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considered that the founding of scholarships has always been a popular mode of expressing a practical interest in the cause of education, it is reasonable to expect that in course of time the University scholarships will be supplemented by others founded by private benefactors in connection with the local colleges. Two scholarships of the annual value of £40 and £20 respectively, and each tenable for three years, have been so founded in the University of Otago; and in connection with the Wellington College there are two scholarships, also of private foundation, of the annual value of £25 each, and tenable for two years, which are open to matriculated students of the University of New Zealand. The Board of Governors of the Canterbury College provide six exhibitions of £20 each, tenable for one year, which are awarded to students for excellence in particular branches of study at any period of their College course. Of the scholarships instituted for the promotion of secondary education, the most important are those provided by the State and administered by the District Education Boards. A vote of about £1,000, taken annually for this purpose, is distributed by the Government among the Boards at the rate of Is. 6d. for every child in average attendance at the primary schools in the respective education districts. Taking the average value of the scholarships to be £30, and the average duration of tenure to be two years, this allowance may be roughly estimated to enable the Boards to offer one scholarship annually for every 800 children in. average attendance at their schools. To put the statement in another form, the Boards can ofl'er one scholarship annually, or, which is the same thing, maintain two scholars for every ninety children above the Fourth Standard. Thus, in the whole of New Zealand from sixty to seventy scholarships are offered for competition every year. This number appears to us to be sufficient in the present circumstances of education in the colony ; and, owing to the mode in which the scholarship fund is provided, it will increase commensurately with the increasing attendance at the schools. The duty of drawing the regulations under which this liberal scheme of State aid is administered, has been intrusted to the several Boards, subject to the approval of the Minister of Education. The object of this provision was, no doubt, to insure that in framing the regulations due regard should be paid to local circumstances; and, beyond question, this is an object deserving of careful consideration. A comparison, however, of the regulations which have been adopted by the various Boards, shows such wide differences, especially as to the subjects of examination, the ages of the candidates, and other restrictions on admission to the competition, as to make it difficult to believe that they are all equally Avell adapted to fulfil the purposes for which the system of State scholarships was established. We think, therefore, that, while it would be well to leave details to be tilled in by the local Boards, some broad principles should be laid down, to which all sets of regulations should be required to conform. Thus it ought to be prescribed that the superior limit of age for competing for these scholarship^ should in no case exceed fifteen years. On the supposition that the recommendations which we have made regarding instruction in extra subjects at the primary schools are carried into effect, a boy of good understanding and diligence may in many cases be educated cheaply and advantageously at the school of his district up to the age of fifteen; but by that time, if he be fit to be a recipient of State aid, he will have exhausted all the benefit capable of being derived from a primary school. It should be understood further that, as the greatest advantage is obtained from a course of secondary instruction when it is commenced at a comparatively early age, the greater number of the scholarships should be offered for competition at as early an age as is consistent with economy, with the efficient testing of the candidates, and with the clue stimulation of the schools which prepare candidates for the competition. We are of opinion, also, that, while in competitions held under the age of thirteen the examination should be restricted to the standard programme, it is desirable when the age fixed for the competition is greater than thirteen to include in. the examination some of the subjects of secondary instruction, such as Latin, mathematics, or Erench.

Education Board scholarships.

Kecommendations asi to regulations for Board scholarships.

As to age.

As to subjects,