THE COUNTRY SCHOLAR.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9574, 21 August 1909, Page 4

THE COUNTRY SCHOLAR.

At the last meeting of the executive of the North Canterbury branch of the Farmers' Union, Mr Horrell, a prominent member, remarked that the method of examining scholars attending small country schools was unfair. He said that the teacher had power to promote scholars in any standard up to the sixth standard; but before they could pass into the seventh standard they had to be examined by an inspector at a certain school, which was made a centre. The child 1 rcight have to leave home very early in the morning uf the examination day, and travel over bad roads, and perhaps cross rivers, to attend the examination. The school was absolutely new to the child, and after the tang jouri ney he or she was expected to go and compete successfully with other children who just stepped across the road to the schoolroom. He thought such a practice was most unfair, and placed country children at a disadvantage compared with town children. He thought the children should be examined in thier own schools from year to year It was decided by the branch to write to the Education Department and Education Boards throughout the Dominion on the matter,