The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-05-16
Communicated.
School Examination.

um of your paper, to make some
suggestions relative to the manner OF
conducting them.
1t has been the custom heretofore
for the teachers in each school to
conduct the examination, asking all
the questions, and in fine taking full
control of the entire performance
Now I do not wish to be understood
to find any fault with any previous
examination, except SO far as to the
manner of conducting them, and for
this the teachers, of course, are not
responsible These previous examin-
atoms have been creditable to all con
cerned, but object to them, and win
try to give my reasons.
Examinations conducted in this
manner fail to satisfy a critical OBJ
server; for this reason they cannot
fail to give the impression that the
scholars have been primed for the
occasion, and while, in some cases, this
impression might be erroneous, in
others it would undoubtedly be COR
rect.
At all events, in all eases. this
would be the impression impaired to
an intelligent stranger who might
chance to visit one of our public ex-
aminations as heretofore conducted.
. E This examination may have been
advisable, even necessary, in the first
establishment of our schools, owing
to the fact that the scholars then were
unaccustomed to examinations of any
kind and lacked the confidence and
proficiency necessary to stand an ex
animation.
This necessity has long since ceased
to exist, and our scholars ought now
to be able to bear the test of thor
ough and rigid examination. As our
examinations are now conducted it is
by no means difficult matter for a
teacher to SO prepare his or her school,
as that every question asked shall be
promptly answered; whether under
standingly or not, is an entirely differ
ent question.
That the school should pass an ex-
animation without a question missed,
if possible, has been heretofore the
great thing aimed at in our examina-
tons, and the criterion by which an
examination has been judged has
been the promptness with which the
questions have been answered, rather
than determining whether they Nere
answered understandingly or not.
81 It is much more satisfactory TO see
/. a scholar subjected to a rigid examin-
alton by a person with whose man
ner of questions he is entirely unac-
quainted, and. to have him show By
his answers that he understands
the gist of the subject, than fol
~ time to answer scoreSof questions
in a parrot-like manner, however
promptly he may do SO.
My suggestion is this: That the
Board of Trustees appoint, from tht
d citizens of Evansville, committees t.
examine the various schools. fsFol
example, committee of two or three
gentlemen to examine the Higl
School; a like committee to examin,
the two Grammar Schools in the Up
per building, and another to examine
the Grammar Schools in the Lowe
Building; also, like committees t.
examine the intermediate Schools
leaving the Primary Schools to be ex
amined as usual, on account of tn
age of the pupils. Then let the teach
ers of each school designate to tn
committee appointed to examine tn
school, how much the school ha
a accomplished in each study, durin
the year, upon which the scholars al
prepared to be examined, and upo
this let the scholars be examined, i
such manner as shall seem best
the Examining Committee. Afte
the examinations are closed, let Ii
several committees make their n
ports to the Board of Trustees.
The plan I have suggested woul
take five committees of three eacl
and there can, not be nc difficulty
finding gentlemen both competent an
willing to act on such committee
if requested to do So. ro =
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