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The standards of qualification for National Scholarships for the year, fixed in accordance with the provisions of the Act, were 64 per cent, for juniors, and per cent, for seniors. In the case of junior-scholarship candidates from oneteacher schools the standard of qualification was fixed at its lowest limit allowable by regulation—viz., 10 per cent, below the ordinary standard. The cost of conducting the examinations was as follows :■- Total expenses, including cost of additional clerical services temporarily £ employed, but omitting other salaries .. .. .. .. 7,236 Less amounts received or to be received — £ Fees paid by candidates for teachers' certificates and others .. 2,631 Contribution by Public Service Commissioner for expense of conducting Public Service Examinations, the fees for which, amounting to £1,312, were credited to him— Public Service Entrance, June, 1920 .. .. 351 Public Service Entrance, November, 1920 .. .. 1,002 Public, Service Senior, January, 1921 . . .. 98 4^082 Net expenditure .. .. .. .. £3.154

No. 2. The Director op Education to the Hon. the Minister op Education. Sir,— Education Department, Wellington, 31st March, 1921. T have the honour to present the following report of the annual examinations conducted by the Department for the various purposes of Junior and Senior National Scholarships, of junior and senior free places in secondary schools, district high schools, and technical schools, and for teachers' certificates ; also of the examinations associated therewith and conducted by arrangement with the Public Service Commissioner for admission to and promotion in the Public Service. These examinations fall into four main groups : — (i.) A special Public Service Entrance Examination held in June ; (ii.) An examination to determine the grant of Junior Scholarships and junior free places, held in November or December ; (iii.) A main series for Public Service Entrance, Senior National Scholarship, and senior free place purposes, held in November ; and (iv.) A January series («) for teachers' certificates of Classes D and C, and incidentally to some extent of Class B, and (b) for Public Service Senior qualifications. The examinations were held from the 22nd November to Ist December, 1920, and from the sth to 18th January, 1921. The following places were centres of examination : Tin? nine towns which are the seats of Education Boards, and Alexandra, Aratapu, Ashburton, Balclutha, Blenheim, Carterton, Collingwood, Coromandel, Dannevirke, Darfield, Eketahuna, Foilding, Gisborne, Gore, Greymouth, Hamilton, Hastings, Hawera, Hokitika, Kohukohu, Lawrence, Levin, Marton, Masterton, Oamaru, Fahiatua, Palmerston North, Paparoa, Patea, Petone, Pukekohe, Rangiora, Eeefton, Rotorua, Stratford, Taihape, Takaka, Tapanui, Taumarunui, Tauranga, Tβ Kuiti, Thames, Timaru, Waihi, Waimate, Waipawa, Wairoa, Warkworth, Westport, Whakatane, and Whangaroi. There were five centres in Auckland City and two in Christchurch. The following are the numbers of candidates who entered for the various examinations mentioned above as compared with the numbers of the preceding year : — 'Number who entered 1919-20 .. .. .. .. .. 9,071 1920-2J .. .. .. .. 9 ; 759 Increase of candidates entered in 1920-21 .. .. .. 688 Number actually present at examination, 1919-20 .. .. .. 7,739 1920-21 '.. .. .. 8,020 Increase of candidates present in 1920-21 .. . . .. 281 Number-who did not present themselves, 1919-20 .. .. ..1,332 1920-21 .. .. 1,739 A certain proportion of the absentees is accounted for by the operation of a clause in the Regulations for Senior Free Places under which a, number of candidates recommended on an accrediting principle therein embodied were exempt from examination, and accordingly did not present themselves. A provision on a somewhat similar principle embodied in the Regulations for Training-colleges also accounts for ;\ certain proportion of the number. Approximately 2,000 candidates were thus given exemption from the Intermediate Examination, of whom 673 are not included in the total of examination entries given above.