The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 1895.

Timaru Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 1660, 14 January 1895, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 1895.

On Wednesday last we published a letter signed " Fairplay," and headed " The candidates' examination — how it was worked." The writer was referring to the examination at Timaru m May last for pupilteacherships. The object of his letter was to show that injustice had been done to one or other of the candidates. On Saturday last a letter appeared under the heading " Pupil-teachers' examination. How was it worked ?" The writer signed himself " Another Fairplayer." He attacked the School Committee for having appointed a candidate who had not passed the examination. He said : — " If I remember rightly they themselves [the School Committe] made the rule that examinations should be the test to decide the suitability of all candidates, yet they have completely ignored it at- the first opportunity." He suggested that the Board of Education ought not to confirm the action of the School Committee. It seems to us that neither of these writers quite understood the situation. The affair having occasioned some talking, we made enquiries, and came to the conclusion that nothing irregular had been done, and certainly that no partiality had been displayed. The facts briefly stated are as follows. The School Committee at their meeting on Monday last proceeded m due course to choose two pupil teachers (one a boy and one. a girl) for recommendation to the Board of Education for appointment. The selection was to be made from a list of four candidates which had been forwarded by the headmaster. Of those candidates three were girls and one was a boy. It will be observed that "Another Fairplayer " objected that the School Committee ignored their own rule about examination. The reference was obviously to the boy, who was put forward and selected for recommendation to the Board of Education though he had not undergone a competitive examination. But, as a matter of fact, one of the pupil teachers was to be a boy— the requirements of the schools demanded that a boy should be appointed— and there was no other to choose. He therefore, being eligible as having passed the Sixth Standard, was recommended. That : disposes of the letter of "Another Fairplayer," who would hardly venture to contend that if a malejpupil-teacher is required, and only one candidate qualified under the Education Act is available, he is not to be recommended by the School Committee because of their rule that where there are more than one candidate they shall undergo competitive examination. Now as to " Fairplay's " complaint. The insinuation m his letter obviously was that, m submitting to the School Committee the marks awarded at the examination, the headmaster had unfairly manipulated the figures so as to alter the position of the candidates. It is convenient to explain here that all scholars within certain age limits, who have passed the Sixth Standard, are eligible for pupil-teacher-ships; but some time ago the School Committee, with a view to securing the best of the eligible candidates, determined to submit them to a competitive examination. We understand that the first of those examinations was the one which took place m May last. The resulting list was that which was dealt with by the School Committee on Monday last. The headmaster conducted the examination m scholarship, and took 100 as the highest number of marks attainable. The Inspector conducted the examination to test the teaching capabilities of the candidates, and took 25 as the highest number of marks attainable. It may be assumed that if the Inspector and the headmaster had consulted together previously they would have adopted one and the same number as the unit for measuring the proportion of merit shown by each candidate. To ascertain the fair aggregate to each candidate's marks it was necessary to have a common basis, as the teaching capabilities of the candidates were to be considered of as much importance as their scholarship. The headmaster, therefore, m each case multiplied by four the marks awarded by the Inspector for teaching. This had the effect of reversing the positions of more than one of the candidates, as was pointed out by " Fairplay," but nevertheless the process was strictly just and logical. Of course the same result would have been arrived at if the headmaster had divided the marks for scholarships by four, and allowed the Inspector's basis for the teaching marks to stand. If the 100 aggregate had been added to

the 25 aggregate, the result would have given an undue and untrue proportionate weight to mere scholarship. Thus it will be seen that the complaints and insinuations of our two correspondents were without any reasonable foundation whatever. We have thought it right to give prominence to the contents of the letters and to explain the true position, because it is of some importance that the confidence of the public m the impartiality of the School Committee, the Inspector, and the headmaster should not be shaken without due cause. In the case which we have been discussing it is certain that they acted with perfect fairness.