ON THE INFLUENCE OF EXAMINATIONS, 449 



has been too hard, too long, or, on the other hand, too easy, to fairly test 

 the better candidates ; but it does not show whether a paper has fairly 

 covered the range of work done by the candidates. 



U 3. I feel very strongly on this. We are likely to get the ' pro- 

 fessional examiner,' as we have the professional witness ; and he will be 

 the more mischievoug in that his influence will be the more universally 

 dilfused. 



5. The possibility of arranging outside examinations so as to test 

 what has really been taught in the School, leaving the teachers a freer 

 hand than in the past and arranging for their co-operation on the 

 Examining Board, in the setting of the questions, and in considering the 

 answers. 



There appears to be a strange disinclination to insist that the teacher 

 should be trusted. 



8 C. Would rejoice if this were carried out. 



S 16. Unfortunate to weaken external examinations in either of the 

 ways indicated in this or § 6 ; but 3 must be settled before this is dealt 

 with. 



S 11. Advocates system corresponding to that at the universities 

 where the internal and external examiner co-operate. 



S 19. There appears no i-eason why a supreme Examining Board 

 might not develop the scfieme of the Oxford and Cambridge Conjoint 

 Board for thus testing schools in such work as the schools might wish to 

 submit. Teachers might furnish syllabus, text-books, note-books (pupils' 

 or teachers'), and specimen internal examination papers to suggest and 

 guide drafting of questions by external authority. 



S 22. If the public examintions are on the right lines there would be 

 no need for this plan, which would be attended with almost insuperable 

 objections. 



S 9. Something might be done. 



S 5. We have nothing corresponding to the excellence of system 

 prevalent in some Continental countries by which, for individual exami- 

 nations, members of the teaching staff are associated with the external 

 examiners. 



S 17. Quite possible with care. 



S 2. While I should be in favour of leaving the teachers as free a 

 hand as possible in the achievement of their results, and would give 

 them full right to criticise the examination papers set, with a view to 

 improving the future character of the examination, I would allow no 

 Imnd to the teacher of any subject in setting a paper in that subject. 

 Consciously or unconsciously, his foreknowledge of the coming examina- 

 tion would influence his teaching, the standard of knowledge be lowered, 

 and the examination become no real test. 



S 4. Might be done with advantage ; but it could not be done with an 

 expectation that there would be no unfairness. 



S 13. Seems impossible so long as the ideal is an examination uniform 

 all over the country. It seems to me that this is, therefore, a wrong 

 ideal, and that where possible a real local examining board should be 

 formed by the local University representatives of local schools. In this 

 case (b) the collaboration of schoolmasters might become possible and is 

 desirable ; the idea that this would lead to unfairness should be dis- 

 countenanced. 



1903. <, Q 



