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EXAMINATION SYSTEM
ALL departures from estab-
lished custom ' and prece-
dent meet with opposition, but it
is peculiar to note that in no pro-
vince is this more marked than in
that of education. The examina-
tion has always failed to do more
than present a faint outline, hot
necessarily of ability, but. of
achievement in certain forms of
scholarship. With increased
knowledge, complex conditions,
and changed requirements of the
modern world, examinations have
tended to display their flaws more
clearly, as a means of gauging in-
tellectual standards.
The action of the Tasmanian
Government'in abolishing the in-
termediate examination, which
was endorsed by the head master
of the Hobart State High School
in his annual report, is a move
in a new direction likely to lead
to greater and more beneficial re-
sults. Educationists throughout
the world are rapidly forming a
front against the antique belief
that an examination is an effi-
cient test of mental capacity, or
even of actual knowledge. There
is, too, an element of unfairness
that cannot be removed because
of the necessity of imposing a
mark' limit below which is failure.
The lead given in Tasmania!
conforms with the most advanced
thought which is driving steadily
towards the abolition.of examina-
tions as a means of testing any-
thing but the acquisition of cer-
tain knowledgeable facts, and
even in that the)' are by no means
'completely reliable. For physical
and other circumstances may so
condition the individual that his
faculties fail to act efficiently at
the critical time and the penalty
majr, therefore, be undeserved
failure. The best opinion today
is heavily inclining towards the
substitution of a truer test of abil-
ity and knowledge than that of
examinations. . .
Reuter's Cable Service.-By special
arrangement. Reuter's world service of
news, in addition to other special
sources of Information, ls used In the
compilation of the oversea intelligence
published tn this Issue, and all rights
therein tn Australia and Kew Zeala d
are reserved. ?
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