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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 17, No. 3. March 18, 1953

The End of Finals

page 2

The End of Finals

In the last issue we tried to give in the editorial something for the Association to think about; here we present a scheme for not only the consideration of the students but also the consideration of the staff and possibly the University of New Zealand.

At the end of each university year the student is inflicted with a number of three-hour examinations. This is called "finals;" the preparation for these examinations is called "swot." It is well known that swot imposes upon the student a physical and mental strain that amounts in many cases to near collapse, and often a disinclination towards future study. This reaction is unsound and entirely unnecessary. The institution of "finals" is in itself educationally unsound, and for these reasons:
1.It imposes such a strain upon students. Education should not be complicated with physiological stresses unless totally unavoidable;
2."Finals" are not an indication of a student's ability throughout the year, but merely of his "swotting ability;"
3.Retention from such intensively studied superficial matter is practically nil-this is educationally unsound;
4.A student can pass a unit by neglecting one section of his work and hope that his other papers will pull him through;
5.Part-timers, through their inability to obtain long periods from work in which to swot, are at a disadvantage;
6.The disposition of the time-table brings mechanical factors in what Should be a purely educational matter;
7.Factors for Which a student cannot claim an [unclear: aegrotat] often enter into his chance of passing. One set of examinations is the final Judge of his academic ability when often finals merely record that a student has a bad migraine. To remedy this state of affairs we advocate a simple change in the examination system: dominate "finals."

That's all very well you say but what will we put in their place. The answer is—we won't eliminate examinations, but simply "finals." In other words, we wish to spread what were "finals" over the whole year. This would mean that each student would sit a three-hourly examination set and marked by each department at the end of each term. The advantages are obvious. No student would be able to let his work lapse; the part-timer would be able to cope with his work better with sectionalised examinations; no student would be able to neglect any part of his work in favour of any other part; the end of year strain would disappear; both staff and student would be able to measure progress much easier, etc. And for terms (if you need terms-In most departments they are a farce) what better than the lecturers judgments based on class exercises, practicals, essays, and assignments.

Obviously no-one would consider abandoning examinations altogether-pity! So we offer this modification for the staffs consideration. Later on we hope to print their reactions to the scheme. We are tired of seeing students who have worked conscientiously to gain reasonable terms flop miserably in finals for some of the petty reasons we have mentioned. Finals as part of the education system are old-fashioned, so let's get rid of them.

—T.H.H.