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6. That the first question to be considered be the control of the inspectorate. 7. That, for the rest, the order in which the subjects are stated in the Chairman's speech be substantially followed. Besolved, on the motion of Dr. Anderson, seconded by Mr. Bindon, That the report as a whole be adopted. The Minister of Education here entered the chamber, and the Chairman invited him to attend the sittings of the Conference. The Minister thanked the Conference, and expressed his intention of attending as a spectator as often as he could do so. The Chairman read a letter from Mr. Biley, Director of the Wellington Technical School, offering to conduct members through the School of Art. Dr. Anderson moved, That the interests of education in the colony require that the inspection and examination of the primary schools be undertaken by officers of the Education Department, and that if necessary the Education Act be amended in this direction. Mr. Bindon seconded the motion. Mr. Goyen moved as an amendment, That, in order to secure something like uniformity, School Inspectors should meet in Conference once every three years. The Chairman ruled the amendment out of order. The motion was then put, and the Chairman declared it not carried. Ayes, 9; noes, 12. Mr. Hill proposed, and Mr. Fleming seconded, That a committee, consisting of Dr. Anderson, Messrs. Goodwin, Lee, Braik, Petrie, and the mover, be appointed to bring up recommendations on the question of uniformity of examination; the report to be the first order of the day for to-morrow. The Chairman declared the motion carried. Mr. Wood moved, and Mr. Petrie seconded, That the Conference go into committee of the whole to consider the question of radical changes in the mode of inspection. The motion was carried, and the Conference went into committee accordingly. The Chairman of Committee reported progress, and asked leave to sit again. Leave granted. The Chairman read a letter from the Assistant-Librarian of the General Assembly Library inviting the members to use the library. The Conference then adjourned till 9.45 a.m. on Friday, on the motion of Mr. Hill, seconded by Mr. Petrie.

Notice of Motion. Mr. Wood to move, (1) The abolition of the pass-system in Standards 1., 11., and III.: the form of the examination and the report to be similar to that at present required for the preparatory classes. (2.) The retention of the class- and pass-systems in Standards IV., V., and VI., with some modification in the direction of reducing the number of subjects in the pass group by the exclusion of geography and drawing. (3.) The assessing of the value of the work in additional subjects by means of general terms —fair, good, improved, &c. —instead of in numbers.

Friday, 2nd February, 1894. The Conference met at 9.45 a.m. The same members were present as at yesterday's sitting. Besolved, on the motion of Mr. Smith, seconded by Mr. Lee, That the thanks of the Conference be sent to the Chairman of the General Assembly Library Committee for his courtesy in inviting the members to make use of the library. Mr. Lee brought up a report from the sub-committee appointed to make recommendations on the question of uniformity of examination. Mr. Petrie moved the adoption of the report. Mr. Lee seconded the motion. Mr. Dickinson moved, That the Conference go into committee to consider the report. Mr. Spence seconded the motion; and the Conference went into committee. At 12.45 the Chairman of the Committee reported progress, and asked leave to sit again. Leave granted. The Conference then adjourned till 2.30 p.m. Conference resumed. Besolved, on the motion of Mr. Hill, seconded by Mr. Bindon, That the thanks of the Conference be given to Mr. Biley for his invitation to the members to visit the school under his control. The Conference then went into committee to further consider the recommendations of the sub-committee appointed to report on the question of uniformity of examination. The committee reported : — 1. That the best way of promoting uniformity of examination throughout the colony, under existing circumstances, seems to be for the Minister to issue to Inspectors a code of instructions defining as clearly as possible the standard of proficiency to be required for a pass in each subject of every standard class. 2. That the arithmetical tests to be used in each of the standard classes above Standard I. should be issued by the Minister to all Inspectors in the colony. At least fifty separate sets of tests for each class above Standard I. should be provided for each year. 3. That, for defining the standard of proficiency necessary for a pass in reading, writing, drawing, and composition, the committee have no suggestion to offer.