E.—l2.

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19. Do you not think it would be a good idea for the teacher to exercise a certain amount ojLdiscretion as to making individual examinations?—l do. I think it might be reduced in that way. 20. Do you think there ought to be a certain amount of discretion with the head teachers .to-pass the duties on to their assistants ?—I certainly do. 21. Has it not been the custom in the past, before the regulation came into force, despite the fact that the Inspector held an annual examination, for the teachers to hold examinations themselves at intervals of their pupils' work? —Yes. 22. So this regulation has really not increased the examinations?—lt has increased the clerical work. Previously the examination-results were not taken down in the careful way they are supposed to be recorded now. 23. But suppose the papers are not kept, and the answers are not kept, and the results are not kept, what facilities have you for ascertaining them ? —lt is part of the duty of an Inspector when he goes to visit a school to inquire into the periodical examinations, and ask to see some of the papers and answers. 24. Do you think it is possible for an Inspector to check all that work? —Certainly not; just as he cannot possibly examine all the pupils in the school. He would call for certain papers for certain classes, and judge that way. 25. Is it the custom in this education district for teachers to give the pupils problem books in arithmetic and the answer books, so that they will simply do the working ? —lt is not customary here. * 26. Do you not think that in the case of the smaller schools, say, of Grade I and Grade 11, the Inspector should conduct the examination under the old system as it used to be, instead of leaving it entirely to the teacher, with just a check from the Inspector?—As a point of fact, the Inspectors do that. The Inspector goes into a small school with only- a few children, and he practically examines them all. I think the only case where an Inspector should examine all the children in a school is where an extremely inexperienced teacher is in charge. The object would be to show the inexperienced teacher what is expected in the matter of knowledge, and during the progress of the examination to direct the questions in such a way as to demonstrate to the teacher how the subjects may be dealt with in teaching. 27. Regulation 9 says, "With a view to ascertain the individual progress of the pupils, the Inspector, where he considers it desirable, may hold an examination of any class in the school on the work done in the class during the current year or during the preceding twelve months. Such examination will be held by the Inspector after consultation with the head teacher, if circumstances permit, and after consideration of any examinations which have been held during the preceding twelve months by the head teacher or the teacher of the class." Do you think the Inspector has time to go through all that rigmarole before he gets this examination? —I think the regulation simply means that the Inspector has to satisfy himself as to the desirability of holding an independent examination before he does it. If he is satisfied that an independent examination ought to be held, this regulation gives him power to hold it. 28. Do you not think it would be much better to have the teachers classified as capable to make these examinations themselves and the teachers classified whose pupils ought to be subject to examination by the Inspectors?— The Chief Inspector, with the other Inspectors, decides whether a school should be fully examined or not. 29. Beforehand? —Yes, beforehand. There are certain schools about which the Inspector will receive instructions from the Chief Inspector, and these he determines to examine beforehand. These are schools known to be relatively inefficient. 30. The point I want to ask about is whether there ought not to be some better system of dealing with it. The objection to examinations seems to be because of the trouble it gives teachers, but I look, at examinations from the point of view of the pupil. Supposing a teacher is not doing his work by the pupils—fortunately there are very few cases, but there have been some —and is shirking in every possible way what he ought to be doing, do you think he ought to remain until the time when the Inspector comes there, when in some cases he will not have more than half a day to ascertain whether that school is efficient? Do you think that is sufficient?— Yes, I do. If you mean that it would be a good thing for the Inspector not to allow a school of that kind to stand over for a year before being tested, Ido not know how you are going to manage that. Of course, it would be better to go and test that school earlier in the year rather than wait five or six months, but how is the Inspector going to do it? He has not time 31. Do you not think this would be an improvement: that the Inspectors in conference should classify certain teachers as those who ought to be entrusted with the work of examination, and certain teachers as those who ought not ?—They would still have to work until the Inspectors got round to examine them. 32. I mean that you should exempt the schools classified as efficient. And more than that, it is very seldom that an Inspector has more than a day at a small school; and if an Inspector found out that the school was being taught inefficiently, surely that is the time to start and examine it right through himself?—No, because what would be the object of examining it right through himself if he is satisfied that the teaching is inefficient? That is sufficient. It is then for him to recommend to the Board, and for the Board to make some alteration in the teaching arrangements. There was one question you raised which I might just explain. In one of our regulations our Inspectors are obliged, as a general rule, to pay two visits to a school in the year. I think it is a great pity there is any such regulation. I think it is a pity that the Inspectors have not got the option of leaving out schools from year to year. There are in all education districts a number of efficient schools that might very well be omitted so far as the visits of the Inspectors are concerned. They might be visited every two years. There are splendid schools doing really good