PROFICIENCY EXAMINATIONS

Taranaki Daily News, 19 January 1933, Page 3

PROFICIENCY EXAMINATIONS

RETURN OF TARANAKI RESULTS.

SMALL PERCENTAGE OF FAILURES.

That the results of the proficiency examinations were a fair reply to the report made in: some quarters that the Department' of Education; wanted to reduce- the number of pupils entering secondary schools and so made the* examinations harder in order that fewer certificates of proficiency would be given was the opinion expressed, by members of the Taranaki Education , Board yesterday after, the secretary (Mr. H. W. Insull) had given a return showing the results of the recent . proficiency examinations. The return showed that , of the 1076 pupils who sat for the examination at the close of last year 829 \secured proficiency, certificates, 156 competency ; certificates and 88 failed. Of 133 candidates at private schools 96 secured proficency certificates, 21 competency certificates and. 16 failed. That made a total of 925 proficiency certificates (76.69 per cent, of passes), 179 competency certificates (14.6 per cent) and 104 failures (8.6 per cent.)/ ■. ■ It was stated in the course of discussion 1 that the percentage of; failures -was less than "it was;-last year, when it was: about 11, per cent. While percentages were perhaps not all: that counted, the Taranaki education district was in. the top group as far as passes were concerned, Nelson being the highest. It was stated that the majority of the failures were ‘in composition, the 'Taranaki pupils finding little, if any, difficulty with the arithmetic papers. It was also stated that as far as secondary education was concerned Taranaki was well served, as there was not one secondary school in the district that was purely academic. All schools provided vocational courses. The ‘ holders of competency certificates were therefore equally as well catered for in Taranaki as the proficiency certificate holders.