E.~la.

As in former years, it was found necessary to have three examination centres for the Auckland District: in each of the other districts one centre was sufficient. With one exception, the work of supervision and of examination in reading and writing was done by the Boards' Inspectors, under an agreement made with the Boards in 1880. The expenses of the examination this year amount to £417 10s. lid., and the fees received from candidates to £391. The examiners for the year in the principal subjects were the same as for last year, except that the Principal of the Normal School at Auckland, instead of the Principal of the Christchurch Normal School, was associated with the Principal of the Wellington Normal School as examiner in the art of teaching and school management. It is to be presumed that the principals of normal schools have very special qualifications for dealing with this technical subject, and this consideration ought, I think, to outweigh any objection likely to be raised on account of their being required to examine some of their own pupils with other candidates. The examiners feel the force of this objection, but it is, 1 think, to a great extent neutralized by associating two examiners each year, and changing one name every year. The examiners have suggested the propriety of withholding from them the names of ' the candidates whose papers they read; but I do not think any such precaution is necessary, or that it would be of any use. I append an important extract from the report of Mr. Howard and Mr. McArthur, in which they state their opinion as to the principal causes of the very large number of failures in their subject. The examiner in English for Class E complains of the frequent occurrence of ignorant or careless punctuation, a defect to which several failures in the subject are due. In chemistry —an optional subject for Class D—there were three candidates. The examiner reports that they all passed with great credit. As a rule the paper in domestic economy —which women may take instead of the paper in elementary science—was extremely well done. In elementary science, although a few papers were good, many of the candidates who obtained sufficient marks for a pass exhibited " such misconception as to the scope of the scientific principles involved as would be very misleading " to their pupils. The examiner in drawing remarks on a general tendency to " line in " the iigure before the form has been accurately sketched. The examination in music, requiring some viva voce work, has to be intrusted to local examiners, and on that account is less uniform than the examination in most other subjects. Mr. Petrie has suggested a slight change of the date of examination. He says that if it were held a week earlier there would be less interference with the work of the schools, and that rooms could be more easily obtained. As no change can be made without an Order in Council, I prefer to leave the consideration of this matter until I can obtain statements of opinion from authorities in all the districts, and ascertain if any time can be fixed that would give general satisfaction. The end of the year would be the best time, but as a rule the Inspectors are very much occupied during the first half of December in examining the largest schools, and it would not bo wise to interfere with Christmas holidays. The next best time would be the beginning of January, but this would involve a break in the middle of the only time the Inspectors have free for their own recreation. The varying date of the short Easter holiday makes that an unsuitable time; and the cold wet weather that may be expected during the mid-winter recess in some parts of the country would seriously interfere with the comfort, and perhaps with the success, of candidates required to attend examination at that period of the year. I append a set of examination papers for Class D and Class E. Several teachers have lately qualified for Classes B and C by passing the examinations of the University of New Zealand. I have, &c, The Hon. the Minister of Education. Wm. Jas. Habens.

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