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candidate who has failed to reach the required standard at an examination held during the previous three months ; or any candidate in whose case he is not satisfied of the existence of one of the grounds named in clause 17 hereof. " Nothing in this regulation shall prevent an Inspector from accepting at any time the results of a head teacher's examination or the records of a school as sufficient evidence that a child has reached a certain standard of education, and giving his certificate accordingly, whether such child be still on the school roll or not." Mr. Eichardson moved, and Mr. Harkness seconded, "That in the second paragraph, line 4, the following be inserted after ' or ' : ' may refuse to examine any candidate for a certificate of competency or for a certificate of proficiency.' " Agreed to, and regulation as amended agreed to. "20. The 'standard of exemption' under section 4 of 'The School Attendance Act, 1901,' shall be the Fifth Standard, and the certificate referred to in subsection (c) of section 4 of the said Act shall be a certificate of competency in the work of Standard V. or a higher standard." Agreed to. " 21. The Inspector shall examine all the pupils in the Sixth Standard class, and any other children of school age, whether on the school roll or not, whose parents desire them to be examined in the work of the Sixth Standard, and have given notice of snch desire in writing to the head teacher at least three days before the annual visit, and he shall award ' certificates of competency ' to those who satisfy the conditions for such certificates, or ' certificates of proficiency' to those who fulfil the requirements named in clause 22 hereof." Agreed to. "22. The standard of attainment for a certificate of proficiency shall be the same in all schools. No one shall receive a certificate of proficiency unless he (a) obtains at least 30 per cent, of the possible marks in each of the subjects English and arithmetic ; (b) gains at least 50 per cent, of the possible aggregate marks in the following compulsory subjects —viz., English, arithmetic, geography, drawing ; and (c) satisfies the Inspector that he has received sufficient instruction in the other compulsory subjects, and in at least two of the additional subjects, of which one must be either handwork or elementary science. In the compulsory subjects named in (b) the possible marks shall be in the following proportions, viz.: English, 400 ; arithmetic, 200 ; geography, 100 ; drawing, 100." On the motion of Mr. Eichardson, seconded by Mr. Fitzgerald, it was resolved, " That the consideration of Eegulation 22 be deferred until after the regulations bearing on the syllabus have been considered." " 23. The Inspector may also hold special examinations of candidates, whether of school age or not, for certificates of competency or for certificates of proficiency at any place and time that may seem fit to him, and may require candidates for such special examinations to give fourteen days' notice of their intention to be examined." Agreed to. " 24. By or on behalf of each candidate at such special examinations there shall be paid to the Inspector, or to the Secretary of the Education Board, as the Board may direct, the following fees, viz. :If there be only one candidate, £1; if there be two candidates, 10s. for each candidate ; if there be three candidates, 6s. Bd. for each candidate ; if there be four or more candidates, ss. for each candidate. But no fee shall be payable in the case of any child on the roll of any public school, or of any child of school age, if he be examined, either at his own school or any other school, at the time of the Inspector's annual visit to such school." Mr. Hill moved, and Mr. Purdie seconded, " That the words 'or to the Secretary of the Education Board, as the Board may direct,' be omitted." Motion negatived. On the motion of Mr. H. Smith, it was agreed, " That the last sentence of the regulation be struck out, and the following be substituted : ' But no fee shall be payable in the case of any one examined at a school at the time of the Inspector's annual visit.' " Eegulation as amended agreed to. " 25. All such certificates shall be on forms issued by the Department, and shall be signed by an Inspector of Schools." Mr. Eichardson moved, and Mr. Fitzgerald seconded, " To add the words ' or by the Secretary of an Education Board, in accordance with information furnished by an Inspector. , ' : The Conference divided. Ayes, 16—viz., Messrs. Ballantyne, Bird, Bossence, Braik, Fitzgerald, Fleming, Goyen, Gray, Harkness, Hendry, Morton, Petrie, Pope, Eichardson, Spencer, and Strachan; Noes, 15 —viz., Messrs. Anderson, Bakewell, Bell, Browne, Crowe, Gow, Grierson. Hill, Isaac, Milne, Mulgan, Purdie, Eitchie, H. Smith, and Wood. Motion agreed to, and regulation as amended agreed to. " 26. Notwithstanding clause 21, the Inspector need not, at the time of his annual visit to a school, examine for certificates of proficiency and Standard VI. certificates of competency the pupils of S6 and other candidates who are of school age. He may arrange to hold a central examination for all such pupils and candidates from a town or district, due notice of such examination being given. This examination, being in lieu of the annual examination of S6, is not to be regarded as a special examination within the meaning of clauses 23 and 24. " Nevertheless, at the time of his annual visit to the school, the Inspector shall satisfy himself of the general efficiency of the instruction given in S6, as provided for in clause 9." Agreed to. "27. The Inspector or Inspectors of each district shall make an annual return showing, with respect to each public school subject to their inspection, the number of pupils in the several classes and the number present in each class ati the time of the annual visit. The

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