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means of efficient culture, do not interfere with; the period©
of development in the school but on the other hand» they
can help in attaining thoroughness. But the examinations
th at are ends or- th.e so c-alAed external:, examinations are not
calculated to assist in this proper development and on, the
contrary positively work detrim entally to- the student’s gen
eral culture. Mxternai exam inations are given to©' much in
th e U nited States, but not so extensively as in England and
Erance-.. In the period of childhood a considerable harm is
done in England w here honors, prizes, scholarships and gov
ernm ent g ra n ts are the rew ard for successfully passing exam
inations, The . charge against E ngland in. the past does not
hold, so true today» hut external examinations have been ex
tensive there and Sharpless* say,s- they have caused a great
deal of gyil. The government has followed the policy of
“paym ent by results” in which they aid a school, in proportion
to. the number q i students who pass certain examinations
gfven by some other institution or some outside authorities.
T h e teachers are anxious, to. get as much. governm ent aid for
th eir school as. possible and therefore they try to g et as many-
students as possible ready for these examinations. This is
alright, so far but no further. The teachers ascertain what
suldeyts jir-e required in the examination,. usually these are the.
formalistic .o nes». but whateyer they are, they furnish thence
forth the chief part of the curriculum. They and they alone
are. emphasised and all other subjects which may and often do
include the very things necessary to develop spontaneity»
originality and the imaginative powers, are neglected, more
than this the physical» moral, and aesthetic side which mean
so much to the childhood and youth, are neglected^ B ut
w orst of all,, the fedchqrs instead of trying to. make of every
pupil a fair average student, neglect the dullest ones and
favor and give chief attention to the bright ones, hoping
thereby to make with the latter., increased reputation for. the,
school. The teaching too» becomes bad and adapted only to
* Eng. Ejduc. Chs, EI, IV: