1156
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 53

The Junior Division will in general consist of those children who have been under instruction at school or elsewhere for more than two years, but not more than four years.

The Junior Division may be divided into two classes—those of the first year (Standard I) and those of the second year (Standard II)—which may be termed S1 and S2 respectively.

The Senior Division will in general consist of those children who have been under instruction at school or elsewhere for four years or more and have not yet gained a certificate of proficiency. The time spent in the Senior Division will for the average boy or girl be four years, and this division may be subdivided into four classes accordingly, which may be termed S3, S4, S5, and S6, corresponding to Standards III, IV, V, and VI respectively. Whether the division be so subdivided or be arranged in two classes only, the terms so used shall be taken to represent the standard of work in any subject corresponding to the work of the four respective years spent by the average boy or girl in the Senior Division.

The classes S3 and S4, English, will include all the children doing the work in English prescribed for the first and second years of the Senior Division; S5 and S6, English, will include those doing similarly the work prescribed for the third and fourth years of that division. In like manner, S3 and S4, arithmetic, will include those children who are doing the work in arithmetic prescribed for the first and second years of the Senior Division; and S5 and S6, arithmetic, those doing similarly the work prescribed for the third and fourth years of that division; and so on for other subjects, although it will not in general be necessary to make more than two classifications—namely, that for English and that for arithmetic respectively.

S7.—Pupils who have gained a certificate of proficiency or have reached the standard of education indicated thereby may be classified as belonging to Class S7.

Nothing in these regulations shall be so interpreted as to prevent pupils ordinarily classified as of the Junior Division, second year (S2), and of the Senior Division, first year (S3), respectively from being instructed together in a common class, if convenience so dictates, and in a program of work suitably modified accordingly to meet the circumstances.

4. The classification of a school shall be made by the head teacher, who shall have full discretion to arrange his pupils in different classes for different subjects according to their ability and proficiency with respect to the several subjects, and to group two or more classes for instruction in one subject. This discretion he must exercise to the satisfaction of the Inspector, who will regard as an element of weakness any undue complexity in the classification of pupils. As a general rule, pupils should be classified according to their capacity and attainment in English and arithmetic respectively—classification in English being determined by proficiency in English, and classification in arithmetic by proficiency in arithmetic.

5. In general, the classification of a school shall be determined at the annual visit; but, if necessary, promotion of individual pupils from class to class may be made at any other time by the head teacher. In the Preparatory Division, especially where it contains three or more classes, it will generally be necessary to make promotions of pupils at other times.

No part of these regulations is to be read in such a way as to discourage or prevent the more rapid promotion of children who exhibit more than average mental capacity or intelligence as compared with other children of the same age.

6. (1.) The head teacher shall draw up schemes of work for the year for all the classes in his school, and shall hold thereon periodical examinations of the classes, the last of which, called the “annual examination,” shall be held immediately before the annual visit of the Inspector, and he shall keep for the information of the Inspector a record of the nature and results of these examinations.

In regard to any periodical examination, including the annual examination, the record kept in the school shall be held to be sufficient if it contains the particulars referred to in (a) and in (f) of clause 7 hereof, and also, in lieu of (g), merely the changes from class to class made as a result of the examination to which it relates.

(2.) The written questions used at the periodical examinations of the Senior Division, and the pupils’ answers thereto, shall be kept in the school for reference for twelve months, or for such less period as the Inspector may direct.

7. Immediately before the annual visit the head teacher shall prepare, on forms provided by the Department, class-lists setting out the results of the annual examination. The class in which a pupil has been placed for English during the preceding three months shall determine the list on which