Abstract
DR. W. P. ALEXANDER gave a paper at a meeting in connexion with the recent conference of the National Union of Teachers to members engaged inhigher education, on “Methods of Selection for Post-Primary Education”. He emphasized the need for basing any system of selection on the capacity of the pupils to profit by the type of education to be followed. As at present arranged, selection is based rather on good work done in the junior school, instead of on the grounds of the child's capacity to profit by the education offered. The first most important factor is general mental energy, expressing itself primarily in words, and this ability should be the basis of selection for the grammar school type of education, or in terms of things, showing itself as practical or technical ability. In addition, however, there is required for success in life the character quality of determination. How these requirements are to be tested is a matter for research, some at least of which has already been done. Dr. Alexander suggested that the first selection need only be very simple tests in English and arithmetic, in order to know if the child has sufficient facility to begin post-primary education. For the second selection we need tests to measure general mental energy in conjunction with verbalability or with technical ability. Lastly, in the absence of reliable tests for character qualities, the considered opinions of the school staffcould be utilized. Not only would this method be simpler than the one now in operation, but it would also free the primary schools from the examination fetish. Having ascertained how many pupils there are who have the capacity to profit by the grammar school or advanced technical instruction, the necessary facilities must be provided. For the others, seniormodern schools with sufficient variation to allow for the varying degrees and types of capacities among the pupils are needed.
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Selection for Post-Primary Education. Nature 141, 110–111 (1938). https://doi.org/10.1038/141110c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/141110c0