The Scholars were examined as follows:—

Merton and Caygill, attending Christ’s College Grammar School, specially, in the Board Room, on the 16th Sept. inst.

Thomas Walter Wilkinson and James Reeve Wilkinson, specially, at Pigeon Bay, on the 18th and 19th ult.

The five attending St. Paul’s Papanui School, viz., Alfred Dawson, Henry Alfred Ladbrook, Charles Edmund Jennings, Robert Triggs, and Arthur John Parson, specially, at Papanui, on the 28th August inst.

Merton, junior (Alfred J.), and Walter Stanley Bean, on the ordinary examination of their respective Schools, without any special examination.

The scholars, generally, were examined in Sacred History, Reading, English Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation, Arithmetic, Geography, English History and Writing.

The scholars of 1866, and Caygill, of 1867, were further examined as to their knowledge of Ancient History, Geometry, and Classics.

In Sacred History the answers were generally satisfactory: those of Alfred Dawson, Merton (senior), and Wilkinson (junior), were highly commendable. Considering their age, under eleven, Dawson’s and the younger Wilkinson’s knowledge of the subject is remarkably good; it has been carefully and successfully taught to boys of unusually retentive memory.

The reading of the two Wilkinsons and Merton (junior), showed greater cultivation of ease, fluency, intelligence, and expression, than that of the other scholars. Caygill’s and the elder Merton’s Reading was also good, but seemingly out of practice. There is not much cultivation of style as to the reading of the scholars at the other Schools. If they name the words aright, in their proper order, and mind the principal stops, the teachers are satisfied.

The English Grammar was generally, more or less, satisfactory; but the Papanui boys, with the exception of Dawson, are still very inaccurate in their knowledge of this subject. They do not understand the words they use.

Their Spelling is mostly very satisfactory, although Merton (senior) and Jennings have made several casual and careless errors in Spelling in several papers.

The Punctuation is, generally, rather imperfect from want of care than inaccurate from ignorance. The papers of the two Wilkinsons are the least faulty in this respect, next to them Caygill and Merton (junior). The rest ought to mind their stops better than they do.

The Arithmetic is very satisfactory, more especially as to the senior scholars (of 1866), who have been carefully taught the principles, and work their examples with remarkable expertness and accuracy. This remark applies to Merton (senior) and the two Wilkinsons.

The progress of Caygill, Ladbrook, Jennings, and Triggs is also commendable.

None of the Junior, or First Year, Scholars of 1868 exceed the others in their knowledge of this subject; but it is, so far, quite satisfactory.

In Geography generally, and in that of New Zealand in particular, the two Wilkinsons and the Papanui boys have answered well; Merton and Caygill state that they happen to be in the only division of their School not studying the Geography of the Australian Colonies; they are, therefore, at a great disadvantage in this respect. Bean, at Kaiapoi, had recently commenced the Geography of New Zealand, and Merton (junior), at Rangiora, was commencing it.

In English History the two Wilkinsons and Dawson are more proficient than the rest, having answered satisfactorily.

The two Mertons, Caygill, Jennings, and Triggs have also answered well, and the others fairly. The subject seems to be that in which most boys take an interest.