(b) Owing to the great increase in the number of candidates, and the limited funds at their Lordships' disposal, it may be necessary also to make a small charge for each candidate, but any such charge will be kept within the narrowest limits possible.

Place of Examination.

8. (a) My Lords will not be able to hold a separate examination for a small number of candidates unless it can be shown that their attendance at another School, where an examination is to be held, would be impracticable.

(b) In the case of a School Board which proposes to present candidates from two or more Schools within the district of the Board, all the candidates must be examined together at one School, if there is sufficient accommodation.

My Lords desire me to draw your attention to certain general faults which have been brought to their notice by the reports of the Examiners in Mathematics.

Their Lordships trust that candidates will realise how important it is, in their own interest, that these faults should be carefully avoided. In the answers to the papers in Arithmetic, the instructions had often been misunderstood or disregarded. In a good many cases the detailed calculations were wholly or partially omitted, and must have been worked on a separate piece of paper, contrary to the express provision of the regulations. In other cases, while the detailed work was given, it had been set down without any explanation in words, and was Occasionally so badly arranged as to be altogether unintelligible. Some candidates had written out a first copy of their answers (not seldom very roughly) on one part of the page and then re-written them on another part, sometimes striking out the first copy and sometimes omitting to do so. Frequently this second copy did not contain the detailed work.

I am to point out that no credit whatever can be allowed for a result unless the detailed steps of the argument by which that result is reached are given, and that in order to obtain full marks for an answer the whole work must be put down in the first instance in a complete and orderly manner, with such explanations of the steps taken as are necessary to enable the Reviser to follow them easily. All the detailed calculations should be given in full in their natural sequence as part of the answer. They should on no account be relegated to another page or another part of the page. A second copy should not be required, and should only be made when, through corrections or otherwise, the first copy is not easily legible. In such a case, the first copy should be struck out and the whole of the detailed work re-written in the second copy.

The above remarks apply, though in a less degree, to the higher mathematical subjects. The Examiners deem it desirable to draw attention to the great importance of careful and accurate figures in Geometry and other subjects which require figures. These figures should show that the candidate understands the use of mathematical instruments.

My Lords regret to learn that some Schools have presented for examination in the higher mathematical subjects scholars whose work showed that they did not possess a sound knowledge of the elementary parts of these subjects.

The Examiners further report that in a few instances, especially in Trigonometry, answers had been manipulated so as to make it appear as if the desired result had been obtained, although the candidate must have known that this was not the case. I am to point out the very grave character of such a fault, and to state that the Examiners have been instructed to deal severely with papers in which it may occur in future..

I am to add that in a large number of Schools the weaknesses referred to were practically non-existent. Their Lordships see in this the clearest proof that they can be readily guarded against, if proper • precautions are taken,

Leaving Certificates.

I have, etc.,

H. CRAIK.

Circular 340.

SIR,

Scotch Education Department, 16th January, 1902.

With reference to their Lordships' Circular of the 20th December, 1901, I am now to lay before you a statement of the conditions under which it is proposed that Leaving Certificates shall in future be issued.

My Lords have decided that there shall be two classes of certificate. One of these, the Leaving Certificate proper, is intended to mark the completion of a full course of secondary education. The other, to be called the Intermediate Certificate, is primarily intended to meet the case of those Schools which, although they may be doing valuable work in secondary subjects, are yet unable, from one cause or another, to retain their pupils long enough to enable them to reach the standard of the Leaving Certificate proper. This latter certificate will, however, always be open to pupils of any school who may satisfy the prescribed conditions. I am to remind you that, while candidates will no longer be furnished with a Leaving Certificate for each subject in which they may be successful, they will receive instead a document certifying that they have passed in a specified subject and grade in the Leaving Certificate Examination. Applicants for Leaving Certificates must have been receiving higher instruction at some recognised school for not less than four years. In the case of applicants for Intermediate Certificates, the corresponding period shall be two years.

To prevent over-pressure, it seems to their Lordships desirable that a minimum age should be fixed. They therefore propose that a Leaving Certificate shall not be issued to any candidate who is under 17 years of age on the 1st of October of the year in which he passes the last of the written examinations that would fall to be recorded on the face of his certificate. Similarly, the limit for the Intermediate Certificate will be 15.

So far as the written examination is concerned, the following are the conditions that have been approved of by my Lords :

(a) Candidates for the Leaving Certificate must have passed in four subjects on the Higher Grade standard, or in three subjects on the Higher Grade standard and two on the Lower. A pass in Drawing will be accepted in lieu of one of the two Lower Grade passes. All candidates must have passed in Higher English and in either Higher or Lower Grade Mathematics. The remaining subjects may be either Science with one or more Languages (Latin, Greek, French, German, Spanish, or Italian), or Languages only. But where two or more languages other than English are taken, the candidate's group must include either Higher or Lower Grade Latin. A pass in Spanish, Italian, or Science (in each of which subjects there is only one examination) shall be reckoned as a pass on the Higher Grade standard.

(b) Candidates for the Intermediate Certificate must have passed in four subjects, at least one of these subjects being on the Higher Grade standard. All candidates must have passed in English and in Mathematics, but a pass in Higher Arithmetic will be accepted in lieu of a pass in Lower Mathematics. The remaining subjects may be either Science with one Language (Latin, Greek, French, or German), or Languages only. There being only one examination in Science, and that on the Higher Grade standard, candidates shall, for the purposes of the Intermediate Certificate, be deemed to have passed in Science on the Lower Grade standard if they have satisfied the Inspector who visits the School as to their due instruction and progress in Experimental Science and have also passed in Drawing.

In all cases a pass in Honours shall be held to cover a pass in Higher Grade, and a pass in Higher Grade to cover a pass in Lower Grade. The Grade in which a candidate passes in each of the subjects in respect of which the certificate is awarded will be recorded on the face of the certificate. Any further successes that may have been gained, such as passes in any of the additional Mathematical subjects, or in Book-keeping and Commercial Arithmetic, or in Commercial French or Commercial German, will be placed to the credit of the candidate by being endorsed on the certificate.

I am, however, to inform you that it is not the intention of their Lordships that certificates of either class shall be issued merely on the strength of the requisite number of passes in the written examination. My Lords must be satisfied that the course of instruction undergone by the candidate has been of adequate range and quality, and that proper attention has been paid to those elements of the curriculum that do not admit of being fully tested by written papers. The Inspector who visits the School will be instructed to enquire and report to their Lordships as to these points. Such enquiries will be directed towards ascertaining, for instance, whether the study of subjects in which passes have been secured in former years is being continued in adequate measure, whether a candidate's knowledge of a language, English or other, has been wholly obtained from disconnected reading, or whether he has a real acquaintance with at least some of the masterpieces of its literature, and whether, especially in the case of a modern language, sufficient care has been bestowed on the training of the ear. In certain circumstances, even in the present year, my

Lords may deem it advisable to call for a special report as to the appearance made by individual candidates under oral examination, and they wish teachers and managers to understand that increasing im portance will be attached to this aspect of the examination in future. To facilitate the arrangements for oral examination, the Official Correspondent of the School must forward to the Department by the 25th of March, on a form to be obtained from the Department, a list of those pupils who are to be candidates for Leaving or Intermediate Certificates at the end of the session.

The present Circular entirely supersedes the existing regulations for the issue of Group Certificates, except in so far as application for these latter may still be made on behalf of such candidates as have fulfilled the whole of the necessary conditions not later than the examination of 1901. For the purposes of the new certificates, candidates who hold what have hitherto been termed "Leaving Certificates" shall be deemed to have passed in the subject and grade thereon specified.

These changes, which have been decided upon after prolonged and careful deliberation, are introduced with the view of fostering continuous and well-regulated courses of study according to a definite plan. My Lords trust that, in carrying them out, they may rely upon a continuance of that loyal support on the part of teachers and managers to which the benefits that have so far resulted from the institution of the Leaving Certificate Examination have been in no small measure due. In particular, teachers should endeavour to secure that the new certificates are not claimed on behalf of pupils who intend to return to school (this applies with special force to the Intermediate Certificate), while managers should do their best to impress upon the public, and chiefly upon parents and upon employers, a sense of the value of such certificates as evidence that their possessors have not merely been successful in some isolated examination, but have reached a certain stage in a course of sound educational training fitted to develop their intelligence and prepare them for the work of life.

Adverting to their Lordships' Circular of 16th January, 1902, (Circular 340), I am to say that my Lords propose to introduce a slight modification into the conditions therein laid down.

The modification has reference to the provision that, in the case of applicants for Leaving Certificates, "where two or more languages other than English are taken, the candidate's group must include either Higher or Lower Grade Latin." My Lords feel that, if this provision were to become operative at once, a certain amount of hardship might be entailed in the case of those pupils who may now be approaching the end of their school course, and who have not yet devoted any time to the study of Latin. Their Lordships have, therefore, decided that the condition quoted above shall not come into force earlier than the examination of 1904.

I am to add that my Lords have now under consideration the possibility of according some special recognition to those pupils who, although they are destined for a distinctively commercial career, may yet choose to remain at school beyond the stage at which they would be entitled to claim the Intermediate Certificate.

I have, etc.,

H. CRAIK.

Higher Class Schools.
Inspection, 1902.

SIR,

Circular 343,

Scotch Education Department, ist February, 1902.

With a view to the completion of arrangements for the inspection of Higher Class Schools this year, I am to request you to inform my Lords whether inspection is this year desired for the above-named School. If so, one of each of the enclosed forms should be filled up and forwarded to the Department in due course.

All Schools from which pupils are presented at the Leaving Certificate Examination must be inspected under the direction of my Lords, but it is not necessary that the inspection should take the form of a detailed written examination every year. In regard to this, their Lordships would be glad to learn the views of the Managers.

It should be clearly understood that the reports upon Higher Schools, furnished by my Lords, should, if printed or published, be given at full length, except where it is distinctly stated that certain portions are intended only for the consideration of the Managers.

With a view to the completion of arrangements for the inspection of Higher Class Schools this year, I am directed by my Lords to inquire at what time it will be most convenient that the inspection of the above-named School should take place.

My Lords would be glad if you would, at your early convenience, fill up and forward to the Department one of each of the enclosed forms.

Where pupils are presented at the Leaving Certificate Examination, it is not necessary that the inspection should take the form of a detailed written examination every year. In regard to this, their Lordships would be glad to learn the views of the governing body.

It should be clearly understood that the reports upon Higher Schools, furnished by my Lords, should, if printed or published, be given at full length, except where it is distinctly stated that certain portions are intended only for the consideration of the Managers.

I have, etc.,

H. CRAIK.