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REPORT ON PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF CANDIDATES FOR SCHOLARSHIPS.—CLASS C.

The preliminary examination of the candidates for Junior Scholarships has been conducted during the month (May, 1871).

Forty-three names of competitors were sent in; four have since withdrawn, viz., two from Halswell, one from Kaiapoi, and one from Papanui, and one has been ascertained to be above the limited age.

Of the remaining thirty-eight, three are from the “Superior Schools,” six from Private, eighteen from “Ordinary” Denominational, and eleven from “Ordinary” District Schools.

Those who take the best places are mostly town boys at denominational and private schools; the best candidates from country district schools have an inferior chance in the competition. This may be explained by their more interrupted course; the more recent establishment of their schools; and the more limited experience of some of the teachers in elementary-school routine. It must, however, be remembered that the worst, as well as the best competitors have both come from the same classes of schools.

The principal qualification of about one-third of the candidates seems to be that they are below the limited age; their position in school above older boys may have been an inducement to compete; but, although they fail, yet their attainments are, for the most part, fairly proportioned to the length of time they have been in school, and to their regularity of attendance. The successful competitors will be found to be those who have enjoyed a regular and an uninterrupted course of instruction from their earliest years.

The proficiency is a very fair advance upon former years, and the full number of marks nearly obtained in several subjects by the best competitors, shews their ability to pass a more difficult examination.

The failure of some boys from superior and private schools in elementary knowledge, indicates the importance of their acquiring greater proficiency in it before entering upon a superior course.

The Bible Knowledge, Arithmetic, and Spelling are the subjects in which the highest marks have been obtained. The proficiency of Bridge, Connal, Wagstaff, and Beechey in Bible Knowledge; of Connal, R. Wake, F. Wake, and Turner in Arithmetic; and of Armitage, Connal, Wagstaff, and Wedge in Spelling are highly commendable.

The Reading was tested by a difficult passage equally new to all the candidates, with a generally satisfactory result, more especially as to Connal, Wedge, and Cox.

The style of the papers, the regularity of the writing and the figures of such very young boys is remarkable, Beechey and F. Wake being particularly commendable in these respects. The Writing of Campion, Gordon, Widdowson, and Sefton is also very commendable.

The Geography, History, and Grammar, of necessity, more recently commenced, afford a lower range of marks. In Geography, Bridge and Atack have excelled; Fred. Wake and Hawkes have done remarkably well. In History, Bridge has done very well indeed, far excelling Clark, Beechey, and Connal, whose answers are very good.

In Grammar, Connal stands far above the rest; Wedge, Atack, Clark, and Beechey are the next in order.

The first ten names, in the list resulting from the competition, include the names of eight boys who competed last year.