The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-29
THE RICHMOND AN-AUN May NOVEMBER o. 1914
ARGUMENTS IN OUR DEBATE
NEGATIVE

ATIVE
rs Are Not a Fair Test o. a
S Ability.
which he had been examined, say
about year after that. and ne could
not answer you. He could not talk
intelligentIy on the very subject he
had gotten excellent marks on.
Ground 70 he Covered.
j. A teacher cannot cover all the
ground for one term in an examina-
ltion. This is one Of the hardest prob
lens. There may be large number
iof important questions. but when the
number to be asked on an examination
IL limited. then 1t is exceedingly diff
ificult to select the best ones, and then,
too, there Is the question Of selecting
different ones every year. and so some
lof the most important ones must be
lomitted and the chances are that you
will omit the very questions on which
the pupils are best prepared. For ex-
ample, suppose on a geometry exam
nation. on which only about five ex-
amples can be given, the teacher must
select Ave from an almost unlimited
quantity. The chances are that the
very examples the teacher would select
are the very ones with which the pupil
is unfamiliar and this might cause
the pupil to repeat his course. when he
has a very good understanding OF the
chief principals OF geometry. But on
the other hand II a pupil who cannot
even reason out those geometry prob
lens learns them by heart, that Is by
Icraming. and gets them perfect, he
lis promoted. Does that prove that
the examination was a fair test ? I'm
,,doubtedly Is proves the opposite. Then,
too, a pupil who In OF a nervous tenn
Iperment. although he may have IL com
piete knowledge OF the subject. may
simply get frightened ands nervous.
and be utterly unable of doing his best
work. and the teacher has nothing hy
which he might judge but what is
written on the paper. and so il is by
the inductiva method OF reasoning the
method by which a Anal statement
may be reached by examples, that
i finally reach my conclusion. that
examinations are not fair test Of a
students ability and cannot be made
50.
! MARY MceAI.EB.
Ga Harding Street, Petersburg. Va.
III
Negative.
Resolved. That examination are not
a fair test of a student's ability.
In entering this debate 1t IS with A
feeling Of fellowship for those who
represent ',e Affirmative side Of this
subject. 7 am now In the four "B'
grade at Stonewail Jackson School
So far on my road to progress 7
haze never had to stand real exam
inatIon. and can only judge as to what
one would mean by our weekly tesla
which seen to me examination in a
smaller way, I realize I have many
steps TO climb before my school days
are over and before reaching that end
very likely I could tell you my views
! upon thiF~subject from personal ex-
perience. I do not feel that examina-
tons could possibly be a fair test as
to what we really have stored away -.
the cells Of our brain. for often tin. &c
we have the key, hut for some rea
son. perhaps excitement. or again wa
may be I'm q nervoue state that while
We really know the question asked we
can't for the time being make the
key turn. 4 minute. later it is too
late. SO there We have lost a point.
Often times think IL Is the way a
question Is presented.
lady asked me IL knew q GER
tain question a few DAYS ago. I re-
Piled II did not" Ny mother said.
George Bell you do; listen" and
asked me in this form. What is the
mother State Of all our States9 7
immediately replied Virginia" Sure
knew that but didn't understand the
question as It was first put to me.
Perhaps l was excited or maybe, not
thinking. Anye,ow I knew 1t. I CUES.
there are no more points to discuss
but will leave them for my little
friends to make strons in our de-
Tense.
Hoping that I have given them A
helping. and that our side wins. for
somehow I feel that reA, examinations
are in store for me somewhere in my
travels, but am going to do my best
to keep ont OF their pains
i GEORGE BELL.
".
II Negative.
Dear Cousins Of the Virginian Juve-
nile Circle.--It may be unbecoming to
preface my discussion with an apol-
4 Aky. but when I aRrAAd "a Ia