1936-07-30 — Page 18

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1936.

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The

Hongkong Telegraph.

THURSDAY, July 30, 1936,

A DILEMMA AND

ITS UPSHOT

¿

MANY PEOPLE, ESPECI- were invited a year ALLY in recent times, have or so later to re-judge

attacked the examination sys-

tem: As a non-educationist, I the same scripts with have never been much impressed all marks erased." It was found by these attacks, believing that in, the result that they differed in an imperfect world every as widely from their own previ- they had thing, whether the examination ous judgments as system or democracy, is bound differed from the judgments of They to be Imperfect, and that the their proposed substitutes are likely changed their minds ns to the

verdict of Pass, Fail and Credit- to be more imperfect still.

predecessors.

I never rozlised quite how im- in 92 cases out of the total of perfect the examination system is, however, till I read a shilling pamphlet entitled "An Examine, tion of Examinations," written by Sir Philip Hartog and Dr.

EXAMS

E. C. Rhodes and published last year by Messrs. Macmillan.

Talk of the glorious uncertainty of the Turf! The facts revealed in this pamphlet-a report of an expert Inquiry - to the working of the examination system- suggest that a boy or girl in the examination room needs most as much luck as a horar on the racecourse in order to pull through,

After reading this re- port I feel that, if I were a schoolboy again amd were ploughed in an examination, 1 should demand a recoùnt,

held of candidates suitable for the higher Civil Service, Two boards of examiners were ap pointed, and the 16 candidatos came before each of them in succession for a viva voce ex- amination. Each board after. wards drew up a separate list of the candidates in order of merit.

was

Here, as the other tests. theexaminers showed an extra- ordinary incapacity for agree nient. The candidate who was placed first by Board I. placed thirteenth (out of 16) by Board II. The candidate who was placed first by Board II. wns- awarded only the eleventh place by Board I,

EXAMINED

any.

By

Robert Lynd

There was not a single candidate about whom the two boards were in com- plete agreement.

In the opinion of the authors of the re- port these astonish- ing divergences be- tween the examining boards "point to the. unreliability of the interview test, and indicate the great in- Quence that this test might have in the final placing of a candidate in a Civil Service examination."

It was only after reading this report that I began to realise how it came about that at school I was once given a

prize in mathematics.

It is clear that, in cer-

tain moods, examin-

Here is an example of how 210"-210 being the number of Many people will, we imagine.examiners differ from each other verdicts given on 15 scripts by 14 quarrel with the decision of a

in marking the same papers, examiners, Kowloon Magistrate on Tuesday

Fifteen papers, or "scripts," We are told that of the 14 Įin imposing a fine of $5, with

which hakt already been examiners there was only one of the others awarded scarcely ers are capable of anything. In the alternative of imprisonment given equal marks in who was exceptionally steady

my case, I think the examiner for two weeks, on ricksha School certificate history examine and whose numerical mark never

We are told in regard to one must have confused my “script” coolie "for failing to complete ation were submitted, with all varied by more than seven out journey in which he was en marka erased, to a new body of of a hundred."

Of the others, of the papers set on this ocers with somebody else's,

On the whole. however, [gaged." The case, animportant 14 examiners; and the new ex- one in the second examination sion that the nearest approach

I noticed Tow in some respects, touches a point aminers differed so widely from moved eight of the fifteen candi- to unanimity on the part of the during many years' slavery, to

"was in the case examinations, of considerable public interest. their predecessors' opinions that, dates town a class lower than examiners

candidate who was cases of injustice in the results. The facts, briefly, as related in among them, they allotted "ever that in which he had originally of one the Police Court, were that the 40 different marks to the several placed them, and another moved ploughed by six examiners, but The candidates whom

was awarded a Credit by the pected to come out top usually ricksha was engaged in Yaunati scripts."

came out top and it was very seventh!" by a fare who agreed to pay

Mr. A. P. Herbert has recently seldom that one was shocked by

first-rate finding thirty cents to be taken to the Sam Lee Boat Building Yard,

reproved journalists for their

ploughed. use of the epithet Other experiments were made excessive

Mr. and much the same results were "amazing." But 1 think found. The tests varied, but, Herbert would admit that the

was A Turther experiment and, whilst on the journey, the tried and these 14 examiners egolie, noticing that the passen- ger was in a fainting condition, dropped the shafts of vehicle and lifted the fare on tu the road. It was stated that the enolie so neted because of a

seven down a class.

the NOTES OF THE DAY whatever tests were applied; the use of the word "amazing" about

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examiners usually made Canada's Minister of Detence equally poor-show,

NOT

SO

std that

doctors.

M

SUPERFICIAL

one ex-

scholar

Still, the facts given in this an some of these facts is thorough report suggest that there are people examining to-day who ly justified.

examiners should has made the naive admission that: Seven examiners were invited. The verdicts of this expert are not really fit to be examiners.

Fisses, examiners seem to be almost as his Department has only ten un to award Failures, die in-the-ricksha. Apparently tostate airplanes. The Dominion Credits or Special Credits to 48 capricious and Irrational as the undergo as strict a training as the coolie was then making off. has pilots of high standing, candidates in School Certineate verdicts of some of the--oll-

On the other hand, the ver dicts even of doctors differ: and when he was held up by a pas officially comparatively little has

Possibly the system works in an imperfect world we shall ser-by, who tried to persuade been done to encourage aviation, English. When they had done benches of magistrates. him to take the sick man to the either civil or military. The Gov. so it was discovered that there

ernment has been preoreupled was only one candidate out of well as a whole; but if one failed always, no doubt, have the im- police station. The coolie at first with matters of lesser moment the 48 about whom they could after this in a Civil Service CX perfect examiner.

would certainly Luckily, the later careers of refused to go, but eventually. There is no trans-Canada air mail agree as to the class in which he emination, one

be inclined to doubt whether the only a comparatively few people the unconscious man was liftisd though this subject is to be dis should be placed.

failure was due to one's own miss depend upon the places they back into the ricksha and, under cussed shortly. Even now there'

One examiner ploughed 19 of

takes or to the incompetence of once took in an examination. If of the escort of the passer-by, the is a decision as to whether such

this were the examiners.

not so, the present coolie, with his sick passenger, an enterprise, if it eventuates, the candidates, while two

will be engaged in by private them-decent fellows!--plough- was taken to the police station. nterprise or hy Army pilots. Hed none. One of them awarded In the course of these experi- pamphlet would cause a world-

was wide sensation. When the case came into Court, it is decided that the Government 12 Special Credits, while most ments a test examination the passer-by was, quite rightly, will undertake the trans-Canada commended for having interven-air mail it will have to have' the jed. and, also quite rightly, the necessary machines constructed.] coolie was reprimanded for hav-Such an investment, would prob ing left the passenger on the able mean, that no machines would rond. But in a case of this type be purchased for defensive pur- account should surely be taken ses, and this entry would con-

tinue to lag behind in comparison i of the dilemma in which the with other parts of the Empire. coolie found himself. Ricksha It would seem the part of wisdom coolies are not usually over- to encourage commercial aviation TT has been suggested that this is a blessed with intelligence, and in companies to undertake the trans-superficial age, and

Canada service, which could be youth in particular liven only on the this instance the man was obviously puzzled as to what he arranged if suficient subsidien surface of things.

that has taken place in the public were given for the earringe of should do in the circumstances, mudils.

light to be popular; in the world of Actually, he was informed by

books the best sellers' are often on the strong that it compelled the British taste in the cinema, we need only to the Magistrate that his duty was Civil and military air services verge of being immoral; church at Government, which had a very com-cast back our minds twenty years or

Conions, to reverse its policy lighted audiences at that time. to have taken the passenger to should be kent apart, The Gov-tendance and membership is falling fortable majority in the House of and recall the kind of Blms that de-

ernment could do its part is pro-loff, and so on.

Nearer home, public opinion helped And what of the charge hospital. That, clearly, would mating the former through the

concerned materials to Men and women ure

alter Government's modern youth is superficial. We are have been the

most sensible trans-Canada service. The deve-mainly with things that do not mat

Bay.

pleasure-loving, lazy, and irresponsi- course, but, incidentally, if thelopment of a defensive air force ter; they are pleasure loving and ever decision regarding tents at Repuise often told that the youth of today are

ble, that they are not interested in. ecolie had so acted he would still should be kept a separate depart-in search of some now amusement. As

Public opinion is t very powerful their work, and that they rush from have been guilty of the offence ment There should be a decision one writer has put it, there is a new!

now than ever before. The man in How, then, are we to account for of “failing to complete a journeys to the number of Army planes and popular occupation, the chase of factor in this Colony, perhaps more to it to spend the evening in pleasure. in which he was engaged." That needed, where they should be

All this is what we see if we take the street thinks things out for him- the fact that the habit of study was stationed, and what should be the journey was from the point at personnel of a military air force, caly a casial glance at life to-day, self. There is not much superficiality never so general as it is to-day? Apart from our University one need and if we deduce therefore that the here. which the rieksha was engaged | The Minister of Defence is en-modern age is living only on the sur Then, turning to the question of only consider the thousands of Chi- to the Sum Lee Boat Building thusiastic enough in favour of face of things, then we ourselves are entertainment, it is true that a great nase and Europeans who are attend- Yard aid it is quite conceivable Canada doing what is commensur-guilty of being superficial.

many trashy books are rend, but ing evening classes and technical schools to realise' how enger young to equip are to learn and people

That meInterest

in the

Entertainments, it is said, must be Serious Side of Life

well

works.

shown, but in this

been

great many poor films have

case, too, it is clear that there is a good demand for the better-class film.

To precinte the improvement

that

Coming now to the question of the decline in church attendance, which is

that if the journey had beenate with her responsibilities for If we probe a little deeper, make a librarians also tell us that there is on completed, the passenger would her own and Imperial defence, It claser study of present tendencies, we increasing demand for non-fiction, for themselves for their work.

autobiographies, and for scientifie have died before reaching hisis time that the country played its find that there is niuch evidence to

part in aviation. With the great prove that this age is far from being When Mr. I. G. Wells wrote bis also taken as indication of the super- destination...If the conviction distances in the Dominion and its superficial. was based on the failure of the sparsely settled areas there is a Men and women of today are in-Outline of History" and with the feiality of the age, wo find that, what- coolie to take his sick passen- demand for air services which interestix not only in their pleasures help of his son, G. P. Wells, and Pro- ever, may be said of the modern at- and in what amusement life enn offer for Julian Huxley, produced "The titude to religion, it is not superficial. ger to hospital, then it was as yel far from being fulfilled..

he little thought them. They may enjoy these to the Science of Life,"

It was our fathers and grandfathers wrong in law. On the other hand, strict compliance with the on to all rickshn coolies for the full, but they do not forget the more that these books would become best who were suporficial in their religion,

serious things, and they are

sellore. But so it proved. -

Did they not accept blindly the doc- And let us remember the amazingtrines and theorion which were put law might easily have endanger-guidance. To fine an ignorant aware

citizenship.

popularity of the scientific works of before them? The modern mind la ed the passenger's life. In our man, what is a substantial sum

Sir James Jeans, the astronomer, not content with this. It examines view, the case would have been for people of his type, merely be-, FORCE OF PUBLIC OPINION. These books are bought in hundreds and criticises; it tries to got bendalh adequately met if the coolle had cause he acted unwisely in a This has been fully demonstrated of thousands. Can it be said that the the surfac

taste of the reading pubile is entirely been reprimanded and beur in-most unusual dilemma, seems to on several occasions recently. In our superficial ?

The conclusions reached may clasit with the old cocopted principles, but structed what to do in the event us an instance of unduly harsh political and social life we hear a

that is another mattor. It cannot be said that the modern attitudo is of a similar circumstance aris-punishment, to say nothing of good deal nowadays of the phrase,

public opinion.. Some months ago, au) ing in the future. Indeed, gen- the point whether, under the the time of the Hoare-Laval plan to The films, the most popular form superficial. The very reverse is the.

WA..T. public opinion in England was so condemned, and it is true that a might with advantage be passed was brought..

of

the responsibilities of

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LANE, CRAWFORD, LTD. tions of this kind circumstances, the right charge nettle the Italo-Abyssinians dispute, of entertainment, have often been case.