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and some district high schools which had dropped the subject are now restoring it as a curriculum subject for academic pupils or utilizing the Correspondence School course where there are too few pupils to form a class. More schools have taken up the teaching of German, mainly at the Sixth Form level. Latin appears to have reached a stable position. The development of the secondary departments of Maori district high schools is reflected in the noticeable increase in the number of School Certificate candidates offering Maori. Poliomyelitis Epidemic • The epidemic which began in 1947 carried over into 1948, and the reopening of schools was delayed until Ist March. The experience gained with assignment work by correspondence in 1947 was immediately used in 1948. Except in the Auckland Province, and in one or two other isolated cases, schools reopened early in March ; in Auckland schools remained closed for varying periods, in most cases for the greater part of the first term. There were a few cases of the closing of schools in each month until October. Correspondence work was strongly developed when the pupil proved thoroughly keen. The epidemic had its effect on the rolls of schools. A number of pupils who had secured temporary employment during the vacation were encouraged by the late opening of schools to remain in employment rather than work by correspondence, and many severed their connection with school completely. Schools were permitted to staff on the figures for 1947, and thus to retain their existing staff. Consideration was also given to the effect on pupils sitting for examinations in 1948. After discussion with representatives of the University of New Zealand, a concession was agreed on which was applied to both School Certificate and University Entrance candidates. The concession took into account the varied lengths of time during which schools were closed. The effect on the School Certificate Examination was as follows Number of candidates .. .. .. .. .. 8,592 Number of passes without adjustment .. .. .. 4,778 Number of additional passes on account of poliomyelitis concession .. .. .. .. .. 317 The arrangements made appear to have given satisfaction. Accrediting for University Entrance Accrediting proceeded smoothly in 1948. There were many comments on the working of the scheme, as is perhaps inevitable when it remains open to question and decision whether a school should be admitted to the list of accrediting schools or left out. For the most part those schools that have been so admitted are content to exercise the responsibilities and privileges while gaining experience of the operation of accrediting. Schools not yet admitted, however, may resolve with equal and opposite force either that all schools of their type should have the right to accredit or that the system should be abolished. It has therefore been observed with interest that the Senate of the University of New Zealand has decided to set up a committee to investigate the whole accrediting system.

Some statistical information concerning the University Entrance Examination for the years 1947 and 1948 is given below :

16

Year. Total dumber of Candidates. Number Accredited. Number Passed Examination. Percentage Accredited. 1947 1948 3,500 3,711 1,844 1,872 491 626 52-7 50-4