SCHOLASTIC MERGER

President Conant's speech before the educational conference in New York brings to light a theory of education based on the evaluation of a student's ability along special lines. The means of testing this ability in the student who is not overly brilliant in one specific field, but who possesses definite talent in another, is by a combination of various methods of testing. This would involve a merger of such examinations as those conducted by the College Entrance Examination Board, but would not be limited to a specific subject. This general aspect of the examinations would permit the student who has definite knowledge and skill in one field to demonstrate it in contrast to his lack of ability in another. From the results of such a test, it could be ascertained whether the student lacked scholastic ability in all fields of endeavor, or whether one subject was the cause of his difficulties.

Unquestionably the student who is of outstanding ability, regardless of his secondary school background of training, emerges in top position in college. For the man of lower standing the test would be the most valuable. Through the practice of this theory, a far more just standard of judging students would be reached. Entrance examinations would of course be retained but would be given in this combined form. Although the translation of the theory into actual college entrance policy would require a general reorganization of the present system, it is an experiment well worth testing.