1886. NEW ZEALAND.

E.—la

EDUCATION: EXAMINATION OF TEACHERS. [In Continuation of E.-1a, 1885.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The InSpector-Genebal of Schools to the Hon. the Minister of Education. Sie, — Education Department, Wellington, 30th June, 1886. I have the honour to report on the result of the eighth annual examination for certificates, which was held simultaneously at sixteen centres in December of last year. The number of candidates continues to increase. At the seventh examination the total number was 721; at this eighth examination it was 790, classified as follows : — Eor the examination for Class D ... ... ... ... ... 190 E ... ... ... ... ... 369 To complete the work of former examinations — For Class A ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 „ B 4 C 2 „ D ... 92 E 132 ■ 231 790 Some of the candidates sat for a part of their work at the matriculation examination, and for the rest at the Department's examination, and, as these paid a fee to the University, they were not required to pay one to the Department. The candidates for completion of former examinations are exempt from payment. The fees received amounted to £533 Is., and the expenses of examination to £603 2s. sd. Ninety-four candidates absented themselves from examination, and the number examined was 696, classified as follows : 166 for Class D, 328 for E, and 202 (1 for A, 4 for B, 2 for C, 81 for D, and 111 for E) to complete the work of former examinations. There are not many candidates that can be regarded as outsiders. The 202 candidates who sat for the purpose of completing the work of former examinations are most of them teachers, and of those that sat for the whole of the D examination there were only two that were not in some way connected with the public schools; while for Class E there were.only 31 such persons. The candidates who sat for the full examination —as distinguished from the 202 candidates who sat for completion—may be divided as follows: — Status. Examined for D. Examined for E. Already qualified for Class E ... ... ... 85 Partly qualified for Class E ... ... ... ... 38 Teachers without certificates... ... ... ... 8 ... 158 Normal-school students ... ... ... ... 31 ... 26 Normal-school ex-students ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 Pupil-teachers ... ... ... ... ... 2 ... 93 Ex-pupil-teachers ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8 Not connected with the public-school system ... ... 2 ... 31 166 328 Out of the 494 candidates that sat for the full examination 61 passed in full. Of this number, 15 (4 of whom were already qualified for Class E) passed for Class D, and 46 (of whom 14 sat for Class D, but did not satisfy the requirements of that class) passed for Class E. Twenty-six others who sat for the D examination completed their former examination for Class E, though they failed for D. Thus, out of 494 candidates for the full examination, 4 qualified for promotion from Class E to Class D, 11 for Class D without passing through Class E, and 72 for Class E. Of the 202 candidates that sat for completion, 83 passed, of whom 20 already held certificates. Out of the 20, 19 thus became qualified for promotion from E to D, and one exchanged a provisional certificate for a final one. Also, 4 candidates for completion for Class D, while they failed for that class, were allowed to pass for Class E. So far then as examination qualifies for a certificate, 150 qualified for certificates (1 for Class A, 3 for B, 27 for D, and 119 for E), and 24 for promotion (23 from E to D, and 1 from provisional to final certificate). It may be as well to say —since the contrary is often stated with some show of authority—that examination alone does not fully qualify for a certificate, and that no certificate has -ever been granted by the Department without proof of two years' service, and the testimony of an Inspector as to sufficient practical skill. Of the candidates whose work was not considered good enough to pass, a large number have had all their good work recorded in their favour, and will be allowed to complete their examination by passing next year in the one or two subjects each in which they were deficient. Of these, 48 were partially successful for Class D, and 103 (2 of whom were candidates for Class D) were partially I—E. IA.