WELCOME CHANGE OF STYLE

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1929, Page 8

WELCOME CHANGE OF STYLE

THE MATRICULATION PAPERS.

(By Wire —Special to News.) Auckland, Last Night.

The standard of the papers which have so far been set for the New Zealand University Entrance Examination was discussed by Mr. H. J. D. Mahon, headmaster of Auckland Grammar School. Mr. Mahon said that on the whole the papers provided a welcome change from those' which had been sei in previous years. The English paper was quite a good one and the second paper particularly offered great scope for composition. The mathematics papers had been considerably more difficult than usual, but that was a change in the right' direction as it had been far too easy for. candidates to get through the examination in both arithmetic and algebra, which was too simple in the past. There was a marked improvement. Asked if he would comment on a complaint made at Wanganui regarding the difficulty of the chemistry paper, Mr. Mahon said the paper was on quite sound lines as it encouraged practical work and discouraged “cramming.” The paper was consistent with the requirements laid down in the syllabus. “I have discussed the complaint with the science staff, and far from having any criticisms to level against it they heartily approve of the paper,” he added: “In fact, I feel sure that there is nothing wrong with any of the papers so far.”