E.—B.

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No. 2. The DiEECTOR op Education to the Hon. the Minister of Education. Sib, — Education Department, Wellington, 28th June, 1918. I 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, aud 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 three main groups : — (i.) An examination in November or December to determine the grant of Junior Scholarships and junior free places ; (ii.) A main November series for Public Service Entrance, Senior National Scholarship, and senior free place purposes; and (iii.) A January series (a) for teachers' certificates of Classes D and C, and incidentally to some extent of Class B, (b) for Public Service Senior qualifications, and (c) an examination to test the fitness of typists in the Public Service for promotion from the second to the first grade. The examinations were held between the 21st and 28th November, 1917 (Public Service Entrance and Intermediate Examinations), on the 29th and 30th November, 1917 (Junior National Scholarships and junior free places), and between the sth and 19th January, 1918 (Teachers' Certificate, Typists' Examination, and Public Service Senior), at the nine towns which are the seats of Education Boards, and at Alexandra, Aratapu, Ashburton, Auckland Convent, Balclutha, Blenheim, Carterton, Chatham Islands, Christchurch Convent, Collingwood, Coromandel, Dannevirke, Dunedin Convent, Eketahuna, Feilding, Gisborne, Gore, Greymouth, Hamilton, Hastings, Hawera, Hokitika, Kohukohu, Lawrence, Levin, Marton, Masterton, Oamaru, Pahiatua, Palmerston North, Paparoa, Patea, Petone, Pukekohe, Eangiora, Eeefton, Eotorua, Stratford, Taihape, Takaka, Taumarunui, Tauranga, Te Kuiti, Thames, Timaru, Waihi, Waimate, Waipawa, Wairoa, Wanganui Convent, Warkworth, Westport, Whakatane, and Whangarei. There were six 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, 1916-17 ... ... ... ... ... 11,858 1917-18 ... ... ... ... ... 9,908 Decrease of candidates entered in 1917-18 ... ... 1,950 Number actually present at examination, 1916-17 ... ... ... 10,894 1917-18 8,829 Decrease of candidates present in 1917-18 ... ... 2,065 Number who did not present themselves, 1916-17 ... ... .. 964 1917-18 1,079 This difference of 1,079 between those who entered for examination and those who actually sat is accounted for partly on the usual grounds, and partly 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 1911 in the Eegulations for Training-colleges also accounts for a certain proportion of the number. In the several examinations the following were the numbers present:— Junior National Scholarship Examination ... ... ... ... 3,122 Public Service Entrance and allied examinations ... ... ... 3,315 Public Service Senior Examination ... ... ... ... 226 Teachers' Certificate Examinations ... ... ... ... 2,102 Typists' Examination ... ... ... ... ... ... 60 Other examinations ... ... ... ... ... ... 4