The Saint Paul globe., 1900-12-05
THE EXAMINATION SYSTEM.

AAAAA EAAAIAfNAIION SX XSTEM.
A person standing where the street
cars stop near the corner of the Univer-
sity grounds during the last week would
have heard such remarks as the follow
ing from the students: Now, I can
throw dull care to the winds 1 am
through Another, who is not
through repeats a familiar college
parody, "Of all sad tales of tongue or
pen, the saddest is this, I've hunked
again" Or perhaps still another, with
brighter expression on his face, quotes
these historic words of Thomas Paine,
The times that try mems souls are
over
1t is examination week at the uaiver-
slty. This is the time that the ed tor of
the college paper INDUCES in his periodi-
cal vaporings upon the evils Of the mark
ing system and exam nations, and some
of the city dailies of Minneapolis take
up the refrain by which this relic of bar
barism is to be consigned to oblivion.
They tell us the examination system is
not beneficial to either the careless
bright student, the hard-working but
dull student, or the all-round good stu
dent. Not to the careless bright student.
because it causes him to do superiic1al
work. But is not a record of superficial
work better than that of no work at all
which would be his were it not for exam
nations? Not to the dull but hard
working student because it sometimes
causes hlm to Hunk out of the univer-
slty. But no conscientious professor will
1all TO make himself acquainted, as far
as possible, with the habits as well as
the abilities of his students; such pro-
lessor will invariably give the honest
student the benefit of a doubt. If he
hunks ne funks on his own merits In
other words, he has taken a step to-
wards finding his place in the world.
is 1t not better that he should do this
thus early in his career than to spend
Iour years of time, earnings and energy
IN fitting himself for some calling for
winch the harsh but unerring Judgment
OF the world will sooner or later CON
vince him he has no aptitude? Not to
the ah-round good student, because II
burdens him with unnecessary work
6ut may not even he derive some bene-
tits from those finishing touches
which his pride will demand that he
shaH g1ye to his work at this time?
Whether bo
beneficial or harmful is best decided bv
knowing the purpose which it is intended
70 serve. This purpose is net primarily
70 ma out what the student does or does
not know The examination has for 5+s
ultimate object the maintenance of . HIGH
general standing for, the universitv-tha
creation there of an esprit de corps 6f
intellectual life, which with present fa-
cllltIes cannot be secured by any other
means than by insisting upon a certain
grade of written work by each individua1
student, And such a standard is abso-
lutely necessary for any institution
which would hold its place as an eduoa-
tional factor.
me time may come when state univer-
sites will have become so richly endow-
eu that the classes of each teacher may
De restricted to dozen, or, at the most
twenty students, instead of the crowded
rooms 10 to which he now has to lecture.
Then he may be able to give such time
and attention to the individual student
that the necessity for some rigfd test 70
MAKE hlm acquainted with the capaDiIi-
ties of each may be avoided. Until that
time comes the written examination viii
continue to serve useful and necessary
purpose.