19

E.—le

Certificates of Competency. 16. (i.) A "certificate of competency" means a certificate that the holder has fulfilled the requirements of some standard of education, prescribed by these regulations and named on such certificate, in (1) reading, (2) writing and spelling, (3) composition, (4) arithmetic, and has satisfied the Inspector that he lias received sufficient instruction in the other subjects : Provided that the Inspector may accept work below the requirements of such standard in one, but not more than one, of the subjects (2) to (i). (ii.) A person may be a candidate for a certificate of competency on one of the following grounds : — (a.) That he is seeking employment in the public service or elsewhere; (b.) That he wishes to enter a secondary school: ('•.) That he is under fourteen years of age, and that his parent wishes to obtain for him a certificate of exemption as prescribed in section 142 of " The Education Act, 1904 " : (d.) That the parent of any child is not satisfied with the classification of such child in the school. [Note. —Under (b) and (c) lie must be a candidate for a certificate of competency in Standard V.] [( 1) Under (b) he must lie a candidate for a certificate of competency in Standard V, and under (c) he must be a candidate for a certificate of competency in Standard Vl.] 17. Immediately on the receipt of the notice of the Inspector's visit provided for in clause 1, the head teacher shall post for public information, in a conspicuous place on the school premises, a notice that such visit is about to be made, and shall call the attention of the children thereto. The parent of any child of school age, or on the roll of any school, who wishes such child to obtain a certificate of competency must give notice of his desire in writing to the head teacher at least three days before such visit; this notice must state on which of the grounds named in clause 16 the parent wishes such certificate to be granted. The head teacher shall, on the day of the visit above referred to, hand to the Inspector lists in duplicate of those on behalf of whom notice has been given to him of the desire to obtain certificates of competency. These lists shall be written on forms provided by the Department. 18. The Inspector shall, at or about the date of the visit of which notice is given as prescribed in clause 1, arrange for the examination of such children as are candidates for certificates of competency in whatever way he may deem fit, and may examine them at their own or any other school; provided that for such purpose no child shall be compelled to attend at any school (not being his own school) more than five miles from his place of residence. The Inspector may, if he see cause, refuse to examine for a certificate of competency any child on the roll of a public school who has not been instructed for at least six months in the work of the standard to which such certificate refers, or in the work of a higher standard; or any candidate who has failed to reach the required standard at an examination held by an Inspector during the previous three months; or any candidate in whose case he is not satisfied of the existence of one of the grounds named in clause 16 hereof. Nothing in this regulation shall prevent an Inspector from accepting at any time the results of a head teacher's examination or the records of a school as sufficient evidence that a child has reached a certain standard of education, and giving his certificate accordingly, whether such child be still on the school roll or not. Certificates of Proficiency. 19. The standard of attainment for a certificate of proficiency shall be the same in all schools. No one shall receive a certificate of proficiency unless he — (a.) Obtains at least 40 per cent, of the possible marks in English (including not less than 40 per cent, in each of the branches reading and composition), and at least 40 per cent, of the possible marks in arithmetic; (b.) Obtains at least 60 per cent, of the possible aggregate marks in the following subjects—viz., English, arithmetic, geography, and drawing; and (c.) Satisfies (lie Inspector that he has received sufficient instruction in the other subjects, as prescribed by these regulations. In the subjects named in (b) the possible marks shall be in the following proportions—viz., English, 400; arithmetic, 200; geography, 100; drawing, 100. 20. The parent of any candidate for a certificate of proficiency, or the candidate himself, must give notice in the manner prescribed in clause 17, and the other provisions of clauses 17 and 18 shall, mutatis mutandis, apply in the case of certificates of proficiency. 21. With regard to pupils and others who are candidates for certificates of proficiency, the Inspector may (a) examine such candidates at the time of the visit of which notice has been given in accordance with clause 1, or at the time of any other visit; or (b) arrange to hold a central examination for all such candidates from places within a convenient radius, due notice of such examination being given (this examination is not to be regarded as a special examination within the meaning of clauses 23 and 24); or (c) accept the result of the head teacher's examinations as sufficient evidence that a candidate has reached the required standard of attainments ; or (d) direct the candidate to sit for the special examination for certificates of proficiency held by the Education Department in the month of December in each year; and he shall give certificates of proficiency to all candidates that in his opinion qualify therefor in any one of the four ways alxive mentioned. Form of Certificates. 22. All certificates, whether of competency or of proficiency, shall be on forms issued by the Department, and shall lie signed by an Inspector of Schools, or by the Secretary of the Education Department or of an Education Board, in accordance with information furnished by an Inspector. In the case of pupils attending the normal school attached to a recognised Training College, such certificates may be signed by the Principal of the Training College.