89

K— sb

Candidates who take light and heat, electricity and magnetism, or chemistry must also take elementary experimental science, and will therefore be able to take only two other subjects, which must be selected from two separate groups; but candidates may take elementary experimental science without taking any other subject in Group 111. All boys must take elementary experimental science, unless they take manual training in wood- or metal-work ; and all girls must take elementary experimental science, unless they take needlework or cookery and domestic economy. Only those candidates who obtain a certain percentage of marks in the preliminary portion of the examination will be allowed to enter for the optional subjects; and in elementary experimental science, heat and light, magnetism and electricity, and chemistry only those candidates who have satisfied the examiners in the paper work will be allowed to take the practical examinations, which will be held in the laboratories of one of the polytechnics. In preparing the list in the order of merit, an allowance will be made for age in the case of all candidates who are under sixteen onthe Ist of May, 1898, by the addition to the marks actually gained by them of a certain percentage depending on the number of months by which their age falls short of sixteen years'; but in no case will this percentage be added for more than twenty-four months, so that candidates under fourteen years of age will be treated as though they were exactly fourteen. The maximum number of marks obtainable in each subject will be the same, and the papers will be framed so as to be as nearly as possible of equal difficulty. In the papers on botany and the laws of health some elementary questions in chemistry and physics will be introduced, and these subjects may be taken either in Group 111. or Group IV., at the option of the candidate. (g.) No candidate will be elected to a scholarship who has not shown in the course of the examination that he or she is capable of profiting by the instruction provided at the school at which the scholarship is tenable. The Technical Education Board does not, however, bind itself to award the scholarships simply on the results of the examination, but reserves,the right to take any other considerations into account, and in particular may, if it see fit, restrict the number of scholars to be elected from any particular school or district. The Board also reserves the right to take any steps to satisfy itself that the parents or guardians of the proposed scholar are not in such a position as reasonably to be expected to maintain the candidate at school without the help of the scholarship, and that the candidate is in sufficiently good health to be able to fully utilise the educational advantages which the scholarship offers. (h.) The Board reserves the right at any time to determine any scholarship without notice, upon being satisfied that its continuance is for any reason undesirable, and on all questions connected with the award or tenure of the scholarships, the decision of the Board shall be final. (i.) The schools at which the scholarships will be tenable will be the modern sides of such public secondary schools as may be approved by the Board as giving adequate attention to subjects falling within the statutory definition of technical instruction. The schools must be equipped with appliances for the efficient teaching of drawing and elementary science, and, in the case of girls' schools, arrangements must be made for the practical teaching of cookery or other branches of domestic economy, either in the school or in some neighbouring institution, should any scholars be admitted who desire to take up these subjects. The provision of manual instruction will be regarded as an advantage. In some cases the scholarships, after they have been held for a year or two, may be made tenable at technical institutes or colleges, provided that the inclusive fees do not exceed £25 per annum. Early application should in all cases be made when a transfer is desired. (j.) Successful candidates will be required to submit to the Board the names of the schools they select to attend, and each scholar is recommended to name two or three schools in order of preference. (k.) The scholarships of the Board will not be tenable with any other scholarships, exhibitions, or similar emoluments, whether awarded by the Board or by any other body, except under special circumstances to be approved by the Board. (I.) The Board's junior county scholars will be eligible to compete for intermediate scholarships, but, if elected, will resign their junior scholarships. Junior county scholars appointed in December, 1896, may obtain extension of their junior scholarships from December, 1898, to July, 1899, if they acquit themselves satisfactorily in the preliminary part of the intermediate scholarships examination. A few junior county scholars appointed in July, 1896, may obtain extension of their junior county scholarships for a third year if they acquit themselves with credit in the whole of the intermediate scholarships examination, though they may fail to obtain intermediate scholarships. (m.) Each scholar when elected will be required to forward for the inspection of the Board an authenticated copy of his or her certificate of birth. The Board will consider that under ordinary circumstances no candidate whose parents are in receipt of an income from all sources of more than £400 a year will be qualified to hold an intermediate county scholarship ; and the Board reserves the right of awarding one-half of the scholarships to candidates not falling below scholarship standard whose parents are in receipt of not more than £250 per year. The following syllabus is intended to indicate the scope of the examination, but the questions asked will not necessarily be strictly confined to the subjects named. The papers set in the last examination have been published in the London Technical Education Gazette for August, 1898. I. Preliminary Examination. Arithmetic. —General arithmetic, including mensuration of the simpler plane and solid figures. Mensuration will not be obligatory upon girls. English. —(1.) A short essay on one of three given subjects. (2.) A paraphrase of a passage from a classical English author. (3.) An analysis of a similar passage. 12— E. sb.