MODERN METHOD

Taranaki Daily News, 27 July 1935, Page 5

MODERN METHOD

NEW SCHOOL REPORT. NO -PERCENTAGE PLACING. A school report on which neither examination percentages nor place in class appears has been introduced at the Cathedral Grammar School, Christchurch, by the headmaster, the Rev. G. M. McKenzie. It is believed to be the only one of its kind in New Zealand. Ideas propounded some time ago by prominent educationists such as Sandiford have been adopted, and the new method is claimed to give a much more accurate statement of how the boy has been working and the comparative standard in the class he has attained. Term examinations have been abolished, examinations being held halfyearly instead (states The Press). Boys are first assessed by the masters in the different subjects against the class. If a boy is very good he is marked A; if good, above the average, B; and so on, : down to E, denoting poor. X denotes : unsatisfactory. He is then assessed ; against his intelligence quotient, as re- 5. vealed by an intelligence test. It may ( ' then be discovered that although the ; first assessment ranks him high he has ; nevertheless not achieved the result he could have achieved. In the second assessment, therefore, he may be classed ; a«t unsatisfactory. “The boy is thus first checked against his class and then against his intelligence quotient,” said Mr. McKenzie. “It is ■? to be remembered that although he may / be classed D or ; E the result is not necessarily unsatisfactory; for on his capabilities as revealed by the intelligence ? _ test he may have been doing good work. ■ Marks are unsatisfactory. There is a i tendency to think that because a boy gets 60 per cent, in one ’subject and 90 ■ ir another he has more aptitude for the latter. But percentages ‘depend on the nature of the examination, how it is marked, and of the boy’s state when he takes the examination; some subjects also are obviously harder to score high marks in than others. Equally the idea persists that 40 per cent, is ‘a pass.’ Only once has the Senior Wrangler in mathematics at Cambridge scored more than 40 per cent.” - In addition a general report on the boy is given, ,under the headings general knowledge, Initiative, perseverance, promptness and punctuality, attention to detail, care of dress and person, progress and conduct. This part is drawn up after consultation on each individual boy between the headmaster aqd -the whole staff. A series of general reports it is felt will serve as the most accurate testimonial a boy can present, a system which avoids the usual tendency to make all testimonials more or less highly flattering. The new scheme has the appro- * bation of leading firms in the city.