Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-03-10
Regar ding B. AS New Examination
Scheme.
EditOr Monitor.

Editor Monitor:
Apropos of the article in the acad-
envy notes in your last issue, | call
attention to few facts and few CUES
tons which must be considered in
drawing the conclusions stated in this
article
FIRST, would consider the question
Of long examination as compaAed
with a short examination, or no exam
ination at all [ do not desire to criti-
else the changes that have been effected
at Barton academy with respect to
examinations, but merely to call at
tention to some of the advantages of
the deposed system Of longer examin-
atoms
Is long examination justifiable for
its own sake? That to ME is answered
Uy our definition Of an examination
! If it is to be game of wits between
! the instructor and the student, let it
! be as short as possible and let t perish
at the earliest opportunity. IF, on the
other hand, it is to be an opportunity
and motive for thorough review of
the subject. let it be worthy of it's
purpose. both in length and impor-
lance l do not pretend. however. to
pass judgment on the wisdom of
substituting short monthly reviews to
| accomplish THIS purpose.
Is an examination worth while con-
sidered in the light of the school,
relation to surrounding conditions?
Whether we like it or not the long
examination in college still exists. A
mediocre man with but very slight
lack of self-confdence is severely
handicapped when he enters college
examination room after four years in
high school where he has had no exam.
nations. Such men do much to in
crease the numbers of those whose
college careers are easily reckoned in
units much smaller than years.
Now, as to the second point. the one
that attracted my attention, namely
Dartmouth and the "honor" system
hope the inference that the administra
tive faculty did not consider Dart
mouth college capable of producing
men worthy to be entrusted with al
"honor" system was unntentiona
I rather than malicious. The writer ha
entirely failed to comprehend the fact
of the situation. facts which are in
. dispensable and which a man shoult
know before he draws any conclusions
especially any such conclusions as wer
r stated in that article. Perhaps SOM
q of the blame is due to Secretar,
his going into detail in answer to tn
various and sweeping questions tina
n are asked him during the year Indi
. rectly the reason why Dartmouth doe
, not adopt the "honor" system is tina
= it does not prove successful: din ectly
p the reason is that the student body a
3 a whole does not want it. The facult
7 proposed to the students to grant then
! an honor system any time they Shout
!, decide that they wanted one. Tn
) wisdom of their negative decision doe
v not enter into our present considera
+ ton, but we have the fact neverthe
6 less. Thus. | say that the inferenc
+ that the administration has any sue
4 base distrust and lack of respect fo
v men it has made is entirely unsubstar
y tiated, for the faculty has never We
;. been called upon to answer the ques
). ton as to whether or not they thin
we are crooks.
l have tried to suggest that Their
y may be another side to that examine
, ton question; that we may have GU
own ideas as to "honor systems 80 an
v finally that we cannot be too certai
p of the truth of our conclusions withou
o. knowing something about the facts.
:: Yours very truly,
:. H. r. Brahana,
+ Barton Academy, IL,
T Dartmouth, 10
,. Hanover, N. H.