir Robert Stout: You have got to see that people going to the university have knowledge as well. Otherwise what is the use of your secondary schools at all? This is a waste of public money, and tho waste of public money that is going on in this Dominion is disgraceful. If this motion is carried it will tend to show that this intelligence test is necessary for members of the Senate. Tho motion was put, and Sir Robert called for a division, the proposal being favoured by 16 to 3.