The Waikato Times, THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE, AND KAWHIA ADVOCATE. Established Thirty-Four Years. THE OLDEST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN THE WAIKATO. THE LARGEST CIRCULATION OF ANY DAILY PAPER SOUTH OF AUCKLAND. TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1907. COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8097, 8 January 1907, Page 2

The Waikato Times, THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE, AND KAWHIA ADVOCATE. Established Thirty-Four Years. THE OLDEST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN THE WAIKATO. THE LARGEST CIRCULATION OF ANY DAILY PAPER SOUTH OF AUCKLAND. TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1907. COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

The most competent authorities have always inveighed against the system of competitive examinations for determining the ability and progress of ■students. At the annual conference uf the New Zealand Educational Institute, now being held iu Christchurch, another protest was entered against the system. A. headmaster, Mr Gibbs, went so for as to advocate the abolition of the system altogothw, aud though the resolution was nut adopted, it met with a good deal of support. No one can be present at au important examination as at present conducted, and fail to observe the nervousness of the candidates ; in some cases it reaches absolute panic. It is obvious that while in such a state of mind the candidate in incapable of putting forth his best work. The examination is an ordeal that defeats the end it is designed to Berve. The element of chance enters too largely to make it a fair means of guagitig the capacity of anyone. It would be impossible for instance to make the ordinary test paper in any subject sufficiently comprehensive to bring out the knowledge the

candidate possesses on it. The most diligent study may miss the catch questions that too often figure in examination papers, and a candidate, no matter how thoroughly he may have prepared himself, not infrequertly finds, when sat down among a number of strangers, many of them perhaps as nervous and fidgety as himself, with a list of questions to be answered on paper in a tune, that confusion takes possession of him, and re iders his bust, efforts nugatory. The oral examination may be more protracted and unweildI.V. hut it is an infinitely fairer test of ability. In some subjects, of course, the set examination cannot well be dispensed with, and in a few of the protessumal examinations the present method may be the onh practicable one, but where it is possible to change the svsteni or modify

i., it should be done. Kealising Ihe futility of inspectors 1 examinations as ti system of p"oinotion from standard to standard in our State schools, an attempt was made some time ago to substitute more i'reipieni cxaminai ions by the head-teachers, and the results where the system was properly carried out, were most satisfactory ; we would go I'tirt her however, and advocate a considerable amendment of the Slate school system of classification. It is obvious that a child weak ill one subject may be sufficiently advanced iuolhers to justify its promotion to a higher standard of instruction. Thai, however, cannot be with the present system which insists that a sullicienf aggregate of marks must be obtained to secure a p;iss. The only way of overcoming this difficulty, it would seem, would he the introduction of the form system, which i> in operation til iiio*l of our 111 -■ 11 schools. This does not penalise a si udeni proficient in some subjects lor weakness in others, and the pupil ma\ be a member of the most advanced class in geography and of the lowest in arithmetic. lie progresses automatically and any natural altitude he displays receives lull encouragement. Although the Institute did not carry Mr (libbs' resolution, it nevertheless showed uuinistakeable dissatisfaction wit h the existing system of competitive examinations for school children. The amendment moved by Mr C. D. llardie, headmaster of the West Christchurch school, entered an emphatic protest against " the all too apparent notion that success in examination is an end and not a means to higher ends." k discountenanced all such methods of coaching oi preparation for competitive examinations, as they failed to pay regard to the moral and physical as well as the mental well being of the children, and advocated a reduction in the number of competitive examinations. This amendment was carried by a very large majority, and will no doubt be considered by the Department of Education. As a dispassionate expression of opinion of a laiiro gathering of educational experts, it deserves very grave consideration at the hands of the experts and as a result of it and the character of the debate which preceded its adoption, we hope to shortly see the introduction of a system more calculated to assist in educational development.

THE HOK.SK BAZAAR. T"-.'.ioi;i;u\\ will l>u demanded o! the ratepayers of Hamilton mature and unbiassed consideration of the question of raising a loan of £"J,-3UiJ tor the purpose of erecting a horse bazaar in the town. Briefly put, the scheme is to erect, a suitable building on the site of tiie present sheep yards. Two entrances will be provided —one facing the new sale yards and one from the new street, which will also form the entrance to the railway station. The proposed area, otil) x (>U feet, should prove sufficient to accomodate winter shows and other similar fixtures ; and from this aspect alone the scheme is deserving a hearty unstinted .support. IJut it has one outstanding advantage, and that is, that, judging iron: estimates prepared by authorities having our ulmos! conlidouqo, the ba/.aar should prove sell supporting; at least, by embracing the present saleyards account and the ba/.aar account m one, the expenditure should be balanced by the :ecji|)ts. The frontage of the market reserve \rl' he cut up into a number of i.eetious. and lieu, 'bese, it is anticipated, a revenue of X i •">'.' pe. C'lutni will be derived. This added to the rents and fees.earned by the yards and ba/.aar will more than cover the amount oi' interest and sinking fund. Thus, thou',,-!: >U order to secure the loan a special rate iiiu! be struck, it will in all probability not Oo .'-"eessary to collect it. We must point ou« t li at were the Council thinking only of its uouJJLec'utr, and the declaring of a surplus each you* tut v.;''.'!' plan would have been to have cut up -j.}} these sections into building allotment*, fa. the rents therefrom would have far exceeded the profit expected from the step proposed. But the Council, with that acumen w Mich characterises true pi.ovre.viveuess and pu'l'Uc spiriteduess, realises u f ...t the general prosperity of the town is io be sought after before the showing of a lev shillings credit on the books of the books of the borough treasurer. For the honour of the town we trust thai, at the poll the burgesses will put the broad question before the personal;

that they will sec, to come down to Soidid details, that every visitor forced into the place means added spending power and wide: advertisement, Anil there is no doubt whatever thai the bazaar is needed, a: instance the la.st horse sale here, when one of the largest assemblages of buyers ever seen in Hamilton were loud in their opinion tnat molt suitable accotumoda on a id ampler shelter should be afforded both man and beast.