SYSTEM CONDEMNED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19136, 3 October 1936, Page 12

SYSTEM CONDEMNED

SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS* SCATHING REPORT LONDON, Sept. 20. A scathing' indictment of the modern examination system was made oiit 'by leading British educationists in a discussion on the psychology section of: the British Association’s conference. According to Dr. L. .Wynn Jones, one of the greatest weaknesses is the fallibility of the examiner. An examination system implied Ilexi.bili.ly and compromise. Laxity anil abuse on the one hand and “cast-iron pig-heuded-ncisJ-Voh. the "other must not bo nllowShtO clog the wheels. Professor 11. R. Ham ley, of the Institute of Education,'said that much examination strain would bo obviated if tests were-on st unilard subjects, shorn of subtleties, and made straightforward and practical. Elementary mathptnhti.es examinations worn often ‘ ‘ unnecessarily useless. ’ ’ “IGNORANCE” Mr. Hepburn, W.A., said that often the ignorance of the examiner was the trouble. lie was imperfectly aware of what- he was measuring, and ignorant of the conclusions thit could bo drawn from his judgment. The chief function of examination should not bo approval or rejection of candidates,

but to provide a means of studying 1 the child and finding out what lie could do in order to give him an opportunity of doing it. Professor J. Drover said that the leaving examination at the tormina- . tion of the secondary course could be taken as marking a satisfactory conclusion of the course; but it was really regarded as a qualifying examination for admission to a university. The result was disastrous (o the industrial and commercial sections of: the community. Secondary education was inevitably dominated by the view that its main function was to prepare for the university. In an ordinary qualifying examination, as opposed to a- competitive examination, the aim should be to discover what the examinee knows and can do instead of what he doesn’t know or can’t do. Tie should be credited with what he knows rather than penalised for omissions, mistakes, and failures, i Competitive examination was in an entirely different category. It should aim to select the best candidate for a particular future. . :