E.—l.

An illustrated manual of physical exercises for general use in schools is now in the printer's hands. The report of the officer commanding public-school cadets is printed in a separate paper (8.-1 d). Conveyance of School-childben. In 1906 £10,083 2s. 6d., made up as follows, was paid for conveyance of schoolchildren—viz., railway fares of pupils attending public schools, £2,691 ; of pupils attending private schools, £1,005 10s. ; of holders of free places attending district high schools, £1,858 14s. ; of holders of free places attending secondary schools, £2,125 ; and of holders of free places attending technical schools, £1,632 10s.; grants for conveyance of children by road and water—to Auckland Education Board, £26 ; Taranaki Board, £9 18s.; Wanganui Board, £69 125.; Wellington Board, £22 16s. 6d.; Hawke's Bay Board, £12 12s. 6d. ; Nelson Board, £43 4s. 6d. ; North Canterbury Board, £21 Bs. ; South Canterbury Board, £181 13s. 6d. ; Otago Board, £229 17s. 6d."; and Southland Board, £153 6s. Civil Sebvice Examinations. The Civil Service Examinations were, as usual, conducted by the Education Department—the Junior Examination in December, 1906, and the Senior Examination simultaneously with the examinations for teachers' certificates in January, 1907. For the Junior Examination there were in all 2,123 candidates, representing a very marked increase on the number reached in any previous year. Of this total, 1,114 (or a little over 50 per cent.) entered for the examination ostensibly as candidates for admission to th,e public service under the Civil Service Kegulations, the remainder made use of the examination for other purposes, as candidates for senior free places in secondary schools and district high schools, for the examination of pupil-teachers in the service of Education Boards, and for Education Board senior scholarships or under the conditions of tenure of Junior National scholarships. Of the Civil Service candidates, properly so considered, 759 passed the examination, 566 of them with credit, as shown in the order-of-merit list published in the Gazette of the 29th January, 1907. For the Senior Examination there were 183 candidates, and the names of 138 of this number were published in the Gazette of the 22nd February, 1907, one as having passed the examination with distinction, 54 as having passed the examination, and 84 as having passed in two or more subjects. Further particulars are given in the report of the Annual Examinations (E.-Ia). SCHOLABSHIPS AND FeEE PLACES. The Education Board scholarship scheme by which the Education Boards, under local regulations approved by the Minister of Education, award annually a large number of scholarships of varying value out of an allowance of old standing, amounting to Is. 6d. per head of the average attendance, still remains the chief door of entry to secondary schools for the most promising of the primary school pupils. The regulations adopted in the different districts commonly provide for two classes of scholarships, junior and senior—the former limited to children under fourteen or in some cases under thirteen years of age resident in the district, and tenable usually for two years; the latter, more restricted in number, continuing the secondary education of the holders for two or three years longer. During the year 1906 Education Board scholarships—junior and senior—were current to the number of 463, as against a total of 394 for 1905. The actual monetary value of these scholarships in most instances is small, the object in view being generally to spread the benefits as widely as possible rather than to provide attractive prizes for a few. Each scholarship, however, through the operatio of the provisions for free places, which give a preference to scholarship-holders, carries with it in a'l but certain exceptional circumstances the substantial benefit of free tuit ; on, and"a lodging or travelling allowance is added where necessary. The total expenditure of Education Boards on scholarships of this class during the year 1906 was £8,487.

iii—E. 1.

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