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No. 2. The Director of Education to the Hon. the Minister of Education. Sir, Education Department, Wellington, 30th June, 1919. 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, 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, usually held in November or December ; (iii.) A main series for Public Servance Entrance, Senior National Scholarship, and senior free place purposes, usually held in November ; and (iv.) A January series (a) for teachers' certificates of (lasses I) and C, and incidentally to some extent of Class. B, (l>) 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. At the 1918—19 examinations, however, the arrangements were greatly disorganized by the general outbreak of influenza. The November series of examinations were held in January, and the Junior National Scholarship Examination usually held in December was not held till February. The Public Service Entrance, Senior National Scholarship, Intermediate, Class C and D, Public Service Senior, and examination for typists were all held between the sth arid 19th January, 1919. The Junior National Scholarship Examination was held on. the 20th and 21st February, 1919. The following places were centres of examination : The nine towns which arc the seats of Education Boards, and Alexandra, Aratapu, Ashburton, Auckland Convent, Balclutha, Blenheim, Carterton, Christchurch Convent, Coroinandel, Dannevirke, Dunedin Convent, Eketahuna, Keilding, Gisborne, Gore, Greymouth, Hamilton, Hastings, Hawera, Ilokitika, Kohukohu, Lawrence, Levin, Marton, Masterton, Oamaru, Pahiatua, Palmerston North, Paparoa, Petone, Pukekohe, Rangiora, Reefton, Rotorua, Stratford, 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, 1917-18 .. .. .. ".. .. 9,968 1918-19 .. .. .. .. .. 9,054 Decrease of candidates entered in 1918-19 .. .. .. 854 Number actually present at examination, 1917—18 . . . . . . 8,c529 1918-19 .. .. 6,515 Decrease of candidates present in L9lB 19 .. ... .. 2,314 Number who did not present themselves, 19.17 IK .. .. .. J ,079 „ ' 1918 19 .. .. 2.539 This difference of 2,539 between those who entered for examination and those who actually aat was due to a large extent to the influenza epidemic, but a certain proportion 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 (unbodied were exempt from examination, and accordingly did not present themselves. A provision on a- somewhat similar principle, embodied in 1911 in the Regulations for Training-colleges also accounts for a certain proportion of the number. In the several examinations flu , , numbers shown below were present; figures for previous years are also given : — 1918 14 1914 15. 1915-16. 1910-17. 1917 18. 1918-19. Junior National and Education Board Scholarships and junior free places .. 3,154 3,562 3,973 4,403 3,122 1,917 Public Service Entrance, Senior National Scholarships, and Intermediate .. 2.756 2,739 3.022 3.839 3.315 2.422 Teachers'D and C .. .. .. 1,524 1,57(3 1.720 1,941 2,102 1,912 Public Service Senior .. .. .. 871. 804 675 653 226 78 Typists' Examination .. .. .. .. 46 51 50 60 46 Special Public Service Entrance (June) .. .. .. .. .. .. 133 Other examinations .. .. .... .. 12 8 5 7 Totals .. .. ..8.305 8,727 9,453 10,894 8.830 6.515 The numbers for 1918-19 show a considerable decrease compared with the numbers for .1.917-18. This was due mainly to the influenza epidemic. For the Junior National Scholarship Examination head teachers were required to make a selection from their pupils and present only those who had good prospects of qualifying. This would also tend to decrease the number of candidates lor 1918—19. In addition to the usual examination held in November a special Public Service Entrance Examination was this year held in June. Girls were admitted to both these examinations. Entries for the Public Service Senior Examination of January, 1919, were limited to candidates who had previously obtained partial success towards the examination. Except in the case of returned soldiers this was the last opportunity given of such partial passes being completed.

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