The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-02-01
SCHOOL PROMOTIONS.
Mr.. Snyder's Strong and
Convincing Arguments
Against Last Exam
nations.

1udLlUllAs
Superintendent Snyder, of the public
schools. is decidedly in favor OF the pro-
posed change in the method of promo
tions of children. At the last meeting
of the Board of Education an amendment
to tho rules was introduced and will
be adopted at the next meeting.
Briefly stated the amendment provides
that the promotion of pupils shall in the
future be based upon their percentages
for the term, aud not upon semi-annual
written examination. There is lnuch 10
be said for and against this proposition.
and in favor of it Superintendent Snyder
said today
''The resolution adding the amendment
ought to be adopted"
"Why?"
FAVORABLE REASONS.
because greater satisfaction to the
pupil and teacher will be the result. The
present system under LXVlI. has been
in use for eighteen or twenty years and
it Is really more used to determine the
fitness OF teachers than the qualifications
of pupils for promotion. Under the
present plan 1t is the duty of the princl-
pal or teacher to hold an examination at
the close Of each school term and under It
when che teachers record falls below 20
per cent, she is discharged rs lncompe-
tent. The present method is also cum
bersome and impracticable. The pro-
posed change will compel teachers and
principals TO report monthly to the Super
intendent the standing of each pupil.
The examinations which have been in
use in the past, have really had for their
object, at the expense of the child, the de-
Termination of the fitness OF the teacher.
"A strong objection to semi-aunual ex-
aminations." continued Mr.. Snyder, lis
that it causes loss OF too much time 20
the pupil. Two examinations require
from three to four weeks time, aud the
result reached is only what had been
determined by the teacherin Judging
the pupils work for the term. Frequent
ly where promotion depends exclusively
on examinations, pupils from physical
causes fail to pass, who by right should
be not. can child answer ten certain
questions, but can the child
go on with pupils in the
next higher grade. The question
of promotion is to a child the question OF
the loss or gain OF one-half q year, and it
ought to be given more thoughtful atten-
tion than it has received. The quickest
and best method to ascertain child's
fitness for promotion is manifestly
by considering his or her record
All machinery of school WORK ought to
be of the simplest character, and the plan
proposed is of very simple nature.
Every system is based on the honesty OF
those engaged in it.
EXAMINATIONS AN INSUFFICIENT TEST.
considering, first, the method which
has been more extensively employed than
any other. namely. that based upon test
examinations, IL is my contention that
examiuatlous. whether oral or written,
.S Il ~1aI n 1f dnfn
ing the pupils fitness for promotion. by
whomsoever conducted,a are an insufficient
and therefore an improper test, because
they can .be applied only to test the
fret result already y-menfioned, namely,
the pupils fund of knowledge. | ought
perhaps TO modify this statement some
what Examinations do sometimes re-
quire the pupil to call into play the men
tai power which he may have acquired.
But this is so seldom the case that it is
hardly worth consideration.
s'But even in testing the pupils stock
of information they are sadly deficient.
A moments consideration of the scope of
an examination will prove this conclu-
siyely. ..1he number of questions is
necessarily SO small. and the field COW
cred by them so limited, that any itfer-
ence as to the pupils acquisitions must
be deceptive, as every teacner has often
observed.
animation should be used as a test at a
time when memoriter exercises were the
ones almost entirely employed in the
schoolroom; hut must deny most en-
phatically that it will properly test the
results of modern methotis. If promotion
is still solely based upon an examination,
the teacher will lose sight of true objects
of education, and the daily recitation Will
be a quiz for examination.
II Know that it will be said that the
teacher is not justified in using any i'm
nj oper methods even II O test examina-
tion is held. II you say this and insist
upon test examinations, you are incon-
sistent, to say the least. If the examlna-
tion is to prove that the pupil mas done
his work well or i'll, and has or has not
acquired the intended results, why
should not the teacher use the
means which he knows will lead
to your favorable opinion? AS long
as the examination is the mark at which
pupils must aiir, the propriety OF the
teacher's methods must be determined by
their success In hitting the mark. You
must adapt your test to the most improv-
ed methods. II you do not, you must not
blame the teacher for adapting his
methods TO your test.
DANGERS SET FORTH.
Improper methods of teaching are all
the more likely to be employed when the
examination is intended to determine, not
only the qualifications of the pupil but
also the qualifications of the teacher.
The examination is then very serious
matter. The teacher cannot afford to
take any risks. He will uss these
methods, and you must not censure him
for doing so, which will enable him to
reach the standard which you set up.
sThe teachers fitness or unfitness
should not be decided in this way. It is
perhaps the easiest way. but all who
appreciate the many difficulties of the
teacher and the best interests of pupils
will prefer to be guided in forming their
opinions by frequent observation and
intelligent supervision. 1t Is perhaps
needless for mo to add that if test ex-
aminat1ons have such an injurious effect
upon the methods OF teaching, the effect
upon the pupils method of study will De
equally as bad.
cit is mentioned as ons of the argue
ments in favor of written examinations,
that all pupils are required to answer the
same questions, and that they are hence
fair to all. This very uniformity l con-
slider an objection to their use. Our aim
should be not the greatest good to
the greatest number, but
the greatest good TO each
pupil. Our test should concern not only
his present intellectual condition but his
cana bilities and his aspirations. In this
matter we should more than ever remem-
ber that we are dealing not with classes