a—lβ.

Mr. Foster moved, and Mr. Jeffery seconded, " That Regulation 11 be amended so that the Words ' but only if the circumstances seem to call for such exceptional action ' be inserted after the words ' or any other visit,' in line 1." Amendment negatived. Dr. Anderson moved, " Nothing herein contained shall preclude the Inspector at the time of his annual visit, or of any other visit, from examining all the pupils of the school, or of any class, to ascertain their individual progress. As the result of such examination he may, but only if the circumstances seem to call for exceptional action, modify," &c. Amendment agreed to, and regulation as amended agreed to. Eegulations reported from committee and agreed to. . Mr. Jeffery, president of the New Zealand Educational Institute, moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman (the Inspector-General) for the admirable manner in which he had conducted the business of the Conference, and for the assistance he had given to the teachers in dealing with the syllabus; also that a vote of thanks be passed to the Inspectors, who had done so much to make the Conference both a pleasurable and an educative one. Mr. Aitken seconded. Carried unanimously. The Chairman briefly returned thanks. Mr. Petrie and Mr. Hill returned thanks on behalf of the Inspectors. The business of the Joint Conference being concluded, it adjourned finally at 5.45 p.m.

Thursday, 11th Febbuaby, 1904. The Conference resumed at 9.30 a.m. Scholarships. Mr. Mulgan brought up the following report of the Committee on Scholarships : — " (a.) That it appears inadvisable at present to make one examination serve for National and Education Board scholarships throughout the colony. " (b.) That the examination for Junior National Scholarships be on the subjects prescribed for the Fifth Standard in the public-school syallabus, but that the scope of the examination be not necessarily limited to the work of that standard. " (c.) That the age-limit under which candidates are eligible for a Junior National Scholarship be thirteen years. " (d.) That no change be made in the distribution of the Junior National Scholarships. " (c.) That the principle that a district scholarship should be of sufficient value to support each holder thereof be affirmed. " (/.) That in the Junior National Scholarship Examination candidates who fail to get 50 per cent, of the aggregate number of marks, or to get 25 per cent, of the number obtainable in either English or arithmetic, be disqualified. " (g.) That the Senior National Scholarships be open to all candidates under nineteen years of of age. " (h.) That the Senior National Scholarships be allotted to the several university districts on a population basis. " (i.) That on the subject of consolidating the various scholarships open to competition among the pupils of public schools the committee has no recommendation to make." The Conference resolved itself into committee to consider the recommendations seriatim. Recommendations (a), (d), (c), (/), and (h) were agreed to; (b) and (c) were negatived. The Conference divided on the question that (g) be agreed to. Ayes, 16 ; Noes, 4 : majority for, 12. Agreed to. The following amendments were substituted for (i) : — Mr. Hill moved, and Mr. Goyen seconded, " That no pupil hold more than one scholarship, whether granted by an Education Board, by the Education Department, or by any other authority." Mr. Fleming moved, and Mr. Hill seconded, " That it be a recommendation to the Victoria College Council to utilise the National Scholarship Examinations for the Queen's Scholarships." Report of committee as amended agreed to. Thanks to Ministers. Mr. Hill moved, Mr. Purdie seconded, and it was agreed, " That the thanks of the Conference be given to the Minister of Education and the Minister for Railways for the railway concessions granted to the Inspectors." Pupil-teachers and Training Colleges. Mr. Fitzgerald presented the following report of the committee on these subjects : — Pupil-teachers. —The committee is of opinion— " (1.) That at present it is inexpedient entirely to abolish the pupil-teacher system; " (2.) That the regulations relating to the appointment, instruction, training, and examination of pupil-teachers should be made uniform throughout the colony, and that the examinations should be conducted by the Department; " (3.) That the test of the literary qualification for entrance into the pupil-teacher ranks should be an examination appropriate to the end of a two years' course at a secondary school or a district high school;

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