E.—B

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tion by which awards of Senior Free Places are made with the concurrence of the Inspector -General on the recommendation of the principal of the secondary school attended or for district high schools of an Inspector of Schools. ■ ' Number who entered, 1911-12 .. .. .. .. . . 8,230 Number who entered, 1910-11 .. .. .. .. .. 7,553 Number actually present at examination, 1911-12 .. . . . . 7,271 Number actually present at examination, 1910-11 .. .. .. 6,682 Number who did not present themselves, 1911-12 .. .. . . 959 Number who did not present themselves, 1910-11 . . .. .. 871 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 have, so far, commonly, but not exclusively, used the Civil Service Junior Examination. In the coming year any exception in this respect will be removed. 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 as the Intermediate Examination, with certain modifications in selected subjects to meet the needs of a non-competitive qualification, it thus serves 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 year, and a qualifying examination for the probationer appointments instituted under the provisions of the Education Amendment Act, 1908. The cost of conducting both groups of examinations was as follows : — Total expenses, including cost of additional clerical services tern- £ a. d. porarily employed, but excluding cost of printing .. .. 5,904 4 8 Less recoveries—fees paid by candidates .. .. .. 4,048 15 6 Net cost of examinations .. . . .. . . £]. 855 9 2

No. 2. The Inspectok-Genekal of Schools to the Hon. the Minister of Education. Sir, — Education Department, Wellington, 30th April, 1912. 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 29th November, 1911, on the 30th November and Ist December, 1911, and between the sth and 20th January, 1912, at the thirteen towns which are the seats of Education Boards, and at Alexandra, Aratapu, Arrowtown, Ashburton, Balclutha, Carterton, Chatham Islands, Dannevirke, Feilding, Gisborne, Gore, Hamilton, Hastings, Hawera, Lawrence, Levin, Marton, Masterton, Naseby, North-east Valley, Oamaru, Ohaeawai, Opotiki, Pahiatua, Palmerston North, Paparoa, Patea, Petone, Pukekohe, Rangiora, Reefton, Stratford, Taihape, Takaka, Tapanui, Taumarunui, Tauranga, Thames, Waihi, Waimate South. Waipawa, Wairoa, Westport, and Whangarei. The following are the numbers of candidates entering for the November-December and January tests as compared with the numbers of the preceding year : — Number who entered, 1911-12 .. .. .. .. .. 8,230 Number who entered, 1910-11 .. .. .. .. .. 7,553 Increase of candidates entered in 1911-12 .. .. .. 677 Number actually present at examination, 1911-12 .. .. .. 7,271 Number actually present at examination, 1910- ] 1 . . . . . . 6,682 Increase of candidates present in 1911-12 .. .. .. 589 Number who did not present themselves, 1911-12 .. .. .. 959 Number who did not present themselves, 1910-11 ~ ~ ~ 871