SENIOR FREE PLACES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 311, 25 September 1908, Page 2

SENIOR FREE PLACES.

AN IMPORTANT CONCESSION.

An important concession with regard to the candidature of district high school pupils for senior free places waa conveyed in a letter to the Wellington Education Board from the In-spector-General, read at the board's meeting yesterday. - . '

Iu the course of his remarks, the InspectorGone.ral said that under the regulations go-, verning the granting of"6enior freo places, tho recommendations for such were left in the hands of the school inspectors. As it was important that whatever advantage might' be open to deserving pupils of secondary schools should also bo open to those at district high schools, jt was necessary that the co-operation of the inspectors should be obtained. . Subject to the consent of the board, it was suggested that the inspectors might, by observation, supplemented, if necessary,' by ; some kind of examination, and consultation with the teachers, arrive at'some preliminary estimate of the qualifications of a claimant. This would be followed later by such further information from the head teacher regarding the pupil's position in the school, as "would enable the inspector to finally' determine whether or not a recommendation be made to the Education-; Department that pupil. Card 'recordsj showing' whether the required units- of work had been completed satisfactorily, would accompany the inspector's recommendations to the* Department, which should bo forwarded not later than September 30 in each year; the date when applications for the .senior' free place examinations must be made.

• The previous estimate of the inspector meanwhile -would be treated as confidential, the pupil making application for examination in the usual way; hut before the examination took place an intimation would be made as to whether, or how far, the candidate might consider himself exempt. On the forms to be supplied for the purposes of the inspectors' recommendations, there would be two lists—(l) a general exemption list of candidates, and (2) a list showing recommendations on the ground of individual practical work either fpr exemption in somo special subject or subjects of the Civil Service Junior science group, or for the proportionate recognition of work in some non-examination subject specified in the .free pjape regulations, but. not included in the civil service list.' , .

The letter was received with general approval;- Captain/M'Donald remarking that the idea of encouraging the best pupils to go forward was a most, excellent one, removing, as it. did,, many disabilities which often prevented otherwise clever children from appear? ing at their best in the fever of examinations.