JUNIOR SCHOLARSHIPS

Waikato Times, Volume 89, Issue 13895, 22 October 1918, Page 7

JUNIOR SCHOLARSHIPS

RESTRICTION OF CANDIDATES. DEPARTMENTAL EXPLAXATKIX. In view of ertficisna of the action of the Education Department with respect to a circular concerning the nunihor of Candidates entering for the Junior National Scholarship examination, the Minister Cur Education stated that lie had obtained an explanation from the Department that in previous years an absurdly large number of candidates had been entered in several districts. The Department was therefore desirous or keeping- the number of candidates to b« examined within reasonable bounds. If this were done, it was felt, that the districts referred to would merely be doing what other districts bad done for years past.

The Minister said a table had been prepared showing that in some districts from about a quarter to over one-third of tli« pupils in Standard VI. entered for the examination, whereas only about 10 per cent, of Standard VI. pupils in New Zealand were capable of securing half marks, an d only 2 per cent, won scholarships. It was found that of 0325 candidates entered, only 1185 secured even half marks, and only 2,10 secured scholarships. There was no heneflt to any scholarship candidate who secured pnss marks, namely 50 per oent., and further, even a candiate who obtained half marks was 100 marks below the lowest scholarship winner. A great deal of needless expense and labour could therefore be saved without excluding any pupil who had even a slender chance of securing a scholarship. and the Department was quite within its power in asking teachers to use some judgment.

Tin' Department did not, as had boon incorrectly staled, fix ;i positive limit of JO per rent, of entries from each Standard VI. Teachers were informed that not more than about JO per eent. of pupils in Standard VI. should enter, but if more than that proportion of pupils were entered and reasonable explanation were piten, the Department would l)e satisfied. Further, in small schools no exception would be taken to the entry of even three pupils out of six. II whs quite clear that if about 10 per cent, of (he pupils were entered, no likely candidates would be excluded, and with the wide margin thus Riven any head teacher worthy of his position should lie able to indicate which pupils formed the best 10 per cent, of his class. v,..,. i-, > '-.fevrElElMß The standard of entries at 10 percent, allowed Ave times as many entries as the average number of scholarship winners. To show that entries had nM been unduly restricted, it was pointed out that this year there were 2371 entries, or these, according to the usual standard, not, more than' half would secure half marks, and only about onetenth of those, i.e., 2 per cent, of the pumljer of pupils in Standard VI., would win scholarships. The form of application issued in accordance with the gazetted regulations required the head teacher to certifv that a candidate had a reasonable chance of obtaining a scholarship. The Department was, therefore, quite justified in requesting teachers to carry this into effect. No teacher with a class of GO pupils of whom two gained scholarships, could claim that 35 out of CO had a reasonable chance of obtaining a scholarship, and certainlv 25 of the least qualified 0 f these would-be candidates could not claim that they had lost a chance of winning a scholarship, seeing that only the best two were suc- [ cessful.

The Department specially directed the Minister's attention to the fact that the restriction of entries which it suggested was not regarded as prohibitive beyond the 10 per cent, limit, seeing