E.— 8.

2

The Department's examination for Junior National Scholarships is now used by all the Education Boards of the Dominion for the award of their Junior Scholarships, superseding thus without exception any examination locally conducted in earlier years for this purpose. For the award of their Senior Scholarships the Boards commonly, but not exclusively, use the Civil Service Junior Examination. Apart from this extension of its functions, the Civil Service Junior Examination is employed for a variety of purposes. Either in its proper competitive form, or with certain modifications in selected subjects to meet the needs of a non-competitive qualification, it is thus used not only as an entrance examination for the Civil Service of the Dominion, but as a scholarship examination, an examination for the Senior Free Place qualification in secondary schools and district high schools, an examination for pupil-teachers of the second or third years, and a qualifying examination for the probationer appointments recently instituted under the provisions of the Education Amendment Act, 1908. In its non-competitive form this examination is better known as the Intermediate Examination, and will be hereafter so referred to. The cost of conducting both groups of examinations was as follows : — £ s. d. Total expenses, exclusive of cost of printing and clerical work .. 5,274 6 3 Less recoveries—fees paid by candidates . . .. . . 3,739 5 7 Net cost of examinations .. .. .. .. £1,535 (• 8

No. 2 The [nSPECTOR-GeNERAL OF Schools to the Hon. the MINISTER OF EDUCATION. Sir, — Education Department, Wellington, 15th June, 1911. I have the honour to present the following report of the annual examinations conducted by the Department for the various purposes of Junior National Scholarships, Junior Free Places in secondary schools, district high schools, and technical schools, Senior Free Places in secondary schools and district high schools, for admission to or promotion in the Civil Service, and for teachers' certificates. The examinations were held between the 21st and 28th November, 1910, on the Ist and 2nd December, 1910, and between the sth and 19th January, 1911, at the thirteen towns which are the seats of Education Boards, and at Alexandra, Aratapu, Arrowtown, Ashburton, Balclutha, Carterton, Chatham Islands, Dannevirke, Gisborne, Gore, Hamilton, Hastings, Hawera, Lawrence, Levin, Marton, Masterton, Naseby, Oamaru, Opotiki, Pahiatua, Palmerston North, Pukekohe, Rangiora, Reefton, Stratford, Taihape, Tapanui, Tauranga, Thames, Waihi, Waimate South, Waipawa, Wairoa, Westport, and Whangarei. The following are the details of the number of candidates entering for the November-December and January tests : — Number who entered, 1910-11 .. .. .. .. .. 7,553 Number who entered, 1909-10 . . . . .. . . . . 7,267 Increase in 1910-11 .. .. .. .. .. 286 Number actually present at examination, 1910-11 .. .. .. 6,682 Number actually present at examination, 1909-10 .. . . .. 6,508 Increase in 1910-11 .. .. .. .. .. 17-1 Number who did not preseni themselves, 1910-11 .. .. .. 871 This difference of 871 between those who entered for examination and those who actually sat is accounted for partly on the usual grounds, and partly by the operation of a new clause in the Regulations for Senior Free Places, introduced in 1908, under which a number of candidates recommended on an accrediting principle therein embodied were exempt from examination, and accordingly did not present themselves. In the several examinations the following were the numbers present : — Junior National Scholarship and Junior Free Plane Examinations . . 2,383 Civil Service Junior and allied examinations . . . . . . .. 2.375 Civil Service Senior Examination .. . . .. . . . . 390 For certificate examinations .. .. .. .. .. 1,531 The Department's examination for Junior National Scholarships is now used by all the Education Boards of the Dominion for the award of their Junior Scholarships, superseding thus without exception any examination locally conducted in earlier years for this purpose. For the award of their Senior Scholarships the Boards commonly, but not exclusively, use the Civil Service Junior Examination. Apart from such an extension of its functions, this examination is employed for a variety of purposes. Either in its proper competitive form, or with certain modifications in selected .subjects to meet the needs of a non-competitive qualification, it is thus used not only as an entrance examination for the Civil Service of the Dominion, but as a scholarship examination, an examination for the Senior Free I , lace qualification in secondary schools and district high schools, an examination for pupil-teachers of the second or third years, and a qualifying examination for the probationer appointments recently instituted under the provisions of the Education Amendment Act, 1908.