Page 214 - Records of Bahrain (5) (ii)_Neat

534 Records of Bahrain

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There is one remaining maltor of school routine to be dealt with, tho
ol llio Final Examinations, that is to say, examinations for Educa-
niliter --
lion Departmont certificates.
I have carefully studied the examiuation-pupers sot for tho senior boys
last .June, and I find, as indeed I half expected to find, that many of tho
Questions,'especially those set in the English papers, aro childish in standard,
Lie seme cases not tests of language at all, but meroly momory-tests,
designed, apparently, to liud out whether tho boys would bo ablo to roraoin-
berunito'unimportant dotuils in tho stories whioh they had boon roadiug
during tho past your. Many of tho questions woro quito unworthy of a
pluce in any sorious examination, other than ono sot for rnero infants.

Bahrain is not alono in this matter of unworthy examinations. In
sooio of tho other Arab states, schoolmastors who are afraid of seeing thoir
boys fail in tho final examinations aro giving thorn, your by yoar, only the
simplest questions, of tho kind which thoy will bo quito suro to be ablo to
answer successfully. And sido by sido with this dishonosty goos a gross
ovcriuurking of tho auswers, designed to ensure that all tho candidates
shall'pass, at whutevor cost. In some States this has boon going on for
so long, and so consistently, that whonovor it huppons that an honost
teacher sct9 a rcusonablo oxamination-paper wo havo tho ridiculous spcc-
taclo of tho wholo mass of tho candidates walking out of tho exaraiun-
tioo-room nud goiug in u body to complain to tho Ministry of Eduoation
that the questions aro too hard ! Tho order then goes forth, oithor that a
ucw examination shull bo hold, containing easier questions, or that tho
correctors shall pass all tho candidates, bach a state of affairs of cour60
only btiugs these educational systems into lidiculo and coutompt, for it
clearly shows that the educational authorities, who frequently refer to thorn-
selves n9 experts, have no roal conception of education at all. Worse still,
that this sort of thiug is going on iu tho East is quito well known in Europo,
aud in consequoncc tho great universities of England and Franco refuse
to recognise certificates of education issued by souio of tho Arab statos.
This means that an Arab studout from any of tlieso statos who wishes to
enter u good Europoau university is unablo to do so uutil ho has successfully
submitted hiiuself for a fresh examination in Europo. Aud so, in tho end,
it is tbohtudent who 6ullers, for tho shortcomings of his seniors.

It is much to be hoped that tho Education Department will tako
eocrgctic steps to soo that a similar state of affairs does not ariso in Bahrain.
>> hoover is selected to bo tho now controller of education will have to put
UP' a 'manful light against unworthy examinations, and Headmasters,
assistaub uiastor6, und boys will have to bo made to reuliso that only harm
aod ridicule can result from tho setting of ohildish examinations by school­
masters. Elsewhero iu this lleport I have suggested to your Higbnos3
•at, in the ubscnco of a British director of education, an examiner from
outside Bahrain should bo engaged each yoar, and that all tho lioal oxainina-
ious should be couductcd by him, during a short visit to tho Island. If for
|liyrca55011 this suggestion doos not find favour with your Highuoss, thon
suggest that, sinco tho issuo to a boy of a Government certificate ot
* ucuiiur, is a guarauteo by tho Education Department that ho has boon
P nporly educated, it follows that all tho urrangomonts for ccrtiuoato
filiations ought to bo in tho bauds of tho Education Department.
1.1. suggest to your Highness that tho papors whioh tho boys aro to
‘U should be submitted to tho Education Department for approval hefor
y are given to the candidates; that tho examinations thomsolvcs shou c
C0|Hl'i(:'v!,l by tho Education Department, away from tho sohools;