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642. Mr. Hill] What is your opinion as to the system of classification : do you think it should be as difficult for a teacher to obtain a graduate's degree as for a graduate to obtain a teacher's degree ? —Yes; I think teachers should be compelled to study mental science. 643. Mr. Hogben.] What do you mean by a teacher's degree ?—1 mean a special degree in connection with the science of teaching. 644. What subjects would you take? —Various subjects. 645. How would you make up six subjects?—l have not gone into that. 646. Then, you answered the question without thinking ? —I have not thought of the subjects. 647. Would you give a degree in pedagogy on a lower plane?— Yes. 648. Do you know any British university in which it is given in pedagogy alone?—No; I know it is in German universities. 649. Would not a certificate meet all the purposes without giving a special degree ?—No, I think not. 650. You do not know of a university in which such a special degree is given?— No.

CHBISTCHUBCH. Feiday, 10th May, 1901. H. C. Lane, Secretary of the North Canterbury Education Board, examined. Mr. Lane : I am not prepared with any statement with regard to the proposed scheme, but if any questions are put to me I am prepared to answer them. 1. Mr. Davidson.] What has been your experience with regard to educational affairs in New Zealand ?—I have been with this Board for nearly nine years. 2. In what position ?—For the first three years as assistant secretary, and since 1895 as secretary to the Board. 3. Have you had any experience as a teacher?— No. 4. Has your Board, like most of the Boards in the colony, suffered recently from financial embarrassment ?—To some extent. 5. Do you think that the introduction of a colonial scale of salary would relieve this financial pressure ?—lt would altogether depend upon the working of it. If a colonial scale were drawn up that left Education Boards with sufficient for their other expenditure, and was in itself a workable scale, then I think it would be a good thing. 6. Do you know the Canterbury Education District very well ?—Pretty well. 7. Have you ever considered the question of conveying children to a central school rather than establishing a large number of 'small schools ?—That matter has been before the Board on one or two occasions, but difficulties were found, and the Board gave up the idea of introducing it. 8. Do you think, with the good roads and railway communication, that any of the small schools might be closed and the children attending those small schools conveyed to central and larger schools ? —I do not think it would work out in practice, and there would be great opposition to it from the residents in the localities where the schools were proposed to be closed. 9. You think pressure would be brought to bear by members of School Committees on members of the Education Boards to prevent the carrying-out of such a scheme ? —Not from the School Committees, because I take it that there would be no School Committees in the places where the schools were proposed to be closed, but the residents would object. 10. Are you aware that in Victoria at the present time the settlers in sparsely populated districts are applying to have their children taken to the larger centres rather than have these small schools established ?—No, I was not aware of that: 11. What amount of subsidy do your Board receive for the inspection of schools?—£soo per year. 12. What is the total cost of the inspection expenses?—-Last year the cost was £1,635 Is. 3d. 13. Does that include travelling-expenses ?—That is the total cost of school inspection. 14. What is the amount actually to be provided for by your Board for inspection purposes ?— It would be the difference —£1,135 Is. 3d. 15. If the control of the Inspectors was taken over by the department, and the payment of the Inspectors also, that would relieve your Board to the extent of something like £1,100 ?—lt would, of course, relieve the Board to that extent. That is simply looking at it from a financial point of view. 16. Mr. Stewart.] Do I understand you to say that you have schools where there are no Committees ?—ln the localities where there are aided schools there is no properly constituted School Committee. There is a committee of residents for the purpose of looking after the school, but there is no district School Committee. 17. Is that in compliance with the Act? —Unless there is a district school the Act does not provide for a Committee. 18. What is the average attendance at those aided schools ?—At the end of the year there were eleven aided schools with under 15 pupils, four with under 20, two under 25, and one just over 25. 19. Are the teachers of those aided schools certificated teachers ?—ln most cases they are; in some few they are partially certificated, and in a very few they are not certificated. 20. Do you ever appoint members of the household to teach such schools ? —Never. 21. Mr. Luke.] Have you any other small schools besides those that are aided?—At the end of the school-year we had twelve district schools which, owing to the decrease in attendance, had fallen below 15. That is in addition to the aided schools.