E.—2.

and impartially ; the few exceptions were brought before the notice of the Principals of the schools concerned. As the standards adopted by the teachers naturally varied from school to school a system of check examining (chiefly by departmental officers) was employed in order to correlate the standards of the various teacher examiners and also those of the external examiners. The process of checking and correlating entailed a large amount of labour, and the publication of the results was naturally somewhat delayed. It is pleasing to note that several secondary schools have voluntarily expressed the opinion that, though they would not welcome a recurrence of such a burdensome examination, much valuable information regarding the standard of certain subjects in their schools has been obtained. Several unsolicited expressions of admiration of the thoroughness of the departmental organization of the examination have also been received. After the results were published information was supplied to all departmental schools regarding the standards attained (the median mark) by their pupils in subjects in which at least twenty candidates sat. This innovation has also met with approval. From secondary and combined schools entries were made by 4,956 candidates ; those who actually sat the examination numbered 4,500, and of these 3,375 passed. Senior free places were also awarded to an additional 105 candidates, who, though failing to pass the examination, obtained tolerably good marks and had previously been recommended by their Principals on the basis of internal examinations and other school records. Owing to the financial stringency, it was decided early in 1932 to abandon the practice hitherto followed of awarding University Bursaries to all holders of the higher leaving certificates issued by the Department. In place of the University Bursaries a system of University National Bursaries has been established ; these are of the same value and are held under the same conditions as the former bursaries, but are awarded only on the results of the University Entrance Scholarship Examination in either a full or a partial range of subjects. The new procedure was announced somewhat late in the year, and the number of candidates was accordingly comparatively small. Of the 182 candidates who qualified by passing the examination only 135 applied for bursaries and accepted them. It is possible that a fair proportion of the remainder have decided to remain at school for another year and to compete for either a scholarship or a bursary at the next examination, but the applications have nevertheless been much fewer than was expected. It may be noted that at the beginning of 1932, the last occasion under the former system of award, as many as 512 new bursaries were granted to students entering the University colleges. Although the higher leaving certificate no longer entitles the holder to a University Bursary and does not assist him, as formerly, to obtain a post as a probationer in the primary schools, the number of applicants for the certificate has not appreciably diminished, and during the year 952 pupils from departmental secondary and 150 from endowed and registered private secondary schools were awarded certificates by the system of accrediting that has been followed for many years past. Lower leaving certificates, also awarded by accrediting, were awarded to four pupils from private secondary schools and to a similar number from the schools conducted by the Department. Although the Department was able to announce comparatively early in the year that a new School Certificate Examination, of a standard equivalent to that of the University Entrance Examination, but with a wider range of subjects, would possibly be held at the close of the year, it was regretfully realized later that the holding of the compulsory Intermediate Examination for over nine thousand candidates would preclude the possibility of the establishment of a new examination at that stage without increasing the Departmental staff, an altogether inadvisable procedure in a period of enforced economies. The principle of a school leaving certificate has in the meantime been accepted as a natural step forward, but it is obvious that care must be exercised to inaugurate the system with such precautions as will ensure that the certificate shall receive proper recognition from the public and from employers in the business community especially. It would be well not to hold the examination at too short a notice only to find that a handful of candidates had presented themselves. The success attending the launching of the school-certificate system will depend in no small measure upon the amount of earnest propaganda that secondary-school teachers are prepared to devote to the enlightenment of parents, employers, and the public generally regarding the intrinsic worth of the certificate as a measure or criterion of general scholastic attainment. The district high schools visited during the year were those of the Nelson, Wellington, Hawke's Bay, and Wanganui Education Districts. On the whole, a general improvement in the standard of teaching is noticeable, due in part to the increasing supply of young graduate teachers who have had some training in secondary methods during their training-college course. The tendency to concentrate too much on the examination syllabus and to exclude subjects with a cultural value only is still in evidence ih some schools. The Department's curtailment of the employment of part-time teachers has resulted in the disappearance of the commercial subjects from the curricula of most of the district high schools ; in a few cases, however, a member of the regular staff is able to teach a little bookkeeping. The past year has witnessed a further advance in the process of securing closer co-operation between the different branches of the Inspectorate. Where time can be found for the purpose the specialist Inspectors of technical schools visit some of the secondary schools and report upon the teaching of the more " practical " subjects, and similarly the secondary Inspectors visit some of the technical schools and report upon the courses which are more or less of a secondary-school character. In both cases the reports are made to the senior departmental officer of the other branch and not directly to the Boards of the schools concerned. So far as the scheme has been operated it shows distinct promise of utility to both groups of Inspectors and there appears to be every justification for the belief that a still greater measure of co-operation will be possible in the near future. In conclusion, I have again to thank my colleagues for their loyal co-operation and to place on record my appreciation of their zeal and their devotion to duty. 1 have, &cJ E. J. Pake, The Director of Education, Wellington. Chief Inspector of Secondary Schools.

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