SCHOOL PROFICIENCY

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1930, Page 13

SCHOOL PROFICIENCY

SURVEY BY THE DEPARTMENT. EXAMINING SCHEME THIS YEAR. A proficiency examination survey is to be carried out by the "Education Department this year, and details are set out in the following circular to education boards issued by the Director of Education, Mr. T. B. Strong: "Various methods have, with the approval of the department, been adopted by the inspectors in determining the award of proficiency and competency certificates. The percentage of passes varies at times very' considerably between one district and another. The department- therefore proposes to make a survey of the whole position, and to this end will arrange for a synchronous examination of the candidates to be held on the same dates, November 20 and November 24 next,' and under the same conditions, for the whole Dominion. “Teachers will, as usual, furnish their estimates of the candidates’ attainments in the examination subjects and will, independently of these estimates, oive assistance in marking the tests set at the synchronous examination. They will not be asked to mark all subjects, and all the marks will be assessed or reassessed as the case may be by the inspectors themselves, who will report to the department whether the teacher’s marking appears to’ be on the whole reliable or not. "The inspectors will be asked to make as full notes as possible of the attainments of the candidates as evidenced at the time of their own visit of inspection, and will, as aas always been the practice, take into consideration the teachers’ recorded estimate of each candidate’s qualifications. Every cate must be taken to provide adequate supervision of the candidates when under examination. The co-operation of the education board is desired in making a survey. Full instructions will be issued to the inspectors, but as there ■will be a considerable amount of clerical work involved in the scheme the assistance of the board’s staff will be appreciated, in order that the project may be carried to a successful issue. "Full details regarding the scheme will presently be sent to the board, and to the inspectors. The proposal will involve the arrangement by the board for assistant supervisors in the schools, the distribution of schedules and test papers to the schools, the receipt of the worked papers and the usual clerical work in recording the marks and despatching the results and certificates to the schools concerned.” It is understood that the department has no intention of reverting to the examination system. The survey this year, when all candidates will be bound to sit for the examination, is merely being made to assess the system throughout the Dominion as a whole, so as to place the proficiency examination on a more equitable basis.