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DETAILED MEMORANDUM ON THE PRINCIPAL EXAMINATIONS, OTHER THAN INTERNAL, TAKEN BY PUPILS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL AGE
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Any description of the present state of external examinations in Secondary Schools falls naturally into two divisions. In the first place, it is necessary to describe each of the existing examinations taken by itself; and in the second, to describe the relation of these various examinations to each other, and the effect of their combined action on the schools which prepare for them. In Chapter II of this Report we have dealt with the present state of things from the latter point of view; but in view of the great length to which a detailed description of the separate examinations must necessarily extend we have thought it best to give this in a separate memorandum.
In this account of the existing external examinations in Secondary Schools, it has been found convenient to divide them into the following groups:
(1) "Local" and "School" examinations (including the inspection of schools by the examining bodies);
(2) University examinations (i.e. examinations which form part of a degree course);
(3) Civil Service Examinations;
(4) Army Entrance Examinations;
(5) Navy Entrance Examinations;
(6) Preliminary examinations of Professional bodies (including the Board of Education's Preliminary Examination for the Certificate);
(7) Examinations in Special Subjects, such as Music, Drawing, Science, Commercial Subjects, etc.;
(8) Examinations conducted by Local Education Authorities;
(9) Scholarship Examinations;
(10) Entrance Examinations.
It should be understood that we do not pretend to include all the external examinations which exist today. We are dealing only with those which directly affect Secondary Schools, and which are of some considerable importance. We omit, therefore, those whose annual number of candidates is quite small; those whose candidates, though of Secondary School age, do not enter from Secondary Schools; and those whose candidates are as a rule over 19 years of age. Further, in the case of examinations recognised or conducted by such bodies as the General Medical Council and other professional bodies, only the entrance or qualifying examinations are considered. The subsequent technical examinations of students and apprentices during the
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course of their special and professional training are ignored. A summary of the examinations which are included in our consideration will be found in Appendix C, together with figures showing in statistical form the age and number of the candidates in the year 1908, and the date at which each examination was started. It is obvious that there are cases in which it was rather doubtful whether any particular examination should have been included in this list or not. In such cases of doubt we have added an explanatory note as a warning.
It may be explained that, for the most part, this statement is based on the published regulations of the examining bodies, supplemented in some cases by the evidence of witnesses. Where these sources of information have been insufficient, special inquiries have been addressed to the examining bodies, and we have to record our indebtedness to these bodies for the readiness they have shown in supplying us with the particulars needed. At the same time we desire to make it clear that, while these bodies have been good enough to assist us in this way, they are not in any way responsible for the manner in which the information with regard to the various examination is stated in this memorandum. Statistics as to the numbers of candidates at the various examinations have been given, where available; they do not all refer to one and the same year, but have in each case been brought as far as practicable up to date. It is possible that in some cases later figures than those given might have been obtained by application to the bodies concerned, but we have not felt justified in troubling them again for this purpose.
Finally, we would add that while the greatest care has been taken in setting out the conditions of the examinations, we cannot of course guarantee that some small inaccuracies may not have crept into this statement. Moreover, in view of the fact that frequent changes take place in the regulations of the examinations, it is important that candidates or others desiring information in regard to any particular examination should in every case consult the latest issue of the regulations themselves. It should be remembered that the purpose of this memorandum is to give a general description of the system of external examinations in Secondary Schools as a whole, and not to provide a substitute for the detailed regulations.
(1) "Local" and" School" Examinations
(a) THE OXFORD LOCAL EXAMINATIONS DELEGACY
The examinations conducted by the Oxford Local Examinations Delegacy fall into three groups: (i) those which are really local examinations, i.e. examinations at local centres, on which certificates are given; (ii) those which are really school examinations, i.e. examinations held in schools on the school syllabuses, no certificates being given; (iii) Combined School and Local Examinations, i.e. examinations which are held at schools,
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but in which the examination papers are those used simultaneously in the Local examinations, certificates being given to those pupils who are candidates for them, and satisfy the examiners. The examinations in the first group are four in number, viz. (i) the Preliminary Local Examination; (ii) the Junior Local Examination; (iii) the Senior Local Examination; (iv) the Higher Local Examination. The examinations in the second group follow the varied requirements of each school that asks for such examinations. The examinations in the third group are three in number, viz. those in which the candidates wish to obtain (i) the Junior School Certificate; (ii) the Senior School Certificate: (iii) the Army Leaving Certificate.
We will now take these examinations in order.
(i) The Oxford Preliminary, Junior, and Senior Locals
The Preliminary, Junior, and Senior Local Examinations of the Oxford Delegacy are conducted under one set of regulations and may be treated as a whole. The Higher Local is on a different footing; and can be treated later by itself.
The Preliminary, Junior, and Senior Examinations are held in July of each year at Local Centres. A supplementary Junior and Senior Local is also held when needed in March. A local centre is only appointed on the application of a Local Committee, who must be prepared to undertake all the expenses which are occasioned by the examination being Local, i.e. by the candidates being examined at that particular centre instead of going to Oxford for the purpose. Examinations are held only at centres from which the amount received in fees reaches a certain minimum. Each committee appoints a local secretary, who acts generally as their agent. Centres are, as a rule, intended for all the candidates in the locality; but they may be confined to the pupils of a given school. The examination at such a school, however, remains a Local examination, and does not become a School examination. The number of local centres in England and Wales for the examinations of the Oxford Delegacy in 1910 was about 350; but the number of towns in which these centres were situated was only about 250, it being no uncommon thing for several centres to be appointed in the same town. It will be seen by a reference to Appendix B that these local centres are distributed over the whole of the country.
Candidates pay two separate fees, one to the Delegacy, and one to the Local Committee to defray local expenses. The fees to the Delegacy for ordinary candidates are as follows: for the Preliminary, 10s. 6d. [52p½] a candidate; for the Junior and Senior, £1 a candidate. The fee paid to the Local Committee varies according to the circumstances of the locality. Special fees are required for special papers on approved alternative
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syllabuses, and for oral examinations in modern languages, and are described later.
The subjects comprised in the examinations are as follows:
In the Preliminary Local -
1. Arithmetic
2. Religious Knowledge.
3. English History.
4. English.
5. Geography.
6. Latin.
7. Greek. |
8. French.
9. German.
10. Italian.
11. Spanish.
12. Mathematics.
13. Higher Mathematics. |
14. Botany.
15. Experimental Science.
16. Chemistry.
17. Heat.
18. Domestic Economy.
19. Drawing. |
In the Junior Local the list of subjects is generally the same as that of the Preliminary, with the addition of Music, Bookkeeping, and Political Economy. Further, the History syllabus includes Ancient, General, and Foreign History, as options; Physics takes the place of Heat, and Domestic Economy is amplified and entered as Hygiene. Chemistry includes practical as well as theoretical work.
In the Senior examination, the list of subjects is very similar to that of the Junior. The Elements of Logic is added to the Political Economy section; Experimental Science is omitted; and Domestic Science* and Needlework* are added.
The syllabuses of the various subjects of examination are left fairly wide; but the following limitations may be noticed. In Religious Knowledge the syllabus for all three examinations consists entirely of set books. In History, candidates have the option of various periods, but they have the opportunity of showing knowledge of English History outside the period which they select. The English syllabus consists of English Composition, English Grammar, and English Literature. Neither Composition nor Grammar are compulsory, but appear as a matter of fact to be generally taken. The English Literature syllabus only contains various options in set books, except in the Senior Examination in which candidates may take a paper on General Literature* with a large choice of questions. In Latin and Greek, and (except in the Senior Examination) in French and German, set books or unprepared translation may be taken at the option of the candidate, higher marks being given for the latter. There are no set books in modern foreign languages for Senior candidates, who must offer unprepared translation and free composition as part of their examination. In Political Economy certain text-books are recommended. In Music, Drawing, Mathematics, and Science subjects, syllabuses are issued, but they are of a very general character.
It should be added that candidates in schools may offer themselves for an oral examination in French or German on payment of a special fee of 2s. 6d. [12½p] a candidate, provided that
*These are new subjects for 1912.
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the minimum payment from anyone school is £1, and that the travelling and hotel expenses (if any) of the examiners are paid. Success in the oral examination does not count towards a "Pass" in the language, but is mentioned on the certificates of successful candidates who pass in the written work. It is also taken into account in deciding questions of Honours and Distinctions. The number of candidates who take the oral examination is not published, but unless the percentage of failures is quite unlike that in any other part of the examination the number must be very small. The following are the numbers of candidates who in 1908 passed the written examination in French or in German; passed the oral examination, and also obtained a certificate: French: Seniors 67, Juniors 51, Preliminary 0; German; Seniors 11, Juniors 3, Preliminary 0. In Science subjects there is no practical examination in the Preliminary Examination. In the Junior and Senior Examinations, candidates cannot pass in Chemistry, nor in the Junior Examination in Experimental Science, without satisfying the examiners in the practical part of the examination. The practical examination, however, can only be taken where the laboratory accommodation of the Centre allows of it. There is no practical examination in any other Science Section, nor in Music, but the paper in Physics assumes that candidates have been through a course of experimental instruction.
It should be mentioned that the syllabuses of the various subjects of the examination are prepared and issued by the Delegacy. They are not directly related to the curricula of the schools. But the Delegacy have informed us that they have from the first been in full communication with the schools that habitually send in their pupils for the examination, and that the developments of the original system which have taken place have all been of a nature to render closer the connection between the Delegacy and the schools. This connection, however, appears to be only of an indirect character in the majority of cases, as the teachers take no part in the examinations. The Delegates are prepared, however, to consider applications for alternative syllabuses and special papers, subject to extra payment being made for setting and printing the paper. This charge is not less than £2 2s. [£2.10] for each paper. There is also an Advance Fee of £2 for a special Senior or Junior paper, or £10 10s. [£10.50] for a special Preliminary paper, but if more than one such paper be supplied the advance fee is only £2 for each paper after the first. A group of schools may combine to make a joint application for special papers, provided all the candidates concerned are entered at the same Local Centre. We have no information as to the extent to which these special papers are applied for in the case of the examinations under consideration, but we believe it to be very small. In practice nearly all the candidates follow the examination syllabus of the Delegacy and take the ordinary papers.
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As regards choice of subjects, candidates have an almost unfettered option. To obtain a certificate in either of the three examinations, candidates must pass, at one and the same examination, in at least five sections. In the Junior Examination they must also pass in Dictation. All candidates (unless they or their parents object) must, by the Statutes of the University, be examined in at least one of the divisions of Religious Knowledge. In the Senior Examination a candidate may not take more than one of the three following subjects, viz. Book-keeping, Needlework, and Drawing. With these exceptions, candidates are at liberty to take any combination of subjects they like, subject, however, to the exigencies of the time table, which, speaking generally, may limit the options slightly within each subject, but has little effect on limiting the choice of subjects as a whole. In practice, however, though the candidates have the option of devising eccentric combinations of subjects, it is not found that they do so. The subjects actually chosen by the 8,362* candidates who entered for the Junior Local Examination in 1908, arranged in the order of the candidates' preference, are as follows, the numbers in brackets showing the number of candidates who took each subject:
Arithmetic (8,249).
English Language and Literature (8,215).†
History (8,151).
Religious Knowledge (8,092).
Geography (7,626).
French (7,301).
Mathematics (6,632).
Drawing (5,519).
Physics (say 2,000).†
Latin (1,947).
Botany (1,467).
Chemistry (1,161).
Experimental Science (644).
Political Economy, etc. (say 600).†
*This and the following figures are taken from the Annual Reports of the Delegacy, and show the numbers actually examined, excluding those who entered their names but did not attend the examination. A table supplied by the Delegacy, and giving statistics of the examinations since their establishment, is printed on page [blank] (in Volume II); it will be noticed that those figures differ slightly from those given here.
†In these cases the exact figures cannot be ascertained from the tables published by the Delegacy, as the number of candidates taking the different divisions of a section are given instead of the number of separate candidates who took the section as a whole. Thus, in the section called English Language and Literature, the number of candidates who entered for the section is not given, but only the numbers who entered for each of the three divisions: Composition (8,180), Grammar (6,623), and Literature (8,215). It appears from these figures that, practically all the candidates took both Literature and Composition, and that three-quarters of them took Grammar as well. In the section called Political Economy, etc. there are three divisions: Political Economy (295), Elementary Politics (238), and Historical Geography (150). No candidate may combine the first two divisions, so that at least 533 separate candidates must have taken this subject. We have assumed [footnote continues on next page]
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Hygiene (586).
German (424).
Higher Mathematics (411).
Book-keeping (373).
Greek (258).
Music (182).
Italian or Spanish (35).
From these figures it is seen that practically the whole of the candidates took Arithmetic, Religious Knowledge, History, and English Literature, about 91 per cent took Geography, about 87 per cent took French, about 79 per cent took Mathematics, and about 66 per cent took Drawing. It is not possible to say how many candidates took one or more Science subjects; but, with this exception, it is clear that the majority of candidates took most of the ordinary subjects of a good general education which can be tested by a paper examination.
A very similar result is obtained by an analysis of the subjects taken by the 9,384* candidates at the Senior Local in 1908. The following list shows the subjects in the order of the candidates' preference, with the number who took each:
English Language and Literature (9,191).†
Arithmetic (9,156).
History (9,070).
Religious Knowledge (8,794).
Geography (8,196).
French (6,249).
Mathematics (6,035).
Drawing (5,956).
Physics (say 2,500).†
Botany (1,491).
Latin (1,216).
Chemistry (991).
Political Economy, etc. (say 850).†
Hygiene (607).
German (453).
Footnote - continued
that half the candidates who took Historical Geography combined that subject with one of the others, making a total of about 600 separate candidates who took the section as a whole. Under the section Physics are included Mechanics (367), Heat (1,419), Sound and Light (298), Electricity (536). Candidates can pass in the section as a whole by passing in one division; can only obtain distinction by passing in two; and are not allowed to take more than three. It is probably a fair estimate to suppose that about 2,000 separate candidates entered for some part of the Physics section.
*See note * on page 164.
†See note † on preceding page. Similar remarks apply to these subjects in the Senior Examination, the figures for the separate divisions being as follows: English: Composition (9,104), Grammar (5,123), Literature (9,191). Political Economy, etc.: Political Economy (389), Politics (103), Historical Geography (725). Physics: Mechanics (632), Heat (1,179), Sound, Light, and Heat (934), Electricity (656).
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Higher Mathematics (271).
Book-keeping (230).
Greek (226).
Music (208).
Italian or Spanish (29).
Here, again, it is seen that practically all the candidates take English, Arithmetic, and History. About 87 per cent take Geography, about 67 per cent take French, about 64 per cent take Mathematics, and about 63 per cent take Drawing. The number who take one or more Science subjects cannot be ascertained from the published figures. It is worth noting that the number of candidates who take two languages must be exceedingly small. Only 1,216 candidates take Latin, while Greek is almost ignored.
The number of candidates using these examinations is very large, and recent years have seen an enormous increase, particularly in the numbers who take the Senior Local. From 1,940 in 1900, the number of Senior candidates had risen to 10,980 in 1909. The number of Junior candidates has also increased, though not so rapidly, being 4,479 in 1900 and 8,751 in 1909. On the other hand, the number of Preliminary candidates, which rose to its highest (4,256) in 1904, has since then steadily decreased, being only 3,438 in 1909.* This decrease is owing mainly to the action of the Board of Education. Section 5 of the Regulations of 1904 forbade scholars in the first or second year of the course (except by the express permission of the Board) to sit for any external examination except one which comprised the whole school, or one held solely for the award of scholarships or exhibitions. In the current Regulations, this prohibition is applied generally to all pupils under 15 years of age. Local Authorities also appear to be moving in a few cases in the same direction.
As regards the ages of candidates, the Preliminary Examination is confined exclusively to candidates below 16 years of age. Further, only candidates under 14 are eligible for Honours or Distinction. In the Junior and Senior Locals there is no limit of age for ordinary candidates, but candidates are not eligible for Honours or Distinction unless they are under 16† or 19 years of age respectively.
The results of each of the three examinations are published in two lists, Honours and Pass. In both cases the names of the successful candidates are given together with the name of their school and its Principal. In the Honours lists the names of candidates are arranged in three classes, the first two in order of merit‡ and the third in the order of their Index Numbers
*See note * on page 164.
†Raised to 17 for the 1912 examinations.
‡In and after 1911, the names of those in the Second Class will be placed in "not more than five Divisions".
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under the several Centres. The following table shows the number or candidates who obtained Honours in the year 1908:
In the Pass Lists are included the names of all other successful candidates. They are arranged in two divisions in numerical order under the several Centres. In the first division are the names of candidates not over 14, 16,* or 19 for the Preliminary, Junior, and Senior respectively. In the second division are the candidates over those ages, who receive Over-age Certificates. At the end of the Pass Lists are separate lists of candidates who (having obtained certificates) earned distinction in individual subjects. The names are given in order of merit. The following table shows the number of distinctions obtained in each subject in each of the three examinations in 1908:
TABLE SHOWING THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES OBTAINING DISTINCTIONS IN THE OXFORD PRELIMINARY, JUNIOR, AND SENlOR LOCAL EXAMINATIONS, 1908
*Raised to 17 for the 1912 examinations.
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In addition to the Division Lists, Supplementary Tables are published giving particulars as to the subjects in which each candidate satisfied the examiners. Unsuccessful as well as successful candidates are included in these lists, but the subjects which candidates took, but failed to pass in, are not shown. The Delegates are also prepared, on payment of a small fee, to inform heads of schools of the manner in which their pupils acquitted themselves in the several subjects, and also to place their pupils in order of merit, among themselves, in each subject and on the whole examination. In no case, however, are the actual marks obtained by the candidates made known.
The results of the examinations are also used for various other purposes. The Certificates are accepted, in varying degrees, by Universities and Professional bodies, as exempting the holders from various other examinations. A list of the exemptions granted to successful candidates at the Oxford Locals is given in Appendix D on pages 329 ff. In a few cases scholarships and prizes granted by schools or public bodies are awarded on the strength of the Senior and Junior Locals. Lastly, the Delegates themselves award four scholarships, each tenable for one year, as follows: One of £30 to the Senior boy candidate who is placed highest in the Honours List; one of £30 to the corresponding girl candidate; one of £10 to the Junior boy candidate who is placed highest in the Honours List; and one of £10 to the corresponding girl candidate.
(ii) The Oxford Higher Local Examination
The Higher Local Examinations are held twice a year, in July and November. The July Examination is held at the same time as the other three Local Examinations, and at any local centre where satisfactory arrangements can be made. The November Examination is held at Oxford and at other places appointed by the Delegates after application has been made on behalf of candidates wishing to be examined.
A fee of £1 10s. [£1.50] is payable to the Delegates on the first time of entry, and of £1 on each subsequent occasion, in addition to local fees.
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The subjects of the examination are divided into 11 sections, viz.
Arithmetic
A. Languages (Latin, Greek, French, German, Italian).
B. Religious Knowledge.
C. Modern History.
D. Mathematics.
E. Logic, Political Economy, and Psychology. |
F. English.
G. Music.
H. Natural Science.
K. Geography.
L. History and Theory of Education. |
The choice of subjects open to candidates for certificates is much more restricted than in the case of the Preliminary, Junior, and Senior Locals. Arithmetic is obligatory for all candidates. For an ordinary certificate a candidate must pass in three other sections, of which one must be either Languages, or Mathematics, or Natural Science. For an Honours Certificate the rules are the same as regards obligatory sections, but candidates who pass in only three sections (in addition to Arithmetic) must obtain a First or Second Class in two of the three sections. Those who pass in four sections must obtain a First Class in one of them.
Another point which differentiates the Higher Local from the Preliminary, Junior, and Senior is that candidates need not pass in all the subjects required for a certificate at one and the same examination.
As regards the syllabuses, they are on an altogether higher plane, both as regards the quality and quantity of the work demanded, than those of the Senior Locals. In Modern Languages knowledge of the outlines of a period of literature is required, in addition to grammar, translation, and set books. History includes the general outlines of English History, from 1066 to 1837, as well as a set period of either English or Foreign History. In English the outlines of the History of a period of English Literature are set, together with certain prescribed books a knowledge of which postulates a fair amount of accurate general reading. In Natural Science candidates must pass in either Chemistry, or Physics, or Botany. The syllabus in Geography is very comprehensive, and a point is made of the relation of the subject to Natural Science and History. There is a practical examination in Chemistry, but none in any other Science subject nor in Music. In Modern Languages, there is an optional viva voce examination for candidates who go specially to Oxford for the purpose. In all languages set books are obligatory.
The syllabuses are, of course, drawn up by the Delegates. No alternative syllabuses or special papers are allowed.
There is no limit of age for candidates taking the Higher Local; but the number of candidates is very small, amounting in 1908 only to 282, of whom only 76* obtained Certificates, and
*Excluding those who, although they passed in certain groups, did not complete their certificates, and those who had already gained a certificate and now added to their successes.
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of whom 36 were awarded an Honours Certificate. The examination is used almost entirely as a means of admission to the Women's Colleges at Oxford. The only other bodies which actually grant exemptions to the holder of a Higher Local Certificate are the Scottish Universities, the universities of Wales and Birmingham, the Board of Education, the General Medical Council, and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. In view of the quality of the examination, however, we assume that the only reason why more public bodies have not granted facilities to successful candidates is that there has been no demand for such facilities from the candidates.
(iii) "School" Examinations conducted by the Oxford Delegacy
It has already been explained that the Local Examinations are organised in terms of Centres and not of Schools. Practically the whole of the candidates, of course, come to the examinations direct from schools, and the schools not only prepare their pupils for the examinations, but, as already explained, are enabled, on payment of a small fee, to obtain from the Delegates a certain amount of information as to the way in which their pupils have acquitted themselves in the several subjects in which they pass. But the Local Examinations are not "School" Examinations in the sense in which the Delegates use that word. In a "School" Examination, properly so called, no certificates are given; the examination is held only in such subjects as are selected by the school authorities; the examination papers are prepared on the school syllabuses, either by the Delegates' examiners, or by the teachers themselves subject to criticism by the examiners; similarly the answers are marked either by the staff or by the examiners; in either case the answers are reported on by the Delegates' examiners. The Delegates are prepared to conduct at least a part of the examination viva voce, and do, as a matter of fact, usually find that the authorities of schools desire that this should be done.
A variant of the School Examination is what is known as a Combined School and Local Examination. Such an examination is conducted partly or wholly by means of papers which are being used simultaneously in the Preliminary, Junior, Senior, or Higher Local Examination, and the school or group of schools is formed into a Special Local Centre. The examination appears to be essentially a Local Examination. Candidates are eligible for certificates on paying the prescribed Local Examination fee, and the superintendence of the examination and the setting and marking of the papers is entirely managed by the Delegates. The examination differs, however, from an ordinary Local Examination in two main respects: pupils who are not candidates for certificates may attend the examination, and further, the worked papers of all candidates may be treated for school purposes; that is to say, the marks obtained are forwarded to the school
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and a report is made to the school on the work of all the candidates. The advantages claimed for the system are that pupils who take part in a school examination can obtain a certificate without undergoing a second examination; that examination papers can be supplied much more cheaply than if each had to be set on a special syllabus for each school; and that uniformity of standard is secured. We feel, however, that as a mere matter of fact the examination is not really a school examination at all. It is divorced from the school syllabuses, and the teacher takes no direct part in it. It does not really enable candidates to get a certificate on a genuine school examination, and does not save them from an external examination. It allows them to use an external examination for school purposes. It does not allow them to use a school examination for external purposes. While, however, the Combined School and Local Examination omits the best features of the school examination proper, it admits a much closer relation between the Delegates and the school authorities than the ordinary Local Examination.
The Annual Report of the Delegacy contains a list of 78 schools "examined or inspected" during the year 1909.
Charges are made at the following rates: For each paper specially set (normally), 15s. [75p]; for each paper not specially set, or for each Higher Local paper used, 5s. [25p]; for each Senior or Junior Local paper used, 3s. 6d. [17½p]; for each Preliminary Local paper used, 2s. 6d. [12½p]; for each exercise looked over, 1s. 9d. [8p], 6d. [2½p], or 4d. [2p] for Higher, Senior, Junior, or Preliminary Local papers respectively; for other papers, 6d. each; for inspecting and reporting upon answers already marked by the staff, £1 per 100 exercises. For a viva voce examination, £2 5s. [£2.25] per day for each examiner employed.
(iv) Examinations for School Certificates
It will be plain from the above descriptions of the Local and the Combined Local and School Examinations of the Oxford Delegacy that the certificates granted for success in those examinations take no account of the candidates' school record. Candidates may come from a good school, a bad school, or (in the case of Locals) from no school at all. The certificate in fact is a record of examination success, and makes no claim to anything further, except, of course, so far as success in examination may be taken as an indirect indication of training. In order to provide a certificate which shall contain more direct evidence of sound education, the Delegates offer what are known as Junior and Senior School Certificates. The essence of these certificates is that they are only awarded to candidates who have attended continuously during a definite period of time schools which are specially approved by the Delegates for this purpose. An approved school in this connection means one which has been inspected during the last five years either by the Delegates or
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by the Board of Education, or by an Inspecting Body accepted by the Delegates, the report on such inspection having been approved by the Delegates as satisfactory. It is hardly necessary to point out that the admission of inspection as one of the conditions in which the certificate is granted introduces a vitally important factor into the scheme.
The following brief account of the conditions on which these school certificates are granted will show the general nature of the scheme.
The Junior School Certificate is awarded to candidates who (1) have attended continuously for two years at least one or more schools approved for the purpose, and (2) have passed the Junior Local Examination in certain subjects, viz. (1) Dictation; (2) Arithmetic; (3) English Language and Literature, including Composition: (4) at least one language (Latin, Greek, French, German, Italian, or Spanish), together with at least three other sections, which must be selected from not less than two of the three following groups, viz. Group I, Religious Knowledge, History, Geography, Political Economy; Group II, Mathematics, Higher Mathematics; Group III, Botany, Experimental Science, Chemistry, Physics.
A Senior School Certificate is awarded to candidates who (1) have attended continuously for three years at least one or more approved schools, and (2) have passed the Senior Local Examination in a number and combination of subjects practically the same as those for Junior candidates (but not including Dictation), and (3) are not under 16 years of age.
In the case both of Junior and Senior School Certificates, if candidates have taken a sufficient course of instruction in Geometrical Drawing and Practical Drawing and in Practical Measurements, or have taken a sufficient course of laboratory work in one or more branches of Natural Science, these facts will be recorded on the School Certificate if one is gained. Further, a candidate who has obtained a certificate may have endorsed on it any additional subjects passed by him (in the same grade) whilst still at school.
It may be said generally that a School Certificate differs from an ordinary Local Examination Certificate in these particulars: a pass in at least six* subjects is required, instead of only five*; the combination of subjects is to a large extent laid down by the Delegacy instead of being entirely at the choice of the candidate; continuous residence at an approved school is an essential condition. On the other hand, it resembles the Local Examination Certificate in this, that it is based on an examination which is not a school examination, that is to say, which is not based on the school syllabus and the school methods of teaching.
Since in passing the Junior or Senior School Certificate Examination a candidate necessarily qualifies for a certificate
*i.e. without counting Dictation as a separate subject.
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of the corresponding grade in the Local Examination, it follows as a matter of course that he is entitled to all the exemptions which are allowed in respect of the latter. In addition, a candidate who satisfies certain conditions in the Senior School Examination is exempted from Responsions.
The fees are the same as for candidates for the Junior and Senior Locals, with the addition of a special fee of £1 for (any number of) candidates for Junior School Certificates at any one school, and a similar fee for any number of Senior candidates.
The number of candidates for Senior School Certificates in 1908, 1909, and 1910 were respectively 11, 52, and 58, of whom 7, 30, and 23 passed; the numbers of candidates for Junior Certificates in those years were respectively 25, 10, and 5, of whom 8, 7, and 4 passed.
(v) Army Leaving Certificates
Army Leaving Certificates are granted by the Delegates in accordance with a scheme which will be described later. Candidates for these certificates must have entered for a Senior School Certificate, must have taken the papers of the Senior Local Examination in all the necessary subjects, and must have attained such standard of proficiency in them as is required by the Army Council.*
(vi) Inspection
The Delegates are prepared to conduct the inspection of schools, and they issue regulations dealing with the subject. In practice, however, very little is done, the number of schools inspected in 1905 having been 15; in 1906, 5; in 1907,4; in 1908, 3; in 1909, 6; and in 1910, 8. The Delegates believe that the probable reason for the slow development of this part of their work is the fact that they make a charge for conducting an inspection. The fees are as follows: £4 a day for each day spent in inspection on account of each inspector employed, with a minimum charge of £6 when only one inspector is appointed and a minimum charge of £4 each when more than one is employed. The inspectors' report is prepared without extra charge, but travelling and hotel expenses have to be defrayed by the school authorities.
(b) THE CAMBRIDGE LOCAL EXAMINATIONS SYNDICATE
We have dealt first with the Oxford Local Examinations merely because chronologically they were the earliest of the University Local Examinations. We have dealt with them in some detail because it did not seem possible otherwise to give an accurate general view of their working. In treating the
*Further information with regard to Army Entrance Examinations will be found on pp. 268 ff. It will be seen that the existing scheme is about to be discontinued, and that the last examination for Army Leaving Certificates will be held in the Michaelmas Term, 1911.
[page 174]
Local and School Examinations of other examining bodies we shall, so far as possible, abbreviate our description by dealing quite briefly with those points in which they do not differ from those of the Oxford Delegacy.
The examinations of the Cambridge Syndicate correspond in their general scope with those of Oxford. They are the Preliminary, Junior, Senior, and Higher Local Examinations, the School, and the Combined School and Local Examinations, and the examinations for Junior and Senior School Certificates, and Army Certificates.
(i) The Cambridge Preliminary, Junior, and Senior Local Examinations
These examinations are held twice a year, in July and December, at Local Centres in various parts of England and Wales. The centres, like those for the Oxford examinations, are established only in places where a local committee has been formed and has made application for the examinations to be held there, and where the amount of the fees reaches a certain minimum. The number of centres is about the same as in the case of the Oxford examinations (see Appendix B, pp. 311 ff.).
The normal fees of the Syndicate are the same as those of the Oxford Delegacy, namely, 10s. 6d. [52½p] for each candidate for the Preliminary Examination, and £1 for each Junior or Senior candidate. Special fees are charged for special papers on alternative set books and syllabuses, and for an examination in spoken French and German.
The subjects comprised in the examinations are as follows:
In the Preliminary Local:
Compulsory
(1) Writing from Dictation.
(2) Arithmetic
Optional
(1) Religious Knowledge.
(2) English.
(3) English History.
(4) Geography.
(5) Latin.
(6) French.
(7) German. |
(8) Geometry.
(9) Algebra.
(10) Experimental Science.
(11) Chemistry.
(12) Heat.
(13) Botany.
(14) Drawing. |
In the Junior Local:
Compulsory
(1) Writing from Dictation.
(2) Arithmetic
Optional
(1) Religious Knowledge.
(2) English Language and Literature.
(3) History and Geography.
(4) Latin. |
(5) Greek.
(6) French.
(7) German.
(8) Spanish.
(9) Dutch. |
[page 175]
(10) Mathematics (Geometry, Algebra, Plane Trigonometry, Elementary Mechanics).
(11) Elementary Experimental Science.
(12) Chemistry.
(13) Physics (Heat, Sound and Light, Electricity and Magnetism). |
(14) Biology and Physical Geography (Botany, Natural History of Animals, Physiology and Hygiene, Physical Geography).
(15) Book-keeping, Mensuration and Surveying, and Shorthand.
(16) Drawing.
(17) Music. |
In the Senior Local, the subjects correspond very closely with those of the Junior Local. The only differences are that Dictation and Elementary Experimental Science are omitted, Agricultural Science is added, and further divisions are introduced into some of the subjects.*
The syllabuses of the subjects of the examinations are drawn up and published by the Syndicate. The following points may be noted. The syllabuses in Religious Knowledge are confined entirely to short selected hooks. In English, the syllabus of the Preliminary includes (i) Grammar, (ii) Composition, and (iii) alternative set books, of which either Grammar or Composition is compulsory. In the Junior, the syllabus falls under the same headings, but neither Grammar nor Composition is compulsory except for candidates for distinction. In the Senior, Grammar is dropped, and the syllabus consists of (a) Composition which is compulsory for candidates for distinction, (b) alternative set books, and (c) a paper of easy questions testing the candidates' general knowledge of English Literature since 1579 A.D. The syllabus specially mentions that in this last paper, (c), the questions will not be limited to text book knowledge. The English History syllabuses are divided into periods, but candidates may take questions from any division of the paper, so that their choice appears to be quite unfettered. The Preliminary syllabus is confined to English History, but Roman History is included in the Junior, and either Roman or Greek in the Senior. In the Junior and Senior Examinations, History and Geography are included under one section. In the former, students cannot pass the section without taking Geography; in the latter, the section is practically divided into three groups, (a) History (History of England or History of the British Empire, or Greek or Roman History), (b) Geography, (c) Political Economy or Logic. As candidates only have to take two of these groups, they can pass the section as a whole though they omit either History or Geography altogether.
In Latin and Greek easy unprepared translation (with a vocabulary of unusual words) is compulsory for all candidates. Set books are also given, and the Syndicate attach great importance to them, though they allow candidates the alternative
*viz. In Mathematics - Analytical Geometry, Differential Calculus and Applied Mathematics (Elementary Mechanics being dropped). In Physics - Experimental Mechanics. In History, Geography, etc. - Political Economy and Logic. In Biology, etc. - Domestic Science.
[page 176]
of unprepared translation of ordinary difficulty. In French and German, the Preliminary syllabus consists only of easy translation and questions on accidence; in the Junior syllabus, a certain amount of unprepared translation is compulsory for all candidates; but set books may be taken instead of the more difficult unseen, for which, however, higher marks are obtainable. For candidates who take selected books, questions may be set on historical and geographical allusions, and upon the metre of verse subjects. The Senior paper consists of grammar and translation, with composition as an alternative to the harder portion of the latter.
In the Science subjects detailed syllabuses are published and can be obtained on application to the Syndicate.
It is worthy of mention that the Cambridge University Press issues annotated editions of all the set books mentioned in the syllabuses of the Local Examinations and prepares a special list of such works.
The examinations are not confined exclusively to paper work. Candidates for the Preliminary, Junior, or Senior Examinations can be examined in spoken French or German on payment of a fee of 2s. 6d. [12½p] apiece (with a minimum fee for any school or group of schools of £1 for each language together with the travelling and hotel expenses, if any, of the examiner or examiners). In 1909 the percentage of Junior candidates in French who took the oral examination was 15.3, and of Senior candidates 15.1. In German the percentages were 10 and 13.9. Candidates who pass in written French or German, and also in the spoken language, have the fact that they passed an oral examination endorsed on their certificates. Success in the oral examination, however, is not necessary for passing in the language, nor even for a mark of distinction, though it is taken into account in determining the place of candidates in the Class List, and is counted towards the mark of distinction in cases where the mark would not be obtained without it. In Chemistry and Experimental Science a practical examination is compulsory for all Junior and Senior candidates taking those subjects, without extra fee, and examinations in these subjects are held only at centres where there is a properly equipped laboratory. In Botany specimens are sent to the examination centres for dissection and description. There is no practical examination in Physics, but the questions are principally such as to test the candidates' knowledge of the subject as gained from a course of experimental instruction.
As in the case of the examinations of the Oxford Delegacy, the syllabuses of the Cambridge Locals are not based on individual school curricula; but examination papers on alternative syllabuses and set books may be set under certain conditions if a fee is paid by the school to cover the extra cost. We are informed that there is always a considerable number of former headmasters on the list of examiners, and that the Syndicate are
[page 177]
constantly receiving from the heads of schools informal suggestions and representations with regard to the examinations, and from time to time invite their opinions on subjects which they have under discussion.
As to choice of subjects, candidates have somewhat less discretion than is allowed in the Oxford Locals. Arithmetic is compulsory for candidates for the Preliminary and Junior and Senior Examinations, and Dictation is compulsory in the two former. At least a part of the section Religious Knowledge must be taken by all candidates, subject to a conscience clause. Further, candidates for the Preliminary Examination must pass in four of the fourteen optional sections enumerated above; they may not enter for more than five of the ten sections 5-14, or for more than two of the four sections 10-13, or for more than eight sections altogether. In the Junior Local, candidates must pass either (a) in three of the sections 1-14 (one at least of the three being section 2 or one of the sections 4-9); or (b) in two of the sections 1-14, together with two subjects out of any other two of these sections (one at least of the two complete sections being section 2 or one of the sections 4-9). In the Senior Local, candidates must pass in at least three of the sections 1-14, one at least of the three being section 2 or one of the sections 4-9. In the Junior and Senior Examinations no student may enter for more than seven sections, together with a part of an eighth section. In the case of all three examinations it is necessary, in order to qualify for a certificate, to satisfy the prescribed conditions at one and the same examination.
The following tables show the subjects of the examinations arranged in order of the candidates' preference, with the number of candidates who took each. The figures are for the year 1908*:
Junior Local. (Total Number of Candidates, 9,667.)
Arithmetic (9,665).
Dictation (9,665).
History (9,493).†
Geography (9,443).†
English Language and Literature (more than 9,320).‡
Religious Knowledge (9,112).‡
*They are taken from the Annual Report of the Syndicate, and, it is understood, refer to the total number of candidates entered, some of whom did not actually attend the examination.
†History and Geography are included in one section, for a pass in which it is necessary to take Geography and one of the divisions of History, of which there are three, viz. (a) History of England , (b) History of British Empire; (c) Roman History.
‡In these cases the correct figures cannot be ascertained from the tables published by the Syndicate, as the number of candidates taking the different divisions of a section are given instead of the number of separate candidates who took the section as a whole.
English Language and Literature. - The number given is the number who took Composition, but candidates had a choice of five divisions, of which [footnote continues on next page]
[page 178]
French (8,073).
Drawing (say 8,000).‡
Mathematics (7,583 - at least).‡
Latin (2,747).
Chemistry (1,850)‡
Physical Geography (1,430).*
Botany (1,284).*
Elementary Experimental Science (1,078).
Physics (1,067).‡
Music (962).
Book-keeping (917).§
German (709).
Physiology and Hygiene (451).*
Mensuration and Surveying (174).§
Greek (171).
Shorthand (170).§
Natural History of Animals (67).*
Spanish (33).
The total number of candidates entered having boon 9,667, it is seen that, with two exceptions (although these subjects were compulsory), all took Dictation and Arithmetic. As regards the other subjects, History, Geography, and English were each taken by over, and Religious Knowledge by just under, 95 per cent; French by about 84 per cent; Drawing by about 83 per cent; and Mathematics by about 79 per cent. These propor-
‡Footnote - continued.
they had to take two to pass (or three for distinction), and of which one had to be a book. The numbers taking the separate divisions, were as follows: (a) Composition (9,320); (b) and (c) Books (9,077); (d) Books (1,420); (e) Grammar (8,622). No candidate could take both (b) and (c) nor more than three subjects altogether. It is, therefore, certain that the number taking this section was in excess of that given above.
Religious Knowledge. - This is the number who took the Gospel, together with those who took Kings (Jewish students only). This division, with one of four others, was necessary for a Pass in this section.
Drawing. - This section is divided into four subjects of which two are required for a Pass. The numbers in the separate subjects are as follows: (a) Freehand (6,894); (b) Model (6,195); (c) Geometrical (2,975); (d) Elementary Design (825). A candidate was not allowed to take both (c) and (d). Supposing each candidate had taken two subjects and only two, the number of individual candidates would have been about 8,500.
Mathematics. - This section has four divisions, of which each candidate must pass in Geometry and Algebra. The number given above is that of the candidates who took Algebra, which was in excess of the number who took Geometry. The numbers were as follows: (a) Geometry (7,206); (b) Algebra (7,583); (c) Trigonometry (1,113); (d) Mechanics (291).
Chemistry. - Candidates had to pass in both Theoretical and Practical Chemistry. The numbers were (a) Theoretical (1,850), as given above; (b) Practical (1,701).
Physics. - Candidates had to pass in two out of three subjects. The numbers were as follows: (a) Heat (1,067), given above , (b) Sound and Light (362); (c) Electricity and Magnetism (702).
*These four subjects are all contained in one section, called "Biology and Physical Geography".
§These subjects are all contained in one section, only one subject is needed for a pass; no candidate may take both Shorthand and Mensuration.
‡See footnote commencing on page 177.
[page 179]
tions are for the most part very similar to those noticed in the case of Oxford (see page 165).
Senior Local. (Total number of candidates, 7,363)*
Arithmetic (7,362).
English Language and Literature (7,130 - at least).†
History (6,995).‡
Geography (6,728).‡
Religious Knowledge (6,652).†
French (5,134).
Drawing (say 5,000).†
Mathematics (4,534 - at least).†
Physical Geography (1,514).§
Latin (1,416).
Physics (say 1,400).†
Chemistry (1,187).†
Botany (1,063).§
Music (767).
German (465).
Physiology and Hygiene (375).§
*See note * on page 177.
†See footnote ‡ on pages 177 and 178. Similar considerations apply to the figures for the Senior Locals, but the following additional notes may be useful:
English Language and Literature. - The numbers who took the separate divisions of this section were: (a) Composition, 7,130; (b) and (c) Books, 7,059; (d) and (e) Books + general paper, 5,100. No candidate could take both (b) and (c), or both (d) and (e).
Religious Knowledge. - This is the number who took either the Gospel or the Acts (+ Jewish students who took Kings). One of these two divisions, together with one of three others, was required for a pass in this section.
Drawing. - There are five subjects in this section in the Senior. The numbers in the separate subjects were: (a) Freehand, 4,268; (b) Model, 3,890; (c) Perspective, 119; (d) Design, 836; (e) Memory, 1,443. Candidates had to take two subjects to pass in the section and were not allowed to take more than one of (c), (d), (e). Supposing each candidate had taken only two subjects, the total number of candidates would have been about 5,300.
Mathematics. - The numbers in the separate subjects, of which there are six, and of which, in order to pass in the section, it is necessary to take both (a) and (b), were as follows: (a) Geometry, 4,487; (b) Algebra, 4,534 (as above); (c) Trigonometry, 1,376; (d) Analytical Geometry, 132; (e) Differential Calculus, 85; (f) Applied Mathematics, 310.
Physics. - The numbers in the four separate subjects, of which two were required for a pass, were: Experimental Mechanics, 308; Heat, 1,214; Sound and Light, 859; Electricity and Magnetism, 571. If each candidate took two subjects only, the total number of candidates would have been about 1,500.
Chemistry. - The separate figures were: (a) Theoretical, 1,187; (b) Practical, 1,076.
‡These subjects are all included in the one section, "History, Geography, etc." History is in three divisions - History of England, History of British Empire, Roman History. No candidate may take more than one of these three divisions.
§See footnote * on page 178.
[page 180]
Book-keeping (251)*
Logic (215)‡
Political Economy (171)‡
Greek (127)
Shorthand (61)*
Mensuration and Surveying (61)*
Spanish (44)
Agricultural Science (37)
Natural History of Animals (23)§
The total number of candidates 7,363. With one exception, all took Arithmetic (the compulsory subject). About 97 per cent took English; about 95 per cent took History; about 91 per cent, Geography; about 80 per cent, Religious Knowledge; about 70 per cent, French; about 68 per cent, Drawing (if the estimate be fairly accurate)†; about 62 per cent, Mathematics.
The total number of candidates who now take the Cambridge Examinations (i.e. 22,739 in 1909|| corresponds very closely to the number taking the Oxford ones, though the total is apportioned somewhat differently among the three examinations. Full statistics extending over a number of years are given on page 375. It will be sufficient here to mention that in the year 1909, 4,758 candidates took the Cambridge Preliminary, 9,950 took the Junior, and 8,031 took the Senior.
The age limits for candidates are the same as those for the Oxford Locals.¶
The results of the examinations are published with great fulness of detail. Separate lists for boy and girl candidates are issued in each case. Successful candidates are divided into five classes. The first three are Honours classes, the fourth includes candidates who are under 14, 16, and 19 years of age for the Preliminary, Junior, and Senior Local respectively, and the fifth includes over-age candidates. In all five cases the candidates are arranged in alphabetical order under the various centres. After the name of each candidate is added the name of his school (if any) and the name of the schoolmaster. In addition to these class-lists, information is published as to the distinctions earned in individual subjects by Junior candidates under 16 and Senior candidates under 19. In these lists the candidates are arranged in order of merit. Distinctions are also given in the Preliminary Local, but the names of candidates who obtain them are not published in a separate list.
*These subjects are contained in one section, in which each candidate must pass in Book-keeping, and one of the other two, of which only one may be taken.
†See footnote † on page 179.
‡See footnote ‡ on page 179.
§See footnote * on page 178.
||It is understood that this is the total number entered, and that not all of them actually attended the examinations.
¶But the age for Honours in the Junior Examination remains 16 in 1912 (see footnote † on page 166).
[page 181]
The following table shows the number of candidates who obtained Honours at the examinations in 1908:
The following table shows the number of candidates who obtained distinctions in the Preliminary, Junior, and Senior Local Examinations, 1908:
[page 182]
In addition to the Class Lists, supplementary lists are issued which show in detail the subjects which every candidate took, and those in which he failed or succeeded. Further, the Syndicate are prepared to give to the principals of schools information about the work of their pupils similar to that given by the Oxford Delegacy.
A list of the exemptions from other examinations which can be obtained by success in the Cambridge Local Examinations is given in Appendix D on pages 337 ff.
A few scholarships, prizes, and medals are awarded on the results of the Junior and Senior Local Examinations. St. John's College, Cambridge, gives two exhibitions of £30 a year for two years to candidates in the Senior Local, and the Trustees of the Reid Fund (Bedford College, London) give a scholarship of 30 guineas [1 guinea = £1.05] for three years to a girl candidate in the Senior Local. The Syndicate themselves give a scholarship of about £40 a year for three years, tenable at Cambridge. The Syndicate also give prizes, both in July and December, to the four candidates who stand highest in the First Class of the Senior and Junior boys and the Senior and Junior girls, £12 to each of the Seniors and £8 to each of the Juniors. The Royal Geographical Society offer four silver medals a year for success in Geography and Physical Geography combined.
(ii) The Cambridge Higher Local Examination
The Cambridge Higher Local Examinations are held twice a year, in June and December. The arrangements for centres and fees are generally similar to those of the Oxford Delegacy. Whereas, however, the Oxford Higher Local is open to candidates of any age, irrespective of their having passed any previous examination, the Cambridge Higher Local is only open to candidates who are either 17 years of age or have obtained an Oxford or Cambridge Senior Local Certificate, a Higher Certificate or the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board, or a London Matriculation Certificate.
The subjects of the examination are -
Group R. Religious Knowledge.
Group A. English.
Group B. Languages (Latin, Greek, French, German. Italian).
Group C. Mathematics (Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, Plane Trigonometry, Conic Sections, Statics, Dynamics, Hydrostatics, Astronomy, Differential and Integral Calculus).
Group D. Logic. Psychology, Political Economy, History of Education.
Group E. Science (Elementary Chemistry and Physics, Chemistry, Physics, Botany, Zoology, Physiology, Geology).
Group F. Music.
Group G. Geography (Physical, Political, and Economic Geography, the History of Geography).
Group H. History (English History, general and special, European History, Greek History, Roman History).
[page 183]
The choice of subjects open to candidates is limited only by the following regulations. All candidates must satisfy the examiners in Group B or C. "For an Honours Certificate, a candidate either (a) must satisfy the Examiners in Elementary Arithmetic and in three of the Groups R, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and obtain a First or Second Class in two of the three groups required, or (b) having obtained Honours (i.e. a First, Second, or Third Class) in the Cambridge Local Examination for Seniors, or a Higher Certificate of the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board with distinction in two subjects, must obtain a First or Second Class in two of the Groups R, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, provided that a candidate who presents a Higher Certificate of the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board which does not include Elementary Mathematics shall also satisfy the Examiners in Arithmetic. For an Ordinary Certificate, a candidate must satisfy the Examiners in Elementary Arithmetic and in three of the groups R, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H. Certificates in the Cambridge Senior Local Examination and the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board give no exemption from this rule."
As in the case of the Oxford Higher Local, the subjects required for a Certificate need not all be taken at one and the same examination.
The syllabuses in the various subjects of the examination are of an advanced order. It may be noted specially that there are more opportunities for practical examinations in Science than are offered by the Oxford Delegacy. In Chemistry a practical examination is (as in the Oxford Examination) obligatory where the accommodation of the centre allows it. In Botany, Zoology, and Geology candidates are required to describe and identify specimens. Further, in all subjects except Elementary Physics and Chemistry, there are practical laboratory examinations at Cambridge, which are open to all candidates who desire to take them, whether they take the rest of the examination at Cambridge or elsewhere. They are not compulsory, and success in them does not affect a student's place in the Class List in Group E, and is not required for the mark of distinction in the various subjects. But it secures a special mark in the Class List. In French and German an oral examination, at a limited number of centres, is on much the same footing as the voluntary practical examination in Science subjects. There is no practical examination in Music. Set books are not obligatory in any language, except to a small extent in Italian, but are optional in all.
The number of candidates who took the Cambridge Higher Local in 1908 was 1,041, and the number who qualified for certificates was 177.* Speaking generally, the candidates
*Excluding those who, although they passed in certain groups, did not complete their certificates, and those who had already gained a certificate and now added to their successes.
[page 184]
come from the higher Forms of girls' schools, and the examination is used mainly as an avenue to the University. It has this advantage, from their point of view, that it can be taken piecemeal, and that it includes no Greek. The examination, in fact, has in girls' schools very much the position of the Higher Certificate of the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board in Public Schools for boys; but it is claimed that the Higher Local is a more difficult examination, except in Classics, to which, of course, less time is given in girls' schools than in the great Public Schools for boys.
As regards the standard of the examination, it is of a much higher character than the Senior Local, being, so we are informed, rather of the nature of a University Intermediate Examination, or even, in some subjects, of a Final Examination for a Degree.
(iii) "School" Examinations conducted by the Cambridge Syndicate
The Syndicate are prepared to examine schools, by means either of pure "School" examinations or by "School" examinations and Local examinations combined. The system is very similar to that of the Oxford Delegacy already described, and does not require separate description.
The number of schools examined by the Syndicate in 1909 was 76.
(iv) School Certificates and Army Leaving Certificates
The arrangements made by the Syndicate for granting Junior and Senior Certificates, and for Army Leaving Certificates, are practically identical with those of the Oxford Delegacy as regards both the subjects and method of the examination and the attendance qualification. No detailed description of them, therefore, is necessary here.
The number of candidates for School Certificates in 1908 was only 4, and in 1909 there were no entries at all; in 1910, however, 23 candidates entered for Junior, and 24 for Senior School Certificates, the numbers successful being 7 and 9 respectively.
(v) Inspection
Inspection of schools, as distinct from examination, was started by the Syndicate in 1882. As a matter of fact, the examination of schools, as conducted by the Syndicate, includes a good deal of inspection, and very few schools ask for inspection as apart from examination, especially now that the Board of Education undertakes inspection free of charge. The number of schools inspected by the Syndicate in 1905 was 3;
[page 185]
in 1906, 6; in 1907, 2; in 1908, 6; and in 1909, 7. The Syndicate conducted no inspections, pure and simple, in 1910. The fee charged by the Syndicate for inspection varies, of course, according to the size and curriculum of the school, the minimum fee being £5. If the inspection occupies one inspector for two days, or two inspectors one day, the fee is £8. These fees do not include travelling and hotel expenses.
(c) THE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE SCHOOLS EXAMINATION BOARD
The Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board, commonly known as the Joint Board, conducts several examinations, which may conveniently be grouped under three heads.
(1) Firstly, they conduct a "School" Examination, that is, an examination proper to an individual school, on which no certificates are given.
(2) Secondly, they conduct Higher and Lower Certificate Examinations. The examinations are held (a) at schools which desire that the papers shall form part of a "School Examination", and (b) "at Oxford, Cambridge, or such other centres as the Board may appoint". In practice, such centres are nearly always schools. The Higher Certificate Examination is intended for pupils of about 18 years of age, and the Lower for pupils of about 16.
(3) Thirdly, the Board hold an examination for "School Certificates", for pupils of about 17 years of age. Such examinations are, as a rule, held at inspected schools, and no candidates are eligible for certificates who have not been in attendance for three years. This School Certificate is accepted by the Army Council as an Army Leaving Certificate.*
The Certificate Examinations may be combined with "School Examinations", and the certificate papers may then be used by pupils who are not candidates for certificates. The Joint Board are prepared to accept the co-operation of the school staff in such portions of the examinations as are not used for obtaining certificates, Examinations for certificates are conducted entirely by the Board's examiners.
In all examinations, whether for certificates or not, the Board are prepared to grant alternative papers, either on different subjects or under different schedules, or to be set at different times, where the subjects or times presented do not suit the convenience of a particular school, provided that the additional expense so incurred is borne by the school.
(i) "School" Examinations conducted by the Joint Board
School Examinations held under the authority of the Joint Board may be held at any time of the year, and may include as
*But see footnote * on p. 173.
[page 186]
many or as few subjects and cover as many or as few classes as the school authorities choose. The examination follows the syllabus of the school, and as a rule allows the co-operation of the masters of the school in setting and marking the examination papers. An exception, however, is made in the case of the examination of the highest division of the school, when the examiners report on the general work of that division, and, if required, place the boys in order of merit, and award exhibitions, scholarships, and prizes. In such a case the examination is conducted exclusively by the Board's examiners, provided the statutes of the school permit.
The School Examination is conducted partly viva voce, except where the Board authorise the examiners to dispense with this mode of examination.
When the examination is over the School Examiners make a report upon it to the Joint Board, who afterwards send a report to the Governors and headmaster of the school.
The number of examiners required and the length of the examination is fixed in each case by the Joint Board after communication with the authorities of the school. The cost of the examination, including the expense of printing the papers and the salaries of the examiners, is settled on a fixed scale. An estimate is sent to the school before the arrangements of the examination are finally concluded.
The schools which utilise the School Examinations of the Joint Board are Secondary Schools which have a regularly constituted Governing Body, or which prepare a fair proportion of their boys for the Universities, or which in any other way give evidence of providing an education of the highest grade.
The manner in which the School Examinations of the Joint Board may be combined with the Higher or Lower Certificate Examinations, or the School Certificate Examination, will be described in the following sections.
The number of schools examined by the Joint Board in the year 1908-9 was 188, but this number includes all the schools at which examinations were held, whether the whole school, or select Forms, or only candidates for certificates were examined; it also includes two schools where the only examination was of a viva voce character. The number of pupils examined, who were not candidates for certificates, was about 5,600.
(ii) The Higher and Lower Certificate Examinations
(a) The Higher Certificate
The Higher Certificate Examination is held once a year in July at every school of which the authorities desire that the examination shall form part of a School Examination, and at Oxford, Cambridge, or such other centres as the Board may appoint. The examination is open both to boys and girls, but
[page 187]
the regulations differ somewhat for the two sexes. We will take the case of boys first.
Every candidate for a certificate must pay a fee of £2 on the first occasion. Candidates who have already obtained certificates are admitted to a subsequent examination upon payment of a fee of £1.10s. [£1.50]. Candidates who wish to obtain exemption from Responsions, the Previous Examination, and the London Matriculation Examination, although they do not obtain a Higher Certificate, pay an extra fee of 5s. [25p] to cover the expense of a special examination of their answers to ascertain if they have reached the necessary standard for exemption.
The subjects comprised in the Higher Certificate Examination are as follows:
Group I
(1) Latin.
(2) Greek.
(3) French.
(4) German.
(5) Spanish.
(6) Arabic.
Group II
(1) Elementary Mathematics.
(2) Additional Mathematics.
Group III
(1) Scripture Knowledge.
(2) English.
(3) History.
(4) Geography. |
Group IV
(1) Natural Philosophy (Mechanical Division).
(2) Natural Philosophy (Physical Division).
(3) Natural Philosophy (Chemical Division).
(4) Natural Philosophy (Experimental Science).
(5) Physical Geography and Elementary Geology.
(6) Biology. |
Candidates must, at one and the same examination,* satisfy the examiners in at least four subjects, which must as a rule be taken from not less than three different groups. They may not take more than six subjects (Elementary and Additional Mathematics being reckoned for this purpose as one).
The syllabuses of the various subjects are left very wide. The following points may be noted. Set books are not compulsory in Languages. Oral French and German are optional and are not necessary for a pass in either language. Success in the oral examination, however, is noted on the certificates of candidates who pass in the language as a whole, and, in and after 1912, no candidate will obtain distinction unless he satisfies the examiners in the oral test. The syllabus in English consists of Prose Composition and portions of authors to be specially prepared. The papers on the set books contain questions on Grammar, but the syllabus appears to give candidates no opportunity for obtaining credit for general reading except so far as it finds scope in the essay paper. In History, candidates have the option of taking periods of English, Roman, or Greek History. Geography may be taken as a separate subject, or as
*But see later as regards special provision for girls.
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a composite subject combined with History. But even candidates who take History as a separate subject are required to have such a knowledge of geography as is necessary for the study of the selected period of History. There are practical examinations in Chemistry, Physics, and Mechanics. In Geology and Biology the examination includes the recognition of the principal fossil genera and the examination and description of an actual plant.
A school which takes the Higher Certificate Examination as part of a School examination may submit for the approval of the Joint Board alternative books or periods or special schedules, and may have special papers set on the basis of its own curriculum if the proposed alternatives are considered at least equivalent to those specified in the Board's syllabuses, and provided that the entire expense involved be defrayed by the school authorities.
The above description applies primarily to boys. The regulations for girls differ in the following respects: Girl candidates for Higher Certificates may take the examination in two portions, being required at each examination to satisfy the examiners in at least two subjects. The fee may be divided also between two examinations. Candidates who satisfy the examiners in two or more subjects receive a Letter stating the subjects in which they have passed. Those who desire to qualify for admission at Oxford to the University Examinations for the Degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, and Doctor of Music, although they do not obtain a Higher Certificate exempting them from Responsions, pay an additional fee of 5s [25p]. Further, Italian, Music, and Drawing, subjects not included in the boys' list of subjects, may be offered by girl candidates.
The number of candidates who are examined annually for Higher Certificates is considerable, the actual figures being 1,324 boys and 1,037 girls in 1909. Of the girls, 527 candidates were dividing their examination into two parts and were entering for the first part only.
The names of candidates who are successful in their examination are published in one Class List in alphabetical order, with letters showing the subjects in which they passed or obtained distinction. A separate list of all the candidates who obtained distinction in any subject is also published, also in alphabetical order, with letters to show the subjects in which the distinction was gained. In each list boys and girls are given separately, and in every case the name of their school is added. Supplementary tables are also issued, giving the subjects in which all candidates, whether successful or not in the whole examination, satisfied the examiners or obtained distinction.
The Joint Board publish statistics showing the number of candidates who offered each subject of the Syllabus at the examination in any year. But, as many of the candidates divide their examination and offer only half their subjects at a time, it is not
[page 189]
possible to judge from these statistics what subjects are offered by candidates in the course of their whole examination. The following figures, however, show the relative position of the various subjects. At the examination in 1909 there were 1,324 boys and 1,037 girls; of the latter 527 were taking the first part of their examination, while the remainder were either taking their examination undivided or were taking the second half. The following list of subjects shows the order of the candidates' preference. Of the figures given opposite to each subject the first is the number of candidates who took the subject, the second is the number who obtained distinction:
No prizes or scholarships are given by the Joint Board to successful candidates for Higher Certificates. Such candidates, however, are entitled to exemption from many public examinations, a list of which is given in Appendix D on pages 343 ff.
(b) The Lower Certificate
The Lower, like the Higher, Certificate Examination is held in July of each year at every school of which the authorities desire that the papers shall form part of a School Examination, and at Oxford, Cambridge, or such other Centres as the Board may appoint. The examination is taken both by boys and girls, and the published regulations of the examination apply generally to both sexes; but girl candidates may pass the examination in two portions.
The fee is one guinea [£1.05] for each candidate examined in his own school. An additional fee of 10s [50p] must be paid for every candidate examined elsewhere. Further, the school must pay not less than a guinea a day for the services of the Supervisor, and must also pay his travelling expenses and provide for his entertainment. A girl candidate entering for three or four subjects only pays a fee of 10s. 6d. [52½p]
The subjects comprised in the Lower Certificate Examination correspond generally with those of the Higher Certificate Examination, and are similarly grouped; but Arithmetic is substituted for Elementary Mechanics, English History for
[page 190]
History, and Botany for Biology, while Physical Geography and Elementary Geology are dropped altogether. On the other hand, candidates may also offer Geometrical or Model Drawing.
Candidates for certificates must, at one and the same examination,* satisfy the Examiners in five subjects taken from not less than three groups, of which Groups I and II must be two. Drawing may not be one of the five subjects.
The syllabuses of the various subjects are of course easier than those of the Higher Certificate, though drawn on similar lines. The following points may he noticed. In Languages there are no set books, neither optional nor compulsory. The syllabus in English includes Grammar, Easy Composition, Dictation, and portions of authors to be specially prepared. The syllabus in History is confined to one period of English History. Geography and History may be offered as a composite subject. There is no oral examination in modern foreign languages, but there are practical tests in Science.
Alternative books and periods or special schedules may be offered by schools which are prepared to pay for special examination papers.
The names of successful candidates are published in a single class list, in alphabetical order, boys and girls, however, being given separately. There is no Honours List and there are no distinctions, but there are two classes in each separate subject, and the published class list indicates whether successful candidates obtained a first or second class in each subject in which they passed. Supplementary tables show the individual subjects in which all candidates, whether successful or not in the whole examination, satisfied the examiners, and the class which they obtained in each subject.
At the examination in 1909 there were 1,087 candidates, of whom 958 were boys. The following figures show the choice of the candidates in 1909, the number against each subject being the number of candidates who offered it for examination:
Of the 1,087 candidates, 593 were successful in obtaining Lower Certificates. There were 7,807 entries altogether for different subjects, and the number of First Classes granted was 1,308, and of Second Classes 3,953.
When a whole Form, or not less than 15 boys in a Form, are examined for Lower Certificates, the examiner reports to the
*Except girl candidates, who may take the examination in two portions.
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Joint Board on their work in each paper. A report is afterwards sent by the Joint Board to the Governing Body and headmaster of the school respecting the general work of the boys from that school. A list of the boys is also sent showing the number of marks gained by each boy in each subject.
No prizes are given by the Joint Board to successful candidates for Lower Certificates. The exemptions from public examinations which are granted to successful candidates are enumerated in Appendix D on page 350.
(iii) The Joint Board's "School Certificate"
The School Certificate Examination of the Joint Board is held twice a year, in July and December. The certificate, like the School Leaving Certificates of the Oxford Delegacy and of the Cambridge Syndicate, is only granted to candidates who (1) pass in the required subjects, and (2) have been in attendance for three years, with satisfactory conduct, at one or more schools inspected by the Joint Board, or by the Board of Education, and approved by the Joint Board. It is intended for candidates of about 17 years of age, as a test of general school education, and is accepted as such by many examining bodies and in particular by the Universities and the Army Council.* It may be added that pupils in schools which are not inspected are allowed to enter for the examination, and may, if they pass in the subjects required by Oxford or Cambridge, obtain by this means exemption, wholly or in part, from Responsions or the Previous Examination, though not eligible to receive Certificates.
The subjects of the examination are very similar to those of the Higher Certificate Examination,† and are grouped in the same way. In order to obtain a certificate a candidate must pass, at one and the same examination, in not less than five subjects (of which English must be one) taken from not less than three groups, and at least one subject must be taken from Group I. Further, candidates who take History-and-Geography or Physics-and-Chemistry as composite subjects may not also take the component parts of those subjects separately. A candidate who has already qualified for a certificate may take one or more additional subjects at a subsequent examination, and, if successful, may have the fact recorded on his certificate.
The syllabuses of the various subjects are quite general. There are no set books in Languages. In French and German there is an optional oral examination, and candidates who are successful in the paper work and also in the oral
*But see footnote *, p. 173.
†The only differences are as follows: Spanish and Arabic are omitted, History is confined to English History, and Group IV consists of the following subjects: (1) Mechanics, (2) Physics, (3) Chemistry, (4) Physics and Chemistry.
[page 192]
examination have the fact recorded on their certificate if they obtain one. In English, the only compulsory subjects are English Composition and Précis writing, and the reproduction in brief of a passage read to the candidates. Candidates may also, if they wish, take some short portions of specially prepared authors, and, if successful, the fact is noted on their certificate. The History syllabus is confined to English History and includes the outlines from 1066-1832 and a special period. In all branches of Science, candidates must satisfy the examiners in practical work.
Alternative papers may be set for schools which are prepared to bear the additional expense.
The number of candidates who take the examination for School Certificates has grown considerably during the last few years, being 605 in the year 1909. These candidates were all boys. Girls' schools do not take the examination, the authorities appearing to be afraid of encouraging parents to think that girls' education should end at 17. In any case, the Higher Certificate Examination suits them better, as in the first place they can take it in two portions, and secondly, the examination includes separate papers for candidates for a pass or for distinction. For girls' schools which specialise in English and History this arrangement is more convenient.
The fee for each candidate for a certificate is £2. Candidates who already hold a certificate and wish to be examined in additional subjects at a subsequent examination, pay a fee of 10s [50p]. Candidates seeking exemption from Responsions and the Previous Examination, if not also candidates for a certificate, pay £1 if they offer one or two subjects, £1 10s. if they offer three or four subjects, and £2 if they offer more than four subjects. Candidates examined away from their own school pay 15s. [75p] extra. In addition to the above fees for individual candidates, the following charges are made to the school: For the services of a supervisor, not less than one guinea [£1.05] a day, with travelling expenses; for the visit of an examiner in colloquial French or German, £2. The entertainment of the supervisor or examiner must be provided by the school.
The names of successful candidates for certificates are published in a single class list in alphabetical order. The name of the candidate's school is given in each case. Separate lists are published, also in alphabetical order, of candidates who, already holding certificates, have passed in further subjects, and of candidates who took the examination not for the purpose of obtaining certificates but to obtain exemptions from the examinations of Oxford and Cambridge Universities. There are no lists of distinctions, as none are given.
It is not possible to state what are the usual subjects taken by candidates for certificates, as the published figures, which show the number of candidates who take each subject, include not only candidates for certificates but also candidates taking
[page 193]
special parts of the examination for special exemption purposes, and also those who have obtained certificates and are merely taking additional subjects. The following figures, however, give some indication of the candidates' preference. In December 1908 and July 1909 there were 687 candidates. Of these, 559 were candidates for certificates; 94 were candidates in one or more subjects to complete certificates already obtained; 34 were candidates for exemption from Responsions or the Previous Examination without being candidates for the School Certificate. The following is a list of the subjects in the order of the candidates' choice, the number against each subject being the number of candidates who offered that subject:
In all, there were 3,597 entries and 2,329 passes in individual subjects, Of the 568 candidates for certificates, 189 were successful.
The exemptions granted to candidates through the School Certificate examination of the Joint Board are specified in Appendix D on pages 348 ff. No prizes or scholarships are given by the Joint Board on the strength of the examination, but the marks obtained by candidates can be supplied to the school authorities for several purposes, including, of course, the award of school prizes and scholarships.
The School Certificate specifies the age of the successful candidate, the subjects in which he passed, and his school attendance, together with a note of any course he may have been through in geometrical drawing, practical geometry, practical measurements, or practical work in science.
When all, or not less than 15, of the boys or girls in a Form have been examined, the examiners report to the Board upon their work in each subject. A report is afterwards sent by the Board to the Governing Body and headmaster of the school respecting the work of the boys from that Form.
(iv) Inspection
In addition to its examinations the Joint Board conducts inspections of schools. Some schools are inspected yearly, and others only once in four or five years; but the total number each year is not large, as may be seen by the figures on p. 382. In the year ending October 31st 1910, the number was 20, while the average for the five years 1906-10 was 14.
The report of inspection is a confidential document, being intended for the use of the authorities of the school alone, and not for publication.
[page 194]
(d) THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
The position of the London University in regard to examinations in Secondary Schools is essentially different from that of the bodies whose work we have been considering. Whereas the latter came into being with the express object of testing the work of Secondary Schools, the London University commenced its examining work solely for its own University purposes, and with no conscious intention of providing a School Examination. The Matriculation examination, though now largely used by pupils who proceed no further with a University course, was intended to be simply an examination for entry into the University. Gradually, however, it came to be used as a kind of popular leaving examination for Secondary Schools - as an end in itself - more or less in the same way as the Local Examinations of Oxford and Cambridge. Statistics are given on page 390 showing the proportion of Matriculants who go on to further University examinations. From these it would appear that about one-quarter of those who matriculate do not enter for the Intermediate Examination. On the constitution in 1902 of the University Extension Board (which was entrusted with the examination and inspection of Secondary Schools), a new scheme was instituted with the object of providing an examination based directly on the needs of Secondary Schools. This examination, which is now called the Senior School Examination,* is very closely related to the Matriculation Examination, the papers being either the same or of the same standard. In the following year the Junior School Examination was started, and, in 1905, the Higher School Examination.
All these examinations are, in the first place, examinations of individual candidates. In addition, however, the University undertakes the complete inspection of schools, the examination of whole schools or whole classes, or combined inspection and examination. In such cases the main portion of the examination takes the form of one or more of the ordinary School Examinations referred to above, and some or all of the pupils may be candidates for certificates, a report being made to the school authorities on the work of the class or of the school as a whole.
It will be seen, therefore, that the examinations of London University which most directly affect Secondary Schools are now of three kinds. In the first place, there is the Matriculation Examination, which, in intention, is a University entrance examination pure and simple, though it has become in addition more or less of a "Local" examination; in the second place, there are the three school examinations (Junior, Senior, and Higher); and in the third place, there are the examinations
*The name first given to it was "School Examination (Matriculation Standard)". The change was made in June 1910, when other important alterations in the Regulations were also made.
[page 195]
and inspections of schools or classes as distinct from individual pupils.
As the Matriculation Examination partakes so largely of the nature of both a "Local" and a "School" examination, and as, moreover, the school examinations of the University are so closely related to it, it will be dealt with here instead of in the later section on University Entrance Examinations.
(i) The Matriculation Examination
This examination is held three times a year, in January, in June or July, and in September. The September examination is held only in London; but the other two may be (and are) held also at provincial centres "upon the application of any City, Institution, or College desiring to be named as a local centre for one or more examinations". In such cases the examinations are carried out simultaneously with those in London, and under the supervision of sub-examiners appointed by the Senate. In 1909 the examination was held at 16 provincial centres in England and Wales in January, and at 33 in June. The whole of the 16 which had the examination in January were centres again in June, so that the total number of centres in England and Wales was only 33. This marks a difference between the London Matriculation Examination and the local examinations of the Oxford Delegacy and the Cambridge Syndicate, each of which have over 300* centres outside London.
The examination fee is £2, and the full amount is payable upon every re-entry of a candidate who has previously failed.† A candidate who absents himself from the examination is allowed to re-enter within eight months on payment of only £1. Matriculated students desiring to pass in additional subjects may enter on payment of £1 for a single subject, or £2 for two subjects or more. In addition, a local fee varying from £1 to £3 has to be paid to the authorities of provincial centres.
The subjects of examination are placed in 10 groups, as follows:
I. English.
II. Elementary Mathematics.
III. Optional Languages:
Latin.
Greek.
French.
German.
Other Languages.
*It has already been mentioned that there is often more than one centre under the same examining body in a town. The number of separate towns in which there are centres is only about 250 in the case of each of the bodies in question.
†Unless his first entry was in, or before, January 1902, in which case he may (for the present) be readmitted for a fee of £1.
[page 196]
IV. History: Ancient History. Modern History.
V. Physical and General Geography.
VI. History and Geography.
VII. Logic.
VIII. Geometrical and Mechanical Drawing.
IX. Mathematics (more advanced).
X. Optional Sciences:
Elementary Mechanics.
Elementary Chemistry.
Elementary Physics (Heat, Light, and Sound)
Elementary Physics (Electricity and Magnetism).
Elementary Biology (Botany).
Elementary Biology (Zoology).
Elementary Geology.
The following points may be noted in regard to the syllabuses. The English paper is divided into three parts: (a) an essay, to which special importance is attached, and the main object of which is to test power of expression, thought, and arrangement, general reading, and knowledge; (b) questions testing knowledge and command of English; (c) questions testing general reading and knowledge of English books. In foreign languages (both ancient and modern), the papers include unseen translation from and into the foreign language, and questions on grammar. In Latin, candidates may if they like take an additional paper on Latin Prose; but this does not count towards their success in the examination. In the modern languages a simple essay in the foreign language may be submitted in place of the translation into that language. There are no set books in any language, with the exception of Chinese. The History group consists of two parts - Ancient History and Modern History - each of which counts as a separate subject. The Modern History paper deals with English History from 1485 onwards, with some reference to European and Colonial History. There are no practical tests in science; but the questions aim at ascertaining whether the candidate's knowledge has been acquired by means of observation, experiment, and investigation; in Botany special stress is laid on competence in drawing. There are no regular oral examinations in any subject; but the examiners are not precluded from putting viva voce questions to any candidate for the purpose of ascertaining his competence to pass.
The syllabuses are prescribed by the University, and are the same for all candidates: they are not related to the curricula of individual schools. But it must be remembered that the function of this examination is to test candidates for entrance to the University, and that it was not meant to be a school examination. The teachers of the schools take no direct part in the examination.
The choice of subjects is much more restricted than in the case of the Oxford and Cambridge Locals. Candidates have
[page 197]
to pass, at one and the same examination, in five subjects, namely:
(1) English.
(2) Elementary Mathematics.
(3) Latin; or Elementary Mechanics; or Elementary Physics (Heat, Light, and Sound); or Elementary Chemistry; or Elementary Botany.
(4) and (5) Two other subjects, neither of which has been taken under section (3). If Latin be not taken, one of the other subjects must be another language (either ancient or modern).
The whole of the subjects have already been set out above and need not be repeated here. Candidates who take the combined paper in History and Geography are not permitted to take the separate paper either in Modern History or in Geography, 'Those desiring to take a language other than the ones named (i.e. Latin, Greek, French, German) have to submit their proposal beforehand for the approval of the Matriculation Board, and must pay a special fee, the amount of which varies with the language selected.
The subjects taken by the candidates at the three examinations in 1908 and the number of candidates examined in each (excluding candidates at Colonial examinations) were as follows:*
English (all candidates).
Elementary Mathematics (all candidates).
French (5,895).
Chemistry (2,789).
Latin (2,579).
Modern History (1,664).
History and geography (1,519).
Heat, Light, and Sound (1,154).
Mechanics (862).
Botany (712).
Advanced Mathematics (620).
German (518).
Electricity and Magnetism (366). |
Greek (339).
Geography (300).
Logic (143).
Drawing (136).
Ancient History (27).
Spanish (17).
Zoology (15).
Hebrew (12).
Arabic (8).
Portuguese (7).
Chinese (3).
Dutch (2).
Italian (1).
Sanskrit (1). |
It appears, therefore, that the whole of the candidates take English and Elementary Mathematics, since these subjects are compulsory for all. In addition, every candidate is obliged to take at least one foreign language (either ancient or modern), and, if not Latin, then at least one subject of science. The figures show that in 1908 about 89 per cent took French, and about 39 per cent Latin. Exactly how many individual candidates took one or more divisions of science cannot be ascertained from the figures; but there must have been at least 61 per cent, since that is the proportion who took no Latin. History was taken (separately or combined with Geography) by about
*The total number of candidates to which this table refers is 6,597. The difference between this and the figure given on the next page is due to the fact that the latter includes the candidates at Colonial examinations.
[page 198]
49 per cent, and Geography by about 28 per cent. The subject Drawing, which is confined to plane and solid geometry and machine drawing, was taken by only a very small proportion of candidates.
The candidates for the Matriculation Examination in 1908 numbered 6,669, of whom 4,651 were men and 2,018 women.* The number had remained about the same during the five years preceding; from 1904 to 1907 it decreased slightly each year, but rose again in 1908 to a little above what it had been in 1901; thus in 1904 it was 6,533, and in 1907 only 6,120. During the three years immediately preceding 1904 a remarkable increase took place, the total number of candidates in 1901 having been only 4,198. Prior to this the growth had been less rapid but fairly regular.
As regards the conditions of admission to the examination, candidates must have completed their 16th year at the date of the examination; there is no upper limit of age. The examination is open to men and women alike, the same set of regulations and the same examination papers applying to both. Persons who have once passed the examination are not admitted again, except in additional subjects. Those who have been admitted to the University without passing the Matriculation Examination, and those who have proceeded to further examinations of the University, are not permitted to take the examination subsequently, except for the purpose of satisfying the requirements of a public authority. In such cases no certificate is issued and the names do not appear in the Pass List; but the public authority concerned is notified by the University in case of success. Any person is admitted to take the English paper and a viva voce test at the Matriculation Examination held in London (but not in the Provinces) on payment of a fee of £2, and certificates are issued to such as are successful.
The names of successful candidates are published in a supplement to the University Gazette in a list containing two divisions, a First Division and a Second Division, and are arranged in alphabetical order. In each case is given the name of the school (if any) from which the candidate comes. Copies of the list are sent to every college or school from which any successful candidate has immediately proceeded to the examination, and also to candidates who have supplied a stamped addressed envelope. Successful candidates also receive a certificate setting forth the subjects taken by them, Unsuccessful candidates are informed of the subjects in which they have failed. Particulars are not given either to the public or to individual schools or candidates, as to the marks obtained or as to relative position in order of merit in the list; but it
*In 1909 the number was 6,225, of whom 4,358 were men and 1,867 women.
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is understood that some information as to the work of candidates may be supplied to scholarship awarding bodies on application. Honours are not now given in connection with this examination; nor are distinctions awarded in individual subjects. Until the examination of June 1903 an Honours list was published in which the names were arranged in order of merit; but after that examination this list was discontinued. The practice of awarding a certain number of exhibitions and prizes on the results of the examination was also abandoned at the same time.
It may be interesting to see the proportions of candidates who pass in each of the two divisions. The following table gives the figures for 1908:
Success in the Matriculation Examination of the London University is accepted for various purposes, either with or without conditions, by certain Universities and professional bodies and by the Board of Education.
(ii) The School Certificate Examinations of London University
In considering the three "School Examinations" of the University of London it will probably be best to deal first with the Senior School Examination, which was the first of the three to be established and which is intimately connected with the Matriculation Examination just considered. Next will follow a description of the Higher School Examination, which marks a further stage in the course of a student who has passed the Senior Examination, and is (for certificate purposes) open only to such as have succeeded in that examination. Last will come the Junior School Examination, which, though second of the three in order of establishment, is in some respects rather different in character from the other two.
(a) The Senior School Examination†
This examination is, in effect, the general Matriculation Examination adapted for use as a school examination. It is
*See footnote on p. 197.
†Previously called "School Examination (Matriculation Standard)". See footnote on p. 243.
[page 200]
(in the words of the regulations) of a standard which a well-educated boy or girl of the age of 17 may reasonably be expected to reach. Subject to certain conditions, success in the examination entitles a pupil to a School Leaving Certificate when (but not before) he leaves school.
As has already been indicated, this examination was instituted in 1902 when the University Extension Board was constituted and was entrusted with the duty of examining and inspecting Secondary Schools. The Board felt that if a new examination was started something rather different from the existing ones was needed, and an endeavour was accordingly made to bring the new examination into much closer relation with the schools. With this end in view provision was made for the setting of special papers to meet the curricula of individual schools, and for an intimate association between inspection and examination. The examination can only be held in a school which is under inspection by the University or by some body approved by them, and in which the curriculum has received their approval. Further, no pupil is eligible for a certificate unless he has been for two years under instruction at an inspected school. These and other features of the scheme distinguish this examination from the Local Examinations or the London University's own Matriculation Examination, which are held at centres open to all candidates, and are quite independent of the schools. At the same time the examination serves a double purpose in that success in it, in the required subjects, entitles a candidate to registration as a Matriculated Student of the University just as if he had passed the general Matriculation Examination.
The examination is held in July of each year. It may also be held at any other time the University may fix, and in special cases, to meet the wishes of a school or group of schools, the University are prepared to hold an examination at any time desired by such school or schools provided the whole cost be borne by the latter.
The ordinary fee is £2 for each pupil examined; but a further fee of £2 is charged for each paper set specially for a particular school, and candidates who take Higher Standard papers in certain subjects have to pay an additional 10s [50p] for each such subject that does not involve a practical examination. Candidates who, having already passed the examination, take additional subjects at subsequent examinations, pay 10s for each subject taken, if no special paper is required to be set. In addition, since inspection is a necessary condition for examination, it should be mentioned that there is a charge of £5 a day for each inspector in addition to travelling and hotel expenses. If the school is not inspected during the year a fee of £5 (which covers the cost of the oral examination in modern languages) is charged, together with the fee and expenses of a Presiding Examiner if it is necessary to appoint one. For a
[page 201]
practical examination in science, involving the presence of an examiner in the school, there is an additional fee of £3, together with the examiner's travelling expenses, etc.
The list of subjects is the same as that for the Matriculation Examination (see pages 196 f.), with the addition of General Elementary Science, Elementary Economics, Economic History, and Drawing (Art). But the combination of subjects required for a pass in this examination is not the same as that required for the general Matriculation Examination. It is possible to qualify for a Senior School Certificate without passing in the Matriculation subjects. If, however, a candidate at the School Examination passes in those subjects (at one and the same examination) he is entitled to be registered without further fee as a Matriculated Student if or when he has attained the age of 16.
To obtain a certificate in the School Examination a pupil must, at one and the same examination, satisfy the examiners in:
(i) Arithmetic,
(ii) English language and literature (including an Essay),
and in not fewer than four subjects as follows:
(iii) One of the following*
Latin.
Greek.
French.
German.
Welsh.
(iv) One of the following:
Elementary Mathematics.
Elementary Mechanics.
Elementary Physics (Heat, Light and Sound).
Elementary Chemistry.
Elementary Botany.
General Elementary Science (Chemistry and Physics).†
Logic.
Physical and General Geography.
Elementary Economics.
(v) Two of the following:
The subjects of (iii) and (iv) above, but the same subject may not, of course, be taken twice over.
Ancient History.
Modern History.
History and Geography.‡
Geometrical and Mechanical Drawing.
Mathematics (more advanced).
Elementary Physics (Electricity and Magnetism).
Zoology.
Geology.
Economic History.
Drawing (Art).
*Other languages, if approved, may be taken on payment of a special fee.
†Those who take this subject may not at the same examlnation take the separate subjects Chemistry or Physics.
‡Those who take this subject may not at the same examination take the separate subjects Geography or Modern History.
[page 202]
A pupil who has already passed the Senior School Examination may subsequently, while still at school, enter for additional subjects, and, if he passes, have the fact recorded on his Leaving Certificate. The University is further prepared to examine in Music and Drawing and to indicate on the certificate proficiency in these subjects. Information as to the subjects actually taken by candidates is not published.
Any pupil who, without qualifying for a School Certificate, passes in subjects which satisfy the requirements of a public authority, may obtain a document showing the subjects in which the approved standard has been reached; but this is not accepted in lieu of any part of the examination for certificate purposes.
The syllabuses for this examination are those of the Matriculation Examination, and if the examination is held at the same time as the Matriculation Examination the same papers may be used for both. But a school may have papers specially set to suit its own curriculum provided the syllabus proposed is approved by the University as at least equivalent to that for which it is substituted. In such cases an additional fee is required; but if several schools use the special syllabus the extra expense is divided between them. A practical examination may be held in science subjects, also on payment of an additional fee, and is obligatory in the case of students who take General Elementary Science - a subject not included in the general Matriculation Examination. In Chemistry and Physics candidates have to send in their note-books containing a record of their work during the year. In modern languages an oral test is compulsory. Success in it is not essential for a pass, but is recorded on the certificate. It will be remembered that neither practical nor oral test finds a place in the Matriculation Examination.
In the ordinary way a pupil is not admitted to the examination until he has completed his 16th year; but when a whole Form is entered, pupils under 16, but not under 13, may sit, provided that the University reserves the right to withdraw this privilege where the proportion of such pupils in the Form is unusually large, or for any other reason. In any case the certificate itself is not awarded to a pupil below the age of 16. Other conditions of admission to the examination or the award of certificates - viz. the period of school attendance, the approval of the course of study, and the inspection of the school - have been referred to.
As the examination for the Senior School Certificate is based on the general Matriculation examination, which does not profess to be a school examination, it may be useful to give a brief summary of the principal features of the scheme which help to bring the examination into relation with the schools. Most of them have already been mentioned above.
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(i) The examination is only open to candidates from schools which are under inspection either by the University or by a body approved by them, and only those are eligible for certificates who have spent a certain time in such schools. Further, each school has to submit for the University's approval a statement of the complete course of instruction at the school and the curriculum of study pursued by the candidates.
(ii) Papers may be set specially on syllabuses submitted by the schools and approved by the University. For this privilege an extra charge is made.
(iii) Papers of a Higher Standard, in not more than two subjects, may be taken in addition to the ordinary papers in those subjects. An extra fee is charged for each Higher Standard paper so taken.
(iv) The choice of subjects is rather wider and is more elastic than that of the Matriculation examination.
(v) Practical examinations may be (in one subject must be) held in science (on payment of an extra fee); and in modern languages an oral test is compulsory, though success in it is not essential for a pass.
(vi) The whole of a Form may be entered for the examination, although some of its pupils* are under the age limit of 16. The University is prepared to furnish a report on the work of a whole Form tested in this way.
(vii) The University also offers to make special reports on the results of the examination, with a view to the award of scholarships or exhibitions.
(viii) The Certificate sets out not only the subjects in which the pupil has passed, but also the curriculum pursued by him at his school, and the time spent there. Further, a pupil who has distinguished himself in any form of manual, artistic, or technical skill, or has displayed any general or special capacity not tested by the examination, may, if desired by the school authorities, have the fact recorded on his certificate; and if, after passing the Senior Certificate Examination, he passes a scholarship or other higher examination, he is entitled to have this stated also.
(ix) The examination may, in special cases, to meet the needs of a particular school or group of schools, be held at any time desired by such school or schools, provided they pay the whole cost of the examination.
(x) While teachers in the schools do not take part in the setting or marking of the papers, it was pointed out to the Committee that a considerable proportion of the University's examiners either are, or have been, teachers, and that the
*Unless the whole Form, or subdivision of a Form (excepting only those who have already passed the examination, or the Matriculation examination, or have obtained exemption from the latter, or are under 15), is entered, only those of 16 or over may take part.
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University has held conferences with teachers on the subject of the school examinations.
The examination is comparatively new, and the number of candidates at present is not very large. In the session 1908-9, 814 candidates, of whom 504 were boys and 310 girls, took the examination, which was held in 68 schools. The total number of boys and girls who had taken the examination from its establishment in 1902, up to and including the session referred to, was 2,994. Statistics showing the number presented in each session are given on page 391.
The list of successful candidates is published in a Supplement to the University Gazette. The candidates' names are arranged in alphabetical order under the names of their schools. Distinctions are given in individual subjects, and a candidate who qualifies for a certificate and obtains distinction in at least three subjects (exclusive of Arithmetic) is deemed to have gained Honours, and this fact is indicated in the Pass List. The list also shows those who have qualified for a certificate, those who have satisfied the requirements for Matriculation, and those who merely passed in additional subjects. The order of merit is not published; but, as already pointed out, the University offers to make special reports with a view to the award of scholarships or exhibitions.
The Senior School Certificate is accepted for various purposes, either with or without conditions, by the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the Board of Education, the Army Council, and a number of professional bodies.
(b) The Higher School Examination
This examination is intended for pupils who, after passing the Senior Examination, remain at school till 18 or 19 and specialise in certain subjects. As in the case of the examination just considered it is a condition for the award of a certificate that the student shall have pursued an approved course of study at a school under approved inspection, the period of attendance required in this case being three years. And again, certificates are not given to successful candidates until they are about to leave school.
The examination is held in July each year, and may also be held at other times, as in the case of the Senior School Examination.
The examination fee is £3 for each candidate. There are extra charges for schools which have not been inspected by the University during the year, and for practical examinations in Science, as in the Senior Examination.
The subjects of examination are those already set out in the case of the Senior Examination (Arithmetic excepted) and any others approved by the University. A candidate must select three, and not more than four, of these subjects. To obtain the certificate he must pass in at least three of them at one
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and the same examination. Should he pass in only one or two subjects he gets no certificate, but has his success noted on his Senior School Certificate.
The University does not publish syllabuses for this examination. The schools presenting candidates are required to submit beforehand for the University's approval a syllabus of work in each subject in which the examination is to be held. It must represent at least a year's work beyond the Senior syllabus in the subject. There is an oral, as well as a written, examination in each modern language, and, if desired, a practical examination in Science may he held at the school on payment of a special fee. The teachers do not take any part either in setting or marking the papers.
The number of candidates taking this examination is at present small. From its institution in 1905 up to and including the session 1908-9, there were only 46 candidates altogether (10 boys and 36 girls). On page 301 will be found the numbers who entered each year.
There is no limit of age for this examination; but a candidate is not admitted for certificate purposes until not less than two terms after passing the Senior Examination. Where, however, a whole class is entered, it is understood that the examination may be taken by those who have not passed the Senior Examination; but in such cases no certificate is awarded.
The names of successful candidates (with the names of the subjects in which they have passed) are published in alphabetical order under the names of their schools. An asterisk is placed against the name of any subject in which the candidate has obtained distinction. A candidate qualifying for a certificate and obtaining distinction in at least two subjects is deemed to have gained honours,
The exemptions allowed on account of success in the Senior Examination would, of course, be granted to a holder of the Higher School Certificate, since the latter can only be gained by one who has already passed the former. No additional list of exemptions is published.
(c) The Junior School Examination
The Junior School Examination is said to be of the standard which any well-educated girl or boy of 15 may reasonably be expected to reach. Those qualifying for certificates receive them while still at school. It is open (for certificate purposes) only to pupils who have spent two years in an inspected school, or schools, and have pursued a course of study in the subjects of a curriculum approved for the school or schools.
The examination is held in July each year, and, like the Senior Examination, may also be held at other times.
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The fee is £1 for each candidate, with an additional charge in the case of a school which has not been inspected by the University within the year.
The subjects of examination are arranged in two alternative courses of study, A and B, and a candidate must, at one examination, satisfy the examiners in at least six subjects from one of them. In each case four subjects are obligatory, and these are the same in both courses, namely:
(1) English.
(2) History.
(3) Geography.
(4) Arithmetic, with easy applications to scientific, industrial, or commercial problems.
The optional subjects, of which at least two must be selected from one course or the other, are as follows:
Course A
(One from each Group)
(5) Latin, Greek, French, or German.
(6) Mathematics, or an approved Science subject, involving, as far as possible, practical work.
Course B
(5) General Elementary Science.
(6) Mathematics.
(7) A foreign language.
(8) English Literature.
An oral examination is held in each of the modern languages in addition to the written examination.
The suitability of the combination chosen to the general aim of the school is considered by the University when the school proposes its subjects for the examination. Additional subjects may, with the approval of the University, be included.
There are no published syllabuses for this examination, each school being required to submit for the approval of the University syllabuses of work in the several subjects. But as an indication of the ground intended to be covered, copies of some of the syllabuses already approved may be obtained on application.
In the examination as a whole the teachers do not take any part, but in the subject "English" they have an important place. In lieu of an examination on special set books by the University examiners, a supplementary examination in English Literature is conducted by the University inspectors and the school staff in co-operation. The teachers set the questions (upon books which have been approved by the University) and submit them to the inspectors for approval, and afterwards mark the answers before passing them on for revision by the inspectors. The marks obtained on this paper, however, do not count towards the certificate.
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The number of candidates at this examination in 1908-9 was only a little smaller than that in the case of the Senior Examination, though the number of schools from which they came was only half as many. Detailed statistics will be found on page 391. The number of candidates examined in 1908-9 was 682, and the total number since the institution of the examination in 1903 (up to and including the session before-mentioned), 2,848.
There is no age limit for candidates, the only condition of admission being attendance for a certain period at an approved inspected school (or schools). Pupils who do not comply with this condition may be admitted to the examination when it is taken by the whole Form; but certificates are not awarded to such pupils even if successful.
The list of pupils from each school is issued in alphabetical order, the name of each pupil being followed by letters designating the subjects in which he has passed. Distinctions are indicated by asterisks. A candidate who qualifies for a certificate and obtains distinction in at least three subjects is deemed to have gained Honours. The pass lists are not published, but sent only to the schools and the education authorities concerned.
The Junior Certificate is accepted as a preliminary examination by a few professional bodies provided that it includes the required subjects.
(iii) The Inspection and Examination of Schools
The University of London undertakes the inspection and examination of Secondary Schools, as distinct from the examination of individual pupils.
In the session 1908-9 the number of Secondary Schools inspected was 29; in 1907-8, 34; in 1906-7, 31; and in 1905-6, 29. The scheme of inspection was instituted in 1902, and the figures for each year are given on page 302.
The report of inspection, which is sent to the Governors of the school, consists of two parts, viz. (1) a general report, which may be published in extenso [in full] but not otherwise; (2) a confidential appendix containing detailed criticisms and suggestions for the use of the Principal and, if deemed desirable, of the staff.
The charge for inspection is £5 a day for each inspector, in addition to travelling and hotel expenses.
Inspection of a school is a condition for the presentation of candidates for the School Examinations. But in such cases the inspection may be conducted either by the University itself, by the Board of Education, or by some other approved body. On the other hand, it does not appear to be a necessary condition of inspection that the school shall also be examined, though it is probable that most (if not all) the schools inspected by the University also send pupils in for the University's Examinations. If desired, however, or if required by the University, the
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inspection may include a review of the ordinary school examination.
The University is prepared (as part of a general inspection or otherwise) to report on the work of a whole class or classes, provided that all the pupils take the papers in one of the School Examinations (Higher, Senior, or Junior). In such cases the answers of those who are candidates for certificates are read and marked entirely by the University examiners; but the others are first read and marked by the school staff and then revised by the inspectors who prepare a report on the work of all the pupils (including the certificate candidates). A charge is made for the preparation of the report at the rate of 3s [15p] for each pupil who is not a candidate for a certificate: and in the case of schools which are not under the inspection of the University the minimum fee is £3.
The University is prepared also to report on the work of other classes in which there are no candidates for certificates, and for that purpose will conduct either (a) an inspection at the rate of £5 a day for each inspector, or (b) an examination with the co-operation of the school staff, in which questions are submitted by the staff for the approval of the inspectors, and the answers marked by the staff and revised by the inspectors. The charge varies with the amount of work, but will not exceed half-a-guinea [52½p] for each paper set, in addition to which the school must bear the cost of printing or manifolding [copying] the papers.
Schools desiring to place themselves continuously under the University for inspection (at such intervals as may be necessary) and for the holding annually of the Senior and Junior School Examinations may do so for an inclusive fee at the following rates:
£5 for schools of not more than 200 pupils;
£10 for schools of 200 to 300 pupils;
£20 for schools of 300 to 400 pupils;
£30 for schools of over 400 pupils;
together with a capitation fee of 2s [10p] a term (6s a year) for each pupil in the school - the percentage of pupils to be admitted to the examinations without further fee to be fixed in each case when the arrangement is made. Pupils qualifying for Matriculation in the Senior Examination will in such cases be registered as Matriculated Students without any additional fee. It is suggested that the capitation fee should be charged to the parents as part of the regular school charges.
The University offers to co-operate with Local Authorities by undertaking the inspection of schools under their control, or by reporting generally on the educational conditions and equipment of their areas. Up to the present four authorities of schools have entered into agreement with the University for the regular inspection and examination of all their schools by the University. These authorities are the Local Education Authorities of Surrey, Middlesex, and Swansea, and the Governing Body of the Haberdashers' Aske's schools.
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(e) THE NORTHERN UNIVERSITIES JOINT MATRICULATION BOARD
The Universities of Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, and Sheffield are required by their Charters to co-operate with one another for the regulation and conduct of Matriculation examinations. For this purpose a Joint Matriculation Board has been formed, composed of representatives of the four Universities, with power to add to their number four persons of educational experience. The co-opted members are at present two head masters and two headmistresses of Secondary Schools. This Board has conducted the Matriculation examination for these Universities since 1903, but that examination is in reality a continuation of the Preliminary examination of the old Victoria University of Manchester. In addition to the Matriculation examination, the Joint Board has recently established a scheme for the examination and inspection of schools and for the award of School Certificates (in two grades) to individual pupils. Still more recently an examination for a Housecraft Certificate has been instituted. The inspection and examination of a school in the immediate neighbourhood of one of the four Universities may (if the school desires) be delegated to the Senate of that University, but that delegation shall be subject to such conditions as the Joint Board may approve, and no certificate shall be issued without the authority of that Board.
Here again, as in the case of London University, the Matriculation examination is so closely connected with the Joint Board's School examinations, and, further, has itself been used to so large an extent as a school examination that it will be described here instead of in the following section.
(i) The Matriculation Examination
The Matriculation examination of the Joint Board is of course intended primarily as an entrance examination to the University, but it is taken by a considerable number of candidates who have no intention of proceeding to a University. Moreover, it has been used (but not after July 1910) by some schools as a Form examination, and has in that way been taken by pupils who were not even candidates for Matriculation. Further, by arrangement with the Joint Board certain Local Authorities award scholarships on the result of this examination; and pupils who enter for this purpose are not necessarily Matriculation candidates. After July 1910, it ceased to be possible to take it as a Form examination, and it was anticipated that in future those who might have taken it at school would take the new School examination.
The examination is held at the four Universities in July and September each year. The July examination is also held at other centres, besides having been (until July 1910) held at schools as a Form examination.
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The ordinary fee is £2; but a candidate who fails in the July examination may enter again in September of the same year at a reduced fee of 30s [£1.50]. The fee for those who take the examination solely for scholarship purposes is £1 only, and is paid by the Local Authority concerned. Such students, if they pass and subsequently desire to enter the University, can do so on payment of an additional fee of £2. Those taking the examination (from the first) both for scholarship and Matriculation purposes pay an inclusive fee of £2.
The following are the subjects of examination, in six of which a candidate must satisfy the examiners (at one and the same examination):
(1) Either English Language or English Literature.*
(2) English History.
(3) Mathematics.
(4), (5), (6) Three of the following, one of which must be a language:
(i) Greek.
(ii) Latin.
(iii) French.
(iv) German.
(v) Some other language approved by the Board.
(vi) Either Mechanics or Physics.
(vii) Chemistry.
(viii) Geography (physical, political, and commercial).
(ix) Natural History (plants and animals).
In the faculty of Medicine, Latin is made a compulsory subject, in addition to one other language.
Candidates may take an additional paper in Mathematics (on payment of a fee of half-a-crown [12½p]), and if they pass have the fact recorded on their certificates.
In the following subjects alternative papers of a higher standard are set at the July examination, and may be taken either by candidates for Matriculation or by students who have already matriculated and are taking additional papers. They generally represent at least one year's study beyond the ordinary papers:
(1) English Literature.
(2) English History.
(3) Mathematics.
(4) Greek.
(5) Latin.
(6) French.
(7) German.
(8) Mechanics and Physics.
(9) Chemistry.
(10) Either Botany or Zoology.
It will be noticed that English Language and English Literature are at present alternative to one another.* In either case an essay is compulsory and is regarded as an essential part of the examination. Beyond this the Language paper includes
*In 1912, the first subject will be English Language and Literature and will include (1) an Essay and (2) set books for general and others for special reading and questions on language arising from the books.
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grammar and history of the Language, while the Literature paper is based on a set book or books. For the higher paper in literature some books are set for general and some for special study, and the paper includes an essay on a subject taken from the former as well as questions on the latter.
The History paper is of a general character; but in the higher paper it is stated that candidates are given opportunities of showing special knowledge of particular periods in addition to general knowledge of the whole. There are, however, no actual set periods.
The Geography paper deals with the British Isles (with outlines of historical geography), a special region (in less detail), and the rest of the world on broad lines.
In the specified foreign languages (ancient and modern), there is an option as between set books on the one hand and passages from unprepared books on the other, in addition to which are questions on grammar and translation at sight from and into the foreign language. Candidates must satisfy the examiners in both grammar and translation. The higher papers in Latin and Greek consist of unprepared translation, grammar and composition, with questions designed to test the intelligence of the translations and knowledge of Greek and Roman life. In French and German they include an oral examination, unprepared translation, a set book, grammar, and free composition.
There is no practical test in the ordinary Matriculation examination in Science; but the questions are designed to ascertain whether the candidate's course of study has been of an experimental character. In connection with the higher papers there are practical examinations in Mechanics and Physics, Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology.
The syllabuses are not varied to meet the requirements of individual schools, nor do the teachers take any part in the examination of their own pupils; but the members of the Joint Board always include some who are actually engaged in teaching. Even where the examination has been taken as a school examination, the papers have always been those of the ordinary Matriculation examination.
The Joint Board do not publish statistics of the number of candidates taking the Matriculation examination. The Committee are, however, informed that the total a number of students who took the papers of the examination in 1909 was 2,371, but that of these only 1,953 were candidates for Matriculation. Of this latter number 1,087 were successful. The total number of candidates in 1908 was 2,564, and in 1907, 1,976.
There is no limit of age for this examination: but each of the four Universities has its own regulations as to the age of students at entry. Persons who have Matriculated (so long as they have not actually become members of one of the four Universities) may sit again, on payment of the necessary fee,
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either for the examination as a whole, for supplementary certificates in single subjects, or for a limited number of papers of the higher standard.
The list of successful candidates is arranged in two divisions, each in alphabetical order, the candidate's name being in each case followed by the name of his school (if any). The names of those who distinguish themselves in the higher papers are given in a separate alphabetical list on the same document, which also includes the names of those who have passed supplementary examinations in either the ordinary or the higher papers. Candidates who fail receive private information as to the subjects in which they have not satisfied the examiners. Although the order of merit of the candidates is not published, it may be pointed out that a number of scholarships have been awarded on the results of the examination; many of these are given by Local Education Authorities to candidates recommended for the purpose by the Joint Board.
The Joint Board Matriculation Certificate is accepted (either wholly or partially, and with or without conditions) by the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, London, the Scottish Universities, the Board of Education, and certain professional bodies, in lieu of their own Preliminary examinations.
(ii) The School Certificate Examinations
These examinations only came into operation in 1910, when the Matriculation examination ceased to be used as a Form examination. They are specially adapted to meet the needs of individual schools, and, in fact, form part of a larger scheme comprising the inspection and examination of a school as a whole; but the regulations do not insist that the whole school, or even a whole class, shall be entered for examination, so long as the school is under inspection either by the Joint Board or by some other approved body. The examination and inspection of schools (as distinct from individual pupils) will be dealt with separately.
There are two examinations - a School Certificate Examination and a Senior School Certificate Examination. The former is of the standard that may reasonably be expected of a pupil of about 15 years of age. The latter is of the standard of the Matriculation examination, and the papers may be the same as those used in that examination.
The examinations are held only at schools which are under the inspection of the Joint Board, unless the school is inspected by another authority and the Board considers it unnecessary to require a further inspection. Certificates are awarded only to candidates who have pursued an approved course of study at inspected schools for a continuous period of not less than three years in the case of the School Certificate, or of four years in the case of the Senior School Certificate, except that, in special cases (on good cause being shown), the Joint Board will not
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insist on the full period in an inspected school provided they have details of the pupils' previous education.
The subjects of examination are as follows:
School Certificate Examination
A.
(I) English Composition.
(2) History.
(3) Geography.
(4) Arithmetic and Elementary Mathematics.
B.
(5) Latin.
(6) Greek.
(7) French.
(8) German.
C.
(9) Mathematics.
(10) Either Botany, or Chemistry, or Physics, or Elementary Science.
Candidates must pass, at one examination, in not less than six subjects, including the four subjects in Group A, and at least one subject from each of the Groups B and C.
Senior School Certificate Examination
(1) English Literature.
(2) History, either (a) Ancient. or (b) European, or (c) English.
B.
(3) Latin.
(4) Greek.
(5) French.
(6) German.
C.
(7) Mathematics.
(8) Additional Mathematics.
(9) Mechanics.
(10) Geometrical Drawing, including Practical Geometry and Practical Measurements.
(11) Physics.
(12) Chemistry.
(13) Geography.
(14) Either Botany, or Zoology, or Natural History.
(15) Domestic Science.
(16) Harmony.
Candidates must pass, at one examination, in not less than six of these subjects, one at least being taken out of each group.
The syllabus of the Matriculation examination indicates the ground to be covered in subjects of the Senior Examination which are also Matriculation subjects, and when the examination is held at the same time as the Matriculation examination, the papers of the latter (or any of them) may be used if the school desires. Either the ordinary or the higher standard papers may be taken. For all other subjects specimen syllabuses are issued; but are not insisted upon. In any subject, a school, or group of schools, is at liberty to submit an alternative syllabus to the Joint Board for approval. A special fee is charged for a paper set on such a syllabus. In setting the papers the examiners act in consultation with the teachers (unless the school authorities express a desire to the contrary).
Oral and practical work is not, as a rule, insisted upon, but may be included in the examination if desired and on
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payment of a special fee. After considering the results of the written examination, however, the Joint Board may require that certain candidates shall produce their school records and be submitted to an oral examination. On the results of this further test they may be declared to have passed the examination.
It will be noticed that the choice of subjects in the School Certificate examination is somewhat restricted; but that in the Senior examination it is a good deal wider than in the Matriculation examination. Candidates, however, who desire their Senior School Certificates to exempt them from the Matriculation examination must conform to the requirements of that examination. Those who have obtained a Senior Certificate may subsequently, while still at school, take additional subjects, on payment of the proper fee.
All the members of a Form may be admitted to the examinations; but School Certificates are awarded only to those who have satisfied the conditions as to school attendance. Those who pass the Senior Examination in the necessary subjects, however, receive a Matriculation Certificate even though they have not qualified by length of attendance for a School Certificate. Where the examination is taken by the whole class, the answers of those pupils who are not candidates for certificates may be first marked by the school staff and submitted to the inspectors or examiners for review.
Tho regulations impose no limits as to the ages of candidates. The certificate states the subjects in which the candidate has satisfied the examiners, and in the case of the Senior Certificate the subjects in which he has obtained distinction. It also shows the course of study pursued at the school, the age of the candidate, and the period during which he has been under instruction. It is understood that in the lists of successful candidates the names are arranged in alphabetical order. They are not divided into classes; but in the case of the Senior examination marks of distinction may be given in individual subjects.
The fee for the Senior Certificate is £2, and for the School Certificate £1 for each candidate; but if the examination is taken as a Form examination, those who are not candidates for certificates only have to pay 10s [50p] for the Senior examination, and 7s 6d [37½p] for the other; while if the answers of such pupils are marked by the school staff the charge will be 5s [25p] for each pupil. There is a fee of £1 for each special paper set on a syllabus submitted by the school; but if several schools take the alternative syllabus the cost is shared between them. For each examiner employed for oral or practical tests a charge of £2 a day is made.
The Senior School Certificate exempts its holder from the Matriculation examination, provided it covers all the subjects required by the Matriculation regulations. It is also accepted for certain purposes (with or without conditions) by the
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Universities of Cambridge and London, the Board of Education and some professional bodies. One of the latter also recognises the School Certificate.
(iii) Examination for Housecraft Certificates
This examination only comes into force in 1911. It is intended for pupils in the Housewifery Forms of girls' schools, and is suitable for candidates of not less than 16 years of age. It is included in the same general scheme as the School Certificate examinations described above, and attendance for at least three years at schools under approved inspection is a condition of admission to it.
The subjects are arranged in two parts, which may be taken separately or together. Part I comprises ordinary school subjects, and Part II domestic subjects. Holders of the School Certificate of the Joint Board covering the required subjects are exempt from Part. I. The subjects are:
PART I
1. English Composition.
2. History.
3. Geography.
4. Arithmetic, with practical applications to household and business affairs.
5. French or German.
6. Elementary General Science, with reference to common things.
PART II
6. Elementary General Science as above, if not taken in Part I.
7. Cookery.
8 and 9. Two of the following:
(a) Housewifery.
(b) Laundry.
(c) Needlework and Drawing.
(d) Elementary Biology.
In subjects 7, 8 and 9, practical as well as written examinations will be held. Unless the candidates at any school number at least 12, they will have to go for these practical tests to appointed centres.
An outline syllabus is published; but schools may submit their own syllabus for approval.
The fee is 25s [£1.25] for the whole examination, or 12s 6d [62½p] for each part taken separately. A charge of £1 is made for each paper set on a special syllabus, except in general elementary science, in which subject a special syllabus may be set on an approved syllabus without extra charge, provided that it is taken by at least 12 candidates.
(iv) The Inspection and Examination of Schools
As has been pointed out already, the Certificate examinations described above form part of a scheme for the inspection and
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examination of schools as distinct from the examination for certificate purposes of individual pupils. The intention is that in this scheme inspection and examination shall always go together; but at present this is not fully insisted upon. If a school is under inspection by another authority, the Joint Board may forego its own inspection if it thinks desirable. Inspection, either by the Joint Board itself or by some other body, is in every case a necessary complement of examination.
The inspection or examination does not necessarily cover the whole school. In the first place, a particular section of the school or department of work may, if desired, be inspected or examined and reported on separately. In the second place, it would appear that the examination may be confined to those parts of the school in which there are candidates for certificates, or may even be concerned solely with such candidates. It is hoped, however, that the certificate examinations will be taken as Form examinations, in which case all the members of a class may be entered, even though some of them are not candidates for (nor qualified to receive) certificates.
Apart from the certificate examinations, however, the Joint Board is prepared to conduct, with the co-operation of the staff, examinations of Forms below the standard of the School Certificate. In such cases the questions will be set by the teachers, subject to the approval of the inspectors or examiners, and the answers will be marked by the teachers and submitted to the inspectors or examiners for revision and report.
The report sent to the school will take account of both examination and inspection. It will consist of two parts - a general report, which, if published, must be given in extenso [in full], and a confidential appendix containing detailed criticisms and suggestions for the use of the Governing Body, the Principal, and (if desirable) the staff.
The charges for the certificate examinations have already been stated. For the examination of Forms below the standard of the School Certificate the charge varies, but where not more than twelve scripts are submitted by each pupil, it is 3s [15p] per head, with a minimum charge of £3, the school to bear the expense of printing or manifolding [copying] the papers. For inspection, the charge is £3 a day for each inspector, with a minimum of £5, in addition to railway fares (3rd class) and hotel expenses (if any); £2 is charged for the report of an inspection. There is a fee for an oral examination apart from inspection of £2 a day for each examiner employed.
(f) THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
The examinations of the University of Birmingham do not affect Secondary Schools to so large an extent as those of the other bodies we have been considering, as the number of pupils taking them is smaller. The Matriculation examination of
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the University is described in the section relating to University Entrance examinations. We have no in information as to whether this examination is used to any extent by students who do not proceed to a University course. In addition to the Matriculation examination, however, the University conducts the examination and inspection of schools, and awards Senior and Junior School Certificates. The School Certificate scheme will be dealt with first.
(i) School Certificate Examinations
Senior and Junior School Certificates are awarded by the University of Birmingham on examinations held in schools which are under their inspection. Only candidates in schools which are inspected by the University are eligible to take those examinations, and the regulations make no provision (such as we have noticed in other cases) for the recognition of inspections conducted by other bodies. Candidates for the School Certificates must have pursued an approved course of study for a continuous period in schools under the inspection of the University. This period is, in the case of the Senior Certificate, three years in one, or four years in two, schools; and, in the case of the Junior Certificate, three years in one or more schools. The standard of the Senior Certificate is that of the University's Matriculation examination; and of the Junior Certificate that which may reasonably be expected of a boy or girl of 15.
There are no stated subjects nor published syllabuses. The papers are set by the University examiners after they have made themselves fully acquainted with the aims and methods of the teachers and the scope or their work. But the school may, if it chooses, make use of the papers set by the University for other purposes, e.g. those of the Matriculation examination. There is an extra fee where special papers are set. The teachers take no part in the actual setting or marking of the papers. An interesting feature of the scheme is the requirement that the school record or each pupil throughout his period of attendance shall be kept available for inspection and consideration by the inspectors and examiners.
The certificate shows the subjects in which the required standard has been reached. The regulations contain no reference to the question of honours or distinctions.
The number of candidates for the two grades of certificates in 1908 was 66. There is no age limit in either case.
For the examination a charge of 1s [5p] per candidate per paper is made to the school, with an additional charge where special papers are set of one guinea [£1.05] a paper. For an oral or practical examination there is an extra charge of 1s per candidate, with (unless the examination is held at the University) a minimum of £1 and travelling expenses. Successful candidates also have to pay a fee before a certificate is issued to them. The amount of this fee is £1 for a Senior, and 10s [50p] for a Junior School
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Certificate. There are also fees for inspection which will be referred to later.
The Senior School Certificate exempts from the University's own Matriculation examination, provided it covers the requisite subjects, and is recognised (with or without conditions) by certain professional bodies, by the Board of Education, and by the War Office.
(ii) The Inspection and Examination of Schools
The University undertakes to inspect and report upon schools, and in schools so inspected holds an annual examination on which the School Certificates just considered are awarded. The report takes account of both inspection and examination. The examination does not appear to extend beyond those parts of the school in which the pupils are candidates for certificates. If desired the inspection may be confined to one department of a school.
The charges are as follows:
For inspection:
A school of 100 scholars or less, £5.
A school of between 100 and 200 scholars, £7. 10s [£7.50].
For the report, £2.
The charges for examination have already been mentioned
It is understood that the number of schools inspected or examined by the University is quite small.
(g) UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM
The University of Durham holds a Matriculation examination for entrance to the University and also undertakes the inspection and examination of schools. The Matriculation examination is described in the following section. We have no information to show how far it is taken by students who do not proceed to a University course. A scheme of Local examinations was at one time carried on by the University, but was discontinued after 1908.
The Examination and Inspection of Schools
The examination and inspection of schools is conducted by the Schools Examination Board of the University, which consists of the Board of Studies, the Secretaries to the Northumberland, Durham, Cumberland, and North Riding Education Committees, four head masters and four head mistresses of Secondary Schools.
The scheme comprises both a written and an oral examination, and a visit of inspection by one or more of the examiners. The report deals with the results of the examination, the organisation and discipline, and, if desired, the premises, apparatus, etc. It consists of two parts, one general, which may be published in full (but not otherwise), and the other containing detailed criticisms and suggestions for the use of the staff.
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The whole, or part of the report on the written examination, may be based on the results of the examinations of the University or other evidence submitted to the examiner and approved by the Board. When the University conducted Local examinations, these might be taken in combination with the examination of the school; but the Local examination scheme has now been dropped.
On the recommendation of the examiners certificates are issued that the holder is qualified (as regards specified subjects) for Matriculation in the University.
There are no prescribed subjects or syllabuses, it being apparently the intention to base the examination on the work actually done in the schools. The teachers may assist in marking the papers, which in that case are afterwards inspected by the University examiners.
In addition to a fee of one guinea [£1.05] for each school, there are other charges on the following scale: For setting a paper, 7s. 6d. [37½p]; for marking each individual paper, 8d [3½p]; or for inspecting papers marked by the staff, 4d [1½p]. For a viva voce examination, one or two guineas, according to the time taken. For a practical examination in science, one guinea each subject. For invigilation, one guinea for the first six hours, and 10s [50p] for each additional three hours. The school also pays the examiner's travelling expenses.
It is understood that the number of schools examined or inspected by the University is quite small.
Three exhibitions are awarded on the recommendation of the examiners.
(h) THE CENTRAL WELSH BOARD
The Central Welsh Board are charged with the examination and inspection of all Intermediate Schools established by Scheme under the Welsh Act, 1889. Such examination and inspection may be extended to other Endowed Schools which are prepared to pay the cost.
As regards inspection, it is of two kinds, namely, the full inspection held once in three years, and the subsidiary inspection made without notice and at shorter intervals. It is understood that every Welsh Intermediate School is inspected by the Central Board at least once a year. Though not directly connected, the two functions of inspection and examination are to some extent connected, and the question of their further correlation is under consideration.
The examination, which is held in June and July each year, does not comprise the whole of each school. It is divided into four stages - Junior, Senior, Higher, and Honours, and certificates corresponding to these four stages are given on the results. But pupils who are not candidates for certificates may be entered for examination. There are also Commercial and
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Technical Certificates; but these are taken only by one or two candidates a year.
The subjects of examination for the Junior and Senior Certificates are:
Section A |
Scripture Knowledge.
English Language. |
Literature.
History. |
Section B |
Arithmetic. |
Mathematics. |
Section C |
Latin.
Greek.
Welsh.
French. |
Spanish.
German.
Italian. |
Section D |
Physics.
Chemistry.
Botany.
Elementary Biology.
Geography.
Agriculture. |
Junior Stage only
Elementary Science.
Senior Stage only
Mechanics.
Applied Mechanics.
Geology.
Metallurgy. |
Section E |
Bookkeeping.
Shorthand.
Theory of Music. |
Drawing.
Hygiene and Domestic Economy. |
Section F |
Woodwork.
Metalwork. |
Needlework.
Cookery. |
Pupils presented for examination must take at least five subjects from Sections A-D, and, as a rule, one at least from each of the first three sections. All pupils in schools examined by the Board who have received instruction in work representing this minimum must be presented for examination, subject to exceptions in special cases. Those who satisfy the examiners and obtain a sufficiently high aggregate of marks in five subjects from Sections A-D receive a Junior or Senior Certificate, as the case may be.
A candidate for a Junior Certificate may in any subject take the paper of a higher stage than the Junior. A candidate for a Senior Certificate may offer one, but not more than one, subject at the Higher Certificate stage. Success in the Higher stage is recorded on the certificate.
The holder of a Senior Certificate may offer additional subjects and obtain a supplementary certificate if successful.
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For the Higher and the Honours Certificates the subjects are:
Scripture Knowledge.
English Language and Literature.
History.
Latin.
Greek.
Welsh.
French.
German.
Higher Mathematics.
Additional Mathematics.
Physics. |
Chemistry.
Botany.
Higher Stage only
Mechanics.
Elementary Biology.
Geography.
Geology.
Honours Stage only
Applied Mathematics. |
Higher Mathematics is reckoned as equivalent to two subjects.
Candidates for the Higher Certificate must take three but not more than four subjects at the Higher stage. For the Honours Certificate two but not more than three subjects must be taken at the Honours stage. In either case one subject may be offered at the Senior stage and success in it may be recorded either on the ordinary or on a supplementary certificate.
Schedules of examination in the several subjects are published; but any school is at liberty to submit for approval an alternative scheme, which must be accompanied by a statement of reasons, and a special fee of a guinea [£1.05]. The Executive Committee of the Central Board have discretion to decide whether they will or will not examine on the special scheme. The principles followed in such cases are stated in Professor Anwyl's evidence (see page 401), and some further remarks on this point are contained in the evidence of Mrs. Glynne Jones (see page 414).
Oral tests may be conducted in any of the languages; but as a matter of fact they are at present held only in French and German. In these languages all candidates have to take the oral test, but a certificate may be obtained without passing in it.
Except in the Honours stage there is no practical examination in Science; but all the schools have to submit schemes of practical work for the year.
There appear to be no limits of age for any of the examinations. The Junior examination is taken as a rule about two or three years after entrance to the school (say at 14 or 15). The Senior examination is normally taken about two years later. This examination is (subject to exception) open only to those who have undergone at a Secondary School a course of instruction extending over not less than eight terms, in the group of subjects offered. The Higher examination is in standard one year beyond the Senior, and is open only to those who have passed the Senior examination or have attended a Secondary School and have gained certificates equivalent to the Senior.
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The Honours examination can be taken only by those who have either obtained the Higher Certificate or have had a two years' course after getting the Senior Certificate.
The Central Welsh Board are empowered to charge a capitation fee of not more than 2s. 6d. [12p½] in respect of each pupil examined. In 1910 the actual amount charged was 2s [10p]*. In addition, each candidate for a certificate pays a small fee. As stated above, a special fee of one guinea [£1.05] is payable by a school submitting an alternative scheme of examination. There is no charge for inspection. It may be mentioned that contributions towards the cost of the work are received from the Treasury and from the County Authorities.
The number of pupils presented for examination in 1909 was 4,668. Of these, 4,356 were candidates for certificates, namely, 312 for the Honours Certificate, 1,657 for the Senior, 2,386 for the Junior, and 1 for the Commercial. The Higher Certificate had not then been established. The total number of pupils in the schools concerned was about 14,000.
In the list of successful candidates for Honours Certificates the names are arranged in order of merit; and at the request of any County Authority the Central Board are prepared to place in order or merit all the candidates for County Exhibitions in the county in question. Apart from this, the names of the candidates in the Pass Lists are arranged alphabetically. Distinctions are, however, given in individual subjects, provided that candidates over 16 are not eligible for distinction in subjects taken at the Junior stage. The County Exhibitions are given on the results of the examinations, and a gold medal is offered to the best candidate for an Honours Certificate. An award of "Honourable Mention" is made to a few candidates.
The Senior and Honours Certificates are accepted (with or without conditions) by the Universities of Wales, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham, and Durham, by the Board of Education, the Army Council, and a number of professional bodies. Two or three of the latter also accept the Junior Certificate.
(i) THE COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS
The College of Preceptors holds examinations (a) for teachers and (b) for pupils. It also conducts the examination of whole schools and is prepared to undertake their inspection. The teachers' examinations do not concern the question under consideration, and the examination and inspection of schools is on such a small scale that only a brief reference to it will be needed. The examinations for individual pupils consist of (a) examinations for Certificates of three grades, and (b) examinations for pupils in lower Forms.
*In the present year (1911) no payment is being required under this head.
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(i) Examinations for Certificates
These examinations are for First Class (or Senior), Second Class (or Junior), and Third Class Certificates. Candidates may be examined either at local centres (of which there are about a hundred) or at their own schools.
Examinations are held at Midsummer and Christmas, and, for First and Second Class Certificates only, in March and September also. The latter, which are held at only a very limited number of centres, are known as "Professional Preliminary" examinations, but the other two examinations are equally available for "professional preliminary" purposes. The only ways in which the March and September examinations differ from the others seem to be that certain subjects are omitted, rather less choice is given in set books, etc., and there are no oral or practical examinations (which are optional in any case). Otherwise the syllabuses are the same.
The examination fee is 10s 6d [52½p] for each candidate at the ordinary examination, and 25s [£1.25] per candidate at the "Professional PreIiminary" examination. There are also local charges of varying amount.
The subjects, which, except where otherwise stated, are common to the three examinations, are as follows:
Scripture History
English
English History
Geography
Arithmetic
Algebra
Geometry
Trigonometry*†
Mechanics*
Mensuration*§
Bookkeeping§
French
German
Italian
Spanish
Dutch
Welsh |
Irish
Tamil*
Latin
Greek*
Hebrew*
Light and Heat*
Magnetism and Electricity*
Elementary Physics*‡
Elementary Science†‡
Chemistry*
Natural History*
Drawing
Music*§
Political Economy*†
Shorthand*†§
Domestic Economy*†§ |
English is compulsory in each case.|| Of the others a candidate must pass, at one and the same examination, in at least five for the First Class Certificate; in at least four for the Second Class; and in at least three for the Third Class.¶
*Not a subject of the 3rd Class Examination.
†Not a subject of the 2nd Class Examination.
‡Not a subject of the 1st Class Examination.
§Does not count towards the minimum number of subjects required for a certificate.
||Prior to the examinations of 1911, Arithmetic was also a compulsory subject.
¶Certain of the subjects (viz. those marked § in the above list) do not count towards this minimum.
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He may not take more than 12, 10, or 8 in the respective grades. The maximum number or marks in each subject is, in the First Class papers, 200, except in Latin where it is 300, Shorthand (150) and Domestic Economy (100); in the Second Class 150, except in English where it is 200, and in Latin where (with an additional paper) it may be 225; in the Third Class 100. There are extra marks for oral and practical examinations. In the examinations of 1910 and before, in order to secure a certificate it was necessary to obtain a total of 700, 400, or 200 marks respectively for a First, Second, or Third Class Certificate: but this requirement is omitted from the regulations for 1911 An aggregate of 1,200, 750, or 450 respectively entitles a candidate to be placed in the Honours Division. Candidates who fail to pass in the grade for which they enter may receive a certificate of the class below, but are not placed in the Honours Division. A candidate who obtains three-fourths of the maximum of marks in a subject (and also qualifies for a certificate) is awarded distinction in that subject. No credit is given for marks which are below the minimum for a pass in any subject. To obtain a certificate a candidate must satisfy all the prescribed conditions at one examination.
Candidates may in any subject take papers of a higher grade than that to which their examination as a whole belongs. They may not take papers of a lower grade.
As regards the syllabuses the following points may be noted.
In English a general paper on grammar, composition, etc., is compulsory in the First and Second Class examinations. A second paper consisting of alternative set books (or in the First Class examination the History of the Language) is optional except for candidates for distinction; Third Class candidates may choose either a grammar paper or a book. Importance is attached to writing and spelling throughout the examinations.
In History a choice of periods is a allowed in each grade.
The Geography paper is general in the First Class and includes physical and mathematical questions to which candidates may confine themselves entirely if they choose. In the Second Class there is a general paper and also a choice of (a) a particular area, or (b) Physiography. In the Third Class there is a general paper and a choice of areas.
There are no set books in the modern foreign languages. In Latin, First Class Candidates take a paper of "unseen" translation and also one of several alternative books; Second Class Candidates may choose between "unseen" translation or a book, but if they take the book they have at least one "unseen" passage. Third Class Candidates take either a book or "unseen" translation with a vocabulary. In Greek there are set books and also "unseen" passages. There is no separate paper in Greek for Third Class Candidates; but they may take the papers of the higher grades in that subject.
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An oral examination in modern Languages is optional for First Class Candidates, and a practical examination in Chemistry for First and Second Class Candidates. Success in an oral or practical examination is recorded on the certificate, provided the candidate passes also in the written work; the marks count towards distinction. So far as can be seen from the regulations no extra charge is made in either case.
The teachers take no part in the examination of their own pupils, and no provision is made for adapting the syllabuses to the curricula of individual schools, except that (under certain conditions) schools presenting whole classes may offer their own special books, periods, or areas, in place of those prescribed.
As has been seen, beyond the compulsory subject of English, candidates are allowed an almost unfettered choice of subjects; it will, however, be noticed that a few of the subjects* mentioned in the above list do not count towards a certificate. Statistics of the subjects actually taken are not published by the College.
The number of candidates for the examinations of the College of Preceptors has been declining in recent years. The total number for the Certificate examinations in 1908 was 8,648, of whom 5,860 were boys and 2,788 girls. The candidates for First Class Certificates numbered 1,005; for Second Class Certificates 4,102; and for Third Class Certificates 3,541.
There is no limit of age for any of these examinations; but only those who are under 18, 16, or 14 years of age, respectively, in the First, Second, or Third Class, are eligible to receive prizes.
The names of successful candidates are published in the "Educational Times" (the journal of the College). In each class they are arranged in order of merit in an Honours and a Pass Division. Distinctions in individual subjects are indicated by letters placed after the names of the candidates. The names are also given of those who obtain prizes, and of the 1st and 2nd in each subject on First Class papers (provided they obtain the number of marks required for distinction in that subject and secure a certificate). The names of the schools from which the candidates come are stated. Heads of schools receive complete statements of the marks obtained by their pupils in every subject. Further, when whole classes are examined, the schools may (on payment of an additional fee) be furnished with written reports on the work.
A number of prizes are offered for candidates who are not above certain ages. They include four for general proficiency in each class, and one each to the 1st and 2nd candidates in certain groups of subjects.
*These are marked (4) in the list.
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Success in the Certificate examinations is recognised for certain purposes and under certain conditions by the Board of Education, the London County Council, and a number of professional bodies.
(ii) Examination of Pupils in Lower Forms
It may be remarked that although this examination is called the Lower Forms examination it is not necessarily an examination of whole Forms or classes, nor is it restricted by the regulations to pupils in lower Forms, nor, again, need it even be held at the school in which the pupils are taught.
Candidates may be examined either at local centres or at their own schools, the examination being held simultaneously with the Certificate examinations at Midsummer and Christmas.
The fee is 5s [25p] for each candidate, together with local charges.
The subjects are as follows:
Preliminary Subjects
1. English Dictation, Handwriting, and Reproduction of a short story read twice.
2. Arithmetic.
Optional Subjects
3. Scripture History.
4. English Grammar.
5. English Literature.
6. English History.
7. Geography.
8. Elementary Algebra.
9. Elementary Geometry.
10. French.
11. Latin.
12. Drawing.
Candidates must take both of the preliminary subjects and not less than three (nor more than six) of the optional ones.
The syllabuses are laid down by the College and are not varied to suit individual schools. English Literature consists of a choice of set books; in History there are alternative periods; there are no set books in foreign languages and no oral tests.
The teachers take no direct part in the examination.
The number of candidates for this examination in 1908 was 2,914, of whom 1,501 were boys and 1,413 girls.
There is no limit of age for candidates.
The names of successful candidates are published in the "Educational Times" in one alphabetical list, the name of each pupil being followed by the name of his school. There are no honours or distinctions. Heads of schools are furnished with complete statements of the marks obtained by their pupils in every subject of examination.
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(iii) The Examination and Inspection of Schools
The College of Preceptors has never conducted many inspections, and has conducted none at all quite recently. The "List of Schools examined or inspected in the year 1910" contains the names of only seven schools. Under these circumstances a few general remarks only are needed in regard to the College's schemes for the examination and the inspection of schools by visiting examiners.
Scheme A, Examination. The subjects of examination are those taught in the school: all the pupils (of 7 and over) in the school must be presented or the reasons for their absence stated. The examination is partly viva voce and partly written, at the discretion of the examiner.
The report deals with the results of the examination, stating if required the marks awarded in each subject; it also comments on the teaching, and (if necessary) contains suggestions for improvement in teaching and organisation. If printed it must be reproduced entire.
No certificates are granted on the results of the examination.
The fees are as follows: For each examiner, £3 3s [£3.15] the first day and £2 2s [£2.10] per day after, with travelling and hotel expenses, together with the cost of printing examination papers, if any, and a fee of £1 1s [£1.05] for office expenses. The time occupied by the examiner in marking papers is taken into account in addition to the time spent at the school.
Scheme B, Inspection. The inspection of a school deals with premises, teaching staff, equipment and organisation. The inspectors' report consists of three sections, viz. (i) a detailed report; (ii) a general report; (iii) an appendix containing suggestions for improvement. Each or all of these sections may be published, provided that the section or sections published be given in full. Information as to fees is not given in the regulations, but may be obtained from the Secretary of the College.
It may be added that the examination and inspection of a school can be combined with the Certificate and Lower Forms examinations.
2. University Examinations
(a) THE EXAMINATIONS FOR ENTRANCE TO UNIVERSITIES
Most of the Universities in England and Wales conduct an examination - called a Matriculation examination - which has to be taken by all candidates for admission to the University unless exempted either by virtue of their having passed some other examination which is recognised as equivalent, or for some other special reason. The Universities which have
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Matriculation examinations of this kind are the following - London, Durham, Manchester, Wales, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, and Bristol. Although intended, in the first place, for candidates for admission to the University, there is nothing to prevent these Matriculation examinations being taken by students who have no intention of passing through a University course: and there is no doubt that some of them, at any rate, are taken by many such students.
The requirements for entrance to the two Universities of Oxford and Cambridge are of a different nature. In these cases the University itself does not hold any Matriculation or Entrance examination at all; but makes it a condition of Matriculation that a student shall have been admitted as a member to one of the Colleges or other societies within the University, which frame their own regulations for the admission of students. Almost all these separate societies, however, require in all ordinary cases that a candidate for admission shall pass some specified examination - not necessarily in every case specially set for the purpose. It should also be pointed out that in many cases the first examination of the University course Responsions at Oxford, Previous at Cambridge), which may be taken before residence, is accepted by the Colleges as an entrance examination, and many candidates enter in this manner. It thus becomes in practice a University Matriculation examination.
Certain of the University entrance examinations have already been described in the preceding section. As regards the remainder, it will be most convenient to treat them in two groups according as the Universities to which they apply have, or have not, one uniform examination for entrance.
(i) The Examinations for Admission to those Universities which have one uniform Matriculation Examination
For the Universities of Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, and Sheffield there is one common Matriculation examination, which is conducted by the Joint Board of these Universities. This examination has already been described (see pages 209 ff.), as has also the Matriculation examination of the University of London (see pages 195 ff.). There are thus only four Universities remaining to be dealt with in this subsection, viz. the Universities of Durham; Birmingham, Bristol, and Wales.
(a) The Matriculation Examination of the University of Durham
The intention of this examination is of course to qualify for entrance to the University. It may, however, be used by schools for the purpose of the School examinations conducted by the University; and there appears to be nothing to prevent its being taken by individual candidates who have no intention
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of proceeding to a University career. But there is no evidence as to how far (if at all) it is actually taken otherwise than as a University Entrance examination.
The examination is held at Durham and Newcastle three times a year.
The number of candidates in 1908 was 193.
There is no age limit for examination or for Matriculation.
The subjects of examination are as follows:
Religious Instruction or Ancient History.
Elementary Mathematics.
Additional Mathematics.
Extra Mathematics.
English.
Latin.
Greek. |
French, German, or some other approved language.
Botany or Zoology.
Geography (Physical and General).
English History.
Experimental Science, or Chemistry or Physics.
Elementary Mechanics. |
The subjects required for a pass vary considerably in the different faculties. In each faculty six subjects must be taken, except in Arts, in literis antiquis (four), and Music (two). It is unnecessary here to state the exact requirements of each faculty: but it may be said that, as a rule, Mathematics, English, English History, and a foreign language (ancient or modern, or one of each) are compulsory. Religious instruction or ancient history is obligatory in Arts, geography in Medicine and in Engineering Science, and in the latter a science subject as well.
As regards the syllabuses, those in modern foreign languages include grammar and unseen translation, with the option of an essay in the foreign language. In Latin and Greek, in addition to grammar and translation, some books are prescribed; but candidates may take additional unseen translation instead of the latter, if they prefer. There are no oral tests.
In Botany the examination includes some practical questions, and in Physics it is expected that candidates shall have had practical experience in a laboratory; but there does not appear to be any actual practical test in Science.
There are set periods in Scripture and Ancient History, but not in English History.
The examination fee is 30s [£1.50] for each candidate.
The regulations do not state in what form the list of successful candidates candidates is issued, nor do they refer to the acceptance of this examination by professional or other bodies, with the exception of the General Medical Council. It is understood, however, that it is recognised by a few other bodies also. Two or three scholarships are awarded on the results of the examination.
(b) The Matriculation Examination of the University of Birmingham
This examination, intended for entrance to the University, may, like the one just considered, be used for the purposes of
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the University's School examination, and a candidate who passes in the required subjects in the Senior School examinations thereby qualifies for Matriculation. There are no statistics to show to what extent (if any) it is used by pupils not intending to take a University course.
The examination is held twice a year - in July and September - and only at the University buildings in Birmingham.
The number of candidates taking the examination is not published; but the Committee are informed that the total number who took it in 1908 was 495.
There is no limit of age for candidates, nor does there appear to be any for entrance to the University.
The following are the subjects of examination, and candidates must pass in five of them at one examination:
(1) English History and Literature.
(2) Mathematics.
(3), (4), (5) Three subjects (of which one must be a language) chosen from the following list:
(a) Latin.
(b) Greek.
(c) French.
(d) German.
(e) Italian.
(f) Spanish.
(g) Higher Mathematics. |
(h) Experimental Mechanics.
(i) Chemistry.
(j) Geography.
(k) Botany.
(l) Animal Biology.
(m) Geometrical Drawing. |
The requirements as to the subjects that have to be taken vary in different faculties. In Science, Commerce, and Music, the only condition as regards the three subjects, 3-5, is that one must be a language. In Engineering, experimental mechanics is compulsory, and if Higher Mathematics is also taken, a special Engineering Matriculation Certificate is awarded to a successful candidate. In Arts, two of the subjects must be Latin and a modern language; and for Medicine, candidates must take Latin, another language, and either experimental Mechanics or Chemistry. In no case, therefore, is the choice of subjects particularly wide, while in some cases it is very restricted. Those who pass in five subjects, but do not satisfy the special requirements of particular faculties, may take additional subjects afterwards. Six subjects may be taken in the first place, but credit is only given for five.
The syllabus in English History and Literature comprises (a) the History of England on general lines from 1066, and (b) compositions based on set books, of which four alternative groups are given.
In Latin and Greek there are translations at sight, questions on grammar, easy composition, and prepared work. For the latter certain books are suggested; but others may be submitted for approval.
The Modern Language syllabuses include sight translations, grammar, easy composition and dictation, prepared work, and a viva voce test. Books are suggested; but others of similar length and standard may be submitted for approval.
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In Chemistry candidates are expected "to show knowledge of a concrete and experimental character throughout", and in Botany to "have practical familiarity" with the matters dealt with: but apparently there is no actual practical examination. In Geography there is a practical test in the reading of topographical maps, the measuring of distances on maps, etc.
The fee for examination is £2, but unsuccessful candidates may sit again for £1. Successful candidates may take additional subjects at subsequent examinations for a fee of 10s [50p] each subject.
The list of successful candidates is published in two divisions, Class I and Class II, in each of which the names are arranged in alphabetical order and are followed by the names of the schools from which the candidates come. Unsuccessful candidates are informed, on application, of the subjects in which they have failed. There are no honours or distinctions; but a few scholarships are awarded on the results of the examination.
The Birmingham Matriculation Examination is accepted for certain purposes and under certain conditions by the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the Board of Education, and some professional bodies.
(c) The Matriculation Examination of the University of Bristol
The Matriculation examination of this recently constituted University is held twice a year, in July and September. We have no information as to the numbers of candidates who have entered for it.
There appears to be no limit of age for the examination itself; but for Matriculation the minimum is 16 for male and 17 for female students.
The subjects of examination are:
(1) Mathematics.
(2) English Grammar and Composition.
(3), (4), (5) Three of the following, of which -
(a) one must be a language, and
(b) one must be either Latin, Greek, or Physics:
Latin
Greek.
French.
German.
Physics.
Chemistry. |
Mechanics.
English History.
Geography.
Geometrical and Mechanical Drawing.
Additional Mathematics. |
In the Faculty of Medicine a candidate must take Latin and one other foreign language. Candidates who have qualified for Matriculation but have not complied with this condition may take the omitted subject at a subsequent examination.
The syllabus does not include oral or practical tests. The examinations in foreign languages comprise grammar and unseen translation; there are no set books. A choice of two
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periods is given in the History paper. In Geography special attention is given to Bristol and its neighbourhood.
The examination fee is two guineas [£2.10].
The Pass List contains the names of successful candidates in alphabetical order. Unsuccessful ones receive information as to the subjects in which they have failed.
The examination is accepted (with or without conditions) by several professional bodies.
(d) The Matriculation Examination of the University of Wales
This examination is held twice a year, in June and in September, on each occasion in Aberystwyth, Bangor, and Cardiff.
The numbers of candidates in 1908 at the June and September examinations respectively were 448 and 228. The total of these (676) is in excess of the number of individual candidates, since some who failed in June entered again in September.
Candidates must be 16 years of age on the 1st October following the examination.
The subjects of examination are arranged in six groups as follows:
Group A
English Language and History of England and Wales.*
Latin.
Mathematics.
Group B
Greek. |
Group C
Welsh.
French.
German. |
Group D
Dynamics.
Experimental Mechanics and Heat. |
Group E
Chemistry.
Botany. |
Group F
Additional Mathematics.
Advanced German.
Every candidate must pass in all the subjects of Group A, except that in certain circumstances another subject or subjects (viz. Advanced German or Additional Mathematics and either French or German) may be substituted for Latin. A candidate must also pass in two other subjects selected from Groups B-E, taking not more than one from any group. He may not choose German if he is also taking Advanced German. He may not take more than the required number of subjects, but one who has already passed the examination may take additional subjects afterwards. A candidate who fails in only one subject (or in
*In 1912 English Language and History will form separate subjects.
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two if Additional Mathematics be one of them) may, on the recommendation of the examiners, be allowed to complete his examination on a subsequent occasion by taking only that subject (or those subjects) in which he failed. Further, a subject (or, including Additional Mathematics, two subjects) may be reserved from the outset and taken at a later examination.
The syllabus includes set books in English and in Greek, and, as an alternative to a part of the translation, in Latin also. In all the foreign languages the papers include unseen translations. There is a reading test in Latin, and reading and dictation in French and German. In History a choice of two periods is given, and some knowledge of Geography is required. There are no practical examinations in Science.
For the June examination the fee is £2. For the September examination it is £3, except in the case of those who entered and failed in the preceding June for whom it is only £2. For a single subject the fee is 10s [50p] in June and 15s [75p] in September.
The Pass List contains two Divisions, in each of which the candidates' names are arranged alphabetically. The names of those who have completed their examination after a second entry are shown separately; and a further list contains the names of those who, having satisfied the examiners in part of the examination, are recommended as deserving of being subsequently admitted in the remainder only. Neither honours nor distinctions are awarded.
The examination (in some cases with special conditions) is accepted by several professional bodies as satisfying their requirements as to a preliminary examination.
(ii) The Examinations for admission to those Universities which have no uniform Matriculation Examination
In their general features the requirements for Matriculation at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge are similar. In neither case does the University itself prescribe any examination for admission, but in both cases it does require that a candidate for Matriculation shall have been admitted as a member of one of its Colleges or Halls, or as a non-Collegiate student. In nearly every instance also (save where special exemption is granted), the passing of an examination is a necessary preliminary to such admission to a College or other society; but this is a requirement of the separate society and not of the University. The regulations for entrance to the separate Colleges vary considerably.
The first examinations of the general University course (called "Responsions" at Oxford, and the "Previous" examination at Cambridge) cannot properly be regarded as Matriculation examinations; but they may be taken before residence commences, and, in fact, certain of the Colleges require them to
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be taken before admission, while others accept them in lieu of their own Entrance examination. To some extent, therefore, they are, or may be used as, University Entrance examinations, and in considering the requirements for admission to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge they must be taken into account.
The individual College Entrance examinations are distinguished from the entrance examinations of other Universities in that it is not at all likely that they are ever taken by candidates who do not intend to proceed to the University. At any rate it seems fairly clear that not one of the Colleges would allow a candidate to enter for the examination (even if there should be anyone desirous of doing so) unless they believed that to be his intention. As regards Responsions and the Previous examination, neither of the Universities will admit a candidate, not already a member of the University, without a declaration that he bona fide desires admission to one of the Colleges or Halls or as a non-Collegiate student as the case may be.
(a) Oxford University
As some of the Colleges require a candidate to have passed Responsions before admission and others accept it in place of their own examination, it will be well to consider this first. The entrance requirements of the separate Colleges will be dealt with afterwards.
(i) Responsions
Except where some other examination has been accepted as equivalent, this examination must be passed by all candidates for a Degree (except in Music, Letters, or Science), and may be taken instead of the Preliminary examination for the Degree in Music.* It is open to candidates whether members of the University or not, provided that in the latter case they are bona fide desirous of entering the University. The names must in such cases be submitted by the Head or a Tutor of the College or Hall to which admission is sought, or by the Censor or a Tutor of non-Collegiate students.
The examination is held four times a year and at the University only. There is no limit of age for candidates. The examination fee is £2 2s [£2.10], unless an additional subject is taken, when an extra charge of 10s 6d [52½p] is made. It may be mentioned here, however, that there are other fees in connection with entrance to the University, viz. a Matriculation fee of £3 10s [£3.50],
*Candidates for a degree in Music who do not pass Responsions, or an equivalent examination, must take the Preliminary Examination for Students of Music, passing in two of the languages - Greek, Latin, French, German, Italian, Candidates for a degree in Letters or Science must give evidence of having received a good general education.
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and (generally) a College Admission fee which varies in amount with the different Colleges.
The examination is in two parts: (1) Stated Subjects and (2) Additional Subjects; but it is only necessary to pass in the Stated Subjects. The second part of the examination (i.e. in Additional Subjects) is only taken for the purpose of securing exemption from the classical part of the First Public examination.
The Stated Subjects are:
(1) Arithmetic.
(2) Elements of Algebra or of Geometry.
(3) Greek and Latin Grammar.
(4) Translation from English into Latin prose.
(5) One Greek and one Latin book for either or both of which may be substituted easy unprepared translation.
A candidate who satisfies the examiners in these subjects is said to have "passed Responsions".
The Additional Subjects are:
(1) A Greek or Latin historical or philosophical work.
(2) A French, German, or Italian historical or philosophical work.
(3) The Elements of Logic, Deductive and Inductive.
A candidate wishing to take an additional subject may do so either at the same examination as that at which he takes the stated subjects or at another examination. Candidates desiring to be registered as medical students may offer both Geometry and Algebra; and may take them at the same examination, or having passed Responsions with only one of them may take the other separately at a later examination.
The examination in stated subjects is in writing; but in the additional subjects there is a viva voce as well as a written test in the languages.
The names of successful candidates are published in alphabetical order in the "University Gazette". Information as to the work of a candidate is given only on the application of an officer of the Society presenting him for examination.
The number of entries for Responsions in 1908 was 1,013. The number of individual candidates, however, was only 736, some having entered for more than one of the four examinations held during the year.
There are a number of examinations in which success (under certain conditions) entitles a candidate to exemption from Responsions; and, on the other hand, a success in Responsions is accepted for certain purposes by other Universities and bodies.
(ii) College Entrance Requirements
There are in the University of Oxford 21 Colleges, one Academical Hall, and a body of non-Collegiate students, each of which makes its own regulations for the admission of students. There are also three private Halls; but these may be disregarded
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for the present purposes.* For the sake of convenience, the term "Colleges" will in this section be taken to include the body of non-Collegiate Students and St. Edmund Hall.
With two exceptions all the Colleges have special Entrance examinations of their own. In one of the two exceptional cases, candidates for admission are, as a rule, required to have passed Responsions. In the second case no examination is prescribed; but candidates must satisfy the Principal that they are likely to pass their University examinations within a reasonable time.
In five Colleges candidates are, or may be, required before being admitted, to pass Responsions (or an equivalent examination) as well as the College Entrance examination.
In six other Colleges, in which candidates are generally required to have passed Responsions (or an equivalent examination) before coming into residence, success in Responsions, if gained before taking the special Entrance examination, is accepted, either wholly (in one case) or partly (in five), in lieu of the latter.
In the remaining nine Colleges Responsions is not a necessary qualification for admission, but in seven of these it is accepted as a complete, and in two as a partial, substitute for the Entrance examination.
From the above it is seen that of the 20 Colleges which have Entrance examinations. eight forego their own examination entirely in the case of those who have passed Responsions, while seven others allow such success to count in lieu of a part of their own examination. The remaining five do not appear to accept Responsions as even a partial substitute for their own examination.
All except two Colleges accept some other examination or examinations in place of their own. Nine accept any examinations which exempt from Responsions. Seven others accept a Certificate of the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board. Nine admit students who have done well in a Scholarship examination (but without winning a Scholarship) without further examination. And a few other qualifications are also accepted.
Persons elected as Foundation Scholars, Bible-Clerks, Exhibitioners - which election is almost invariably secured by means of a competitive examination - do not have any further entrance examination to pass.
It will not be necessary to give in detail the subjects set in these entrance examinations. In many cases they are exactly the same, or almost the same, as the Stated Subjects in Responsions. But even where the subjects are the same, the detailed requirements within the subjects are sometimes different. In Latin, for instance, Prose Composition is sometimes required,
*Information as to one College not being available, this has also been omitted from the following analysis.
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and in some cases both set-books and unprepared translation are obligatory in the languages instead of being alternative as in Responsions. In some cases subjects which are not included in Responsions are required; while in a few, certain subjects of Responsions are omitted. For example, an English paper is set in several of the examinations, and a paper of general questions in a few others. One of these general papers includes questions on Scripture, English Literature, History, Elementary Natural Science and political and general information. A modern language is alternative to Greek in two cases, and is an optional subject in two others. History, Mathematics, Natural Science, and French or German are optional subjects in one examination. The examination in which the requirements are most in excess of Responsions is probably that in which a candidate who has not already passed Responsions has to take all the Stated Subjects, and also: (1) An English Essay or a paper of general questions; (2) Gospels (including the Greek); and (3) one of the following: (a) Classics; (b) Mathematics: (e) Natural Science; (d) Modern History; or (e) some other approved subject; in addition to which he may take a modern language as an optional subject. Candidates who have already passed Responsions do not have to take the Stated Subjects again for the purposes of this examination.
It is worthy of note that two at least of the Colleges refuse, as a rule, to admit students who are over a certain age, viz. 21 and 20 respectively. These appear to be the only instances in which age is specifically made a qualification for entrance to the University.
There do not appear to be any fees for the examinations; but there are generally (though not always) fees for admission to College. These do not usually exceed £5.
(b) Cambridge University
As in the case of Oxford it will be well to begin with a description of the first examination of the University - called at Cambridge the "Previous Examination" - and afterwards to deal with the separate entrance requirements of the individual Colleges.
(i) The Previous Examination
This examination must be taken by all candidates for a degree unless they obtain exemption. It is open to members of the University, and also to persons who are not members,* provided that in the latter case they are bona fide applicants for admission. In such cases a certificate to that effect must be given by the tutor of a College or Hostel, or the Censor of non-Collegiate students.
*It is understood that a large proportion of candidates now take this examination before commencing residence.
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The examination is held, at the University, four times a year. There is no limit of age for candidates. The fees for examination are £1 5s [£1.25] for Part I, £1 5s for Part II, and £1 5s for an Additional Subject. Single subjects, taken for the purpose of completing a qualification for exemption, are charged at the rate of 5s [25p] each subject. There are in addition fees for Matriculation (£5) and, generally, for admission to College (varying from £1 to £5).
There are three parts to the examination, viz. Part I., Part II., and Additional Subjects. Candidates for the ordinary degree have only to pass in Parts I and II, but Honours candidates have to take those parts and also an Additional Subject.
From the following lists of subjects, it will be seen that Part I consists mainly of Classics, and Part II mainly of Mathematics.
Part I
(1)(a) One of the Gospels in the original Greek; or
(b) One of the Greek or Latin Classics.
(2)(a) One of the Latin Classics; or
(b) Two or more unprepared passages of Latin of ordinary difficulty. to be translated without the use of a dictionary.
(3)(a) One of the Greek classics; or
(b) Two or more unprepared passages of Greek of ordinary difficulty, to be translated without the use of a dictionary.
(4) Two or more easy unprepared passages of Latin, the use of a dictionary being allowed.
Part II
(1) Either Paley's "Evidences", or Elementary Logic, or Elementary Heat and Chemistry.
(2) Geometry, Theoretical and Practical.
(3) Arithmetic and Elementary Algebra.
(4) English Essay (the subjects for which are selected from a set standard work or works).
Additional Subjects
Candidates for Honours are required to pass in one of the following:
(1) Mechanics.
(2) French.
(3) German.
The parts of the examination may be taken either separately or all at the same time.
The examination is wholly in writing.
The names of successful candidates are published in four classes in Parts I and II, and in two classes in the Additional Subjects. The names in each class are in alphabetical order.
The numbers of entries in the several parts of the Previous examination in 1908 were 1,260 in Part I, 1,270 in Part II, and 804 in an Additional Subject. Doubtless these figures include
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some candidates who entered more than once during the year; but information is not available as to the number of individual candidates either in the examination as a whole or in the separate parts.
Success in the Previous examination is accepted (with or without conditions) by certain other Universities and professional bodies in lieu of their own Preliminary examinations; and either partial or complete exemption from the Previous examination is allowed to candidates who have satisfied certain conditions in other examinations.
(ii) College Entrance Requirements
There are 17 Colleges and one Public Hostel in the University of Cambridge, and there is also a body of non-Collegiate students. All these institutions will for convenience he referred to as "Colleges" in this section.
With three exceptions, all the Colleges have special Entrance examinations. In the three exceptional cases some evidence of attainments is required.
None of the Colleges makes it a condition that the Previous examination shall have been passed before admission. But of the 16 Colleges which have Entrance examinations, 13 accept the Previous Examination as exempting (one only partially) from their own examination. For this purpose success in both Part I and Part II of the Previous examination is generally required; but in two cases a pass in only one part will suffice, while in one case, on the other hand, it is necessary to have passed in both Part I and Part II and also in an Additional Subject.
All the Colleges accept some other examinations in lieu of their own. The ones most generally accepted are those of the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board or of the Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, the London Matriculation, and other examinations which are recognised as equivalent to the Previous examination. Many Colleges admit without further test candidates who have done well in the Scholarship examinations without receiving a Scholarship. Those who do obtain Scholarships or Exhibitions are, of course, not required to pass any further examination.
The subjects of examination in nearly every case consist of Latin and Greek and Mathematics, sometimes with the addition of an English Essay. They therefore correspond very closely to Parts I and II of the Previous examination with the omission of the Greek Gospel and Paley's "Evidences" (with its substitutes, Logic or Heat and Chemistry). In one case there is also a more advanced paper in one of the Tripos subjects, and in another case a higher paper is optional. One College sets a paper to test general information, and another allows French and German translation as optional subjects.
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There do not appear to be any limits of age for admission to any of the Colleges.
An examination fee of £1 is charged in one College; but in that College there is no entrance fee. It seems to be the only one to charge an examination, as distinct from a College entrance, fee.
(b) EXAMINATIONS FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AT THE UNIVERSITIES
Attention is called to the remarks on the question of Scholarships contained in the Introduction to this Report. In view of the circumstances there alluded to, the Committee have not attempted to collect detailed information with regard to examinations for Scholarships at the Universities. They are not, therefore, in a position to include in this memorandum a description of these examinations.
It may be pointed out that the question of Scholarships in general is referred to briefly in section 9 of this memorandum, where an account is given of the examinations conducted by the Joint Scholarships Board. The award of Scholarships by Local Education Authorities is dealt with in section 8.
(c) UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS FORMING PART OF A DEGREE COURSE, SUBSEQUENT TO MATRICULATION, WHICH CAN BE TAKEN IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
(i) The extent to which such Examinations can be, and are, taken in Schools
The possibility of examinations which are intended to form part of a University degree course being taken by pupils in Secondary Schools depends on whether the university imposes any restrictions as to the residence of students preparing for its examinations, or as to the manner in which their instruction shall be obtained. Conditions might, of course, be made as to the age of candidates which would influence the extent to which these examinations were actually taken by pupils in Secondary Schools; but they would hardly be such as to preclude absolutely the possibility of some such pupils entering for the examinations. It will therefore be best to commence this section by stating what are the requirements of the various Universities in regard to residence and instruction and (where necessary) the age of candidates.
In the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge the Degree examinations, subsequent to Responsions and the Previous examination, are confined to students resident at the University.*
In each of the Universities of Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, and Sheffield, admission to the Intermediate examinations for degrees is confined to students who have attended courses of study at the University. It will be remembered that in connection with the Joint Matriculation examination for these four
*With the exception of the Degrees in Music at Oxford, which may be obtained without residence.
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Universities higher papers in certain subjects may be taken by candidates for Matriculation or by those who have already matriculated. It is therefore possible for a student after Matriculation to take another University examination of a more advanced character; but such examination is not accepted as a substitute for any part of the Intermediate examinations for degrees.
In the University of Wales a student cannot matriculate until after admission to one of the constituent Colleges of the University (or an approved Theological College), and the pursuance of courses of study in College is in every case a condition of entrance to the post-Matriculation examinations for degrees, save that provision is made for the acceptance of University Extension courses in lieu of not more than one year's attendance at a College.
At Durham the examinations subsequent to Matriculation are, as a rule, open only to resident students. In the Faculty of Letters, however, the Intermediate examination may be taken as an entrance examination , and for the degree of Bachelor of Music it is not clear that any residence is required.
Birmingham University allows students to take the Intermediate Science or Arts examinations or the first examination in Engineering, Metallurgy, or Mining, or the first professional examination in Medicine, before entrance. There does not appear to be any age limit for these examinations.
In the University of Bristol, candidates for the Degree of B.Sc. with Honours are required to pass the Intermediate examination before entering the University. Candidates for the B.A. (Honours) may pass the Intermediate before Matriculation, and candidates for the B.Sc. (Pass) and the B.Sc. (Engineering) who hare qualified for Matriculation and have attained the age of 17 may take the Intermediate without previous study in the University.
It is only in the University of London that all the examinations for degrees are open to external students. Here not only the Intermediate but the Final examinations for degrees may be taken by candidates who have never studied at the University, nor under the University's supervision, and those who pass the requisite examinations are admitted to degrees without any requirements as to residence, or attendance at University courses.* It should be stated that the examinations for external candidates differ in some cases from the corresponding examinations for internal students. As a rule a degree may be obtained after passing two examinations subsequent to Matriculation - an Intermediate and a Final. But in Medicine and Veterinary Science there are three examinations between the Matriculation and the Final. The Final examination for a degree may not be
*In the Faculty of Medicine, however, external candidates are required to have pursued their professional studies at one or more of the Medical Institutions or Schools recognised by the University for this purpose.
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taken until the expiration of three years from Matriculation "unless the Senate in special cases or classes of cases otherwise determine".* The Intermediate examination may be taken within less than one year after Matriculation, that is to say, a student who has passed Matriculation in January may take the Intermediate in the following July. The age limit for Matriculation being 16, it follows that the Intermediate cannot be taken before 16½ nor the Final before 19.
It will be seen, therefore, that London, Birmingham and Bristol are the only Universities in England and Wales (with slight exceptions in the case of Oxford and Durham) in which it is possible for any examinations in a degree course, subsequent to Matriculation, to be taken by a pupil in a Secondary School. As to the extent to which these examinations are actually taken by such pupils, there is, unfortunately, no definite information. In the case of Birmingham it would seem to be quite small, since, although the number of external candidates is not published, the Pass Lists of 1908 show that only 17 such candidates were successful that year in the Intermediate Science and Arts examinations and in the First examinations in Engineering, Mining, and Metallurgy; there is nothing to indicate the ages of these persons, nor whether any of them were attending school up to the time of the examination. At Bristol also the number of persons taking the Intermediate Examinations before entering the University is certainly very small at present; but the actual figures are not published. In the case of London, we know not only the total number of external candidates who sat for all the examinations, but also, in the faculties of Arts and Science (which attract the great bulk of the candidates), the numbers who were below the age of 22. These figures are given in the following table for the year 1908:
A. London University Intermediate Examinations, 1908
*Those who matriculate in January may take a final degree examination in the year next but one ensuing. In Arts and in Science the final examination is held at the end of October.
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B. London University Final Examinations (for Initial Degrees), 1908
These tables show the number of candidates below the age of 22, but there still remains the question of how many of them were still attending school, and as to this very little information is available.
Cases do actually occur of students taking a Final degree examination direct from school; but they are no doubt very rare. At the same time it is important to remember that such a thing is possible, especially as any general increase in the age of leaving the Secondary School, if unaccompanied by a corresponding advancement of the standard of degree examinations, might, other conditions remaining unaltered, tend to a growth of the practice.
As regards the Intermediate examinations, some light is thrown on the question by figures supplied to the Committee by the University of London. These are based on returns made by schools under inspection by the University. They show that at 42 of these schools work of a post-Matriculation character was being done, and that approximately 160 pupils reached the standard of the Intermediate.* It does not follow, however, that all these 160 pupils actually took the Intermediate examination. But, on the other hand, there may have been other candidates in schools which were not under the inspection of the London University who yet took the University's Intermediate examination. In fact, it seems certain from a consideration of the Pass Lists that this was so. In these lists is given after the name of each successful candidate the name of the College or school (if any) from which he proceeded to the examination. Judging by the names of the institutions so given in the lists relating to the examinations of July 1910 it would appear that at the Intermediate Arts over 100, and at the Intermediate
*The year to which the returns relate is not stated.
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Science over 50, pupils from Secondary Schools were successful at those examinations. No information is available as to the place of education of the candidates who failed.
From what has been said above, it seems clear that the number of Secondary School pupils who take University degree examinations after Matriculation is at present not large. But this does not mean that the question is unimportant, especially as there are reasons for thinking that the practice of taking University examinations in school (if unchecked) is likely to grow. Probably the most important of these reasons is the fact that certain definite advantages may be gained by taking the Intermediate examinations at school. A student who takes the London Intermediate before leaving school can take the external degree after only two years of post-school study. While if he becomes an internal student of the University he can take the Final examination for the internal degree in two years, though he does not get the degree itself until he has had a further year of approved study. But the fact that the examination can be taken after only two years is in certain circumstances so convenient that in at least one important London Training College preference is given to candidates for admission who have passed the Intermediate examination. Such students can complete their degree course in the first two years at the College, and then devote their third year to professional training. At Birmingham a student who has passed the Intermediate examination before entering the University can, in the faculties of Arts and Science, take the Final examination for the bachelor's degree after only two years. He cannot get the degree itself until after a third year of study at the University, but in that year he can qualify for the master's degree. In the faculty of Engineering the passing of the first examination (after Matriculation) before entrance reduces from four to three years the period of study required for the degree. At Bristol, the passing of the Intermediate examination before entrance exempts from the Intermediate course, but does not reduce the period of University study required for the degree.
(ii) Description of certain of these Post-Matriculation Examinations
It will not be necessary to describe in detail all the degree examinations that can he taken by pupils at school; but in the case of the two which are so used more than any others a brief account of their general character may usefully conclude this section. The examinations referred to are the Intermediate Arts and the Intermediate Science examinations of London University. These examinations as taken by external candidates (and as described below) differ from the corresponding examinations for internal candidates.
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The examinations are held once a year (in July) in London and also in a few provincial centres (17 in 1910).* They are open only to those who have matriculated not later than the preceding January. The fee is £5. Candidates may be examined either for a Pass or for Honours. Those who fail in Honours may be recommended for a Pass.
The lists of successful candidates are published in a supplement to the University Gazette. Copies are also sent to colleges or schools from which successful candidates have come, to successful candidates themselves if they have supplied stamped addressed envelopes, and to the press. The names of candidates, followed by the names of their colleges or schools (if any) are arranged in alphabetical order - in one list in the Pass examinations and in three classes in the Honours examinations. Unsuccessful candidates are informed of the subjects in which they have failed; but information as to marks or position on the list is not supplied.
As regard the subjects of examination:
(i) For the Intermediate Art Examination they are as follows:
(1) Latin, with Roman History, or Greek with Greek History.
(2) One of the following:
Latin with Roman History, if not taken under (1).
Greek with Greek History, if not taken under (1).
French.
German.
Hebrew.
Chinese.
(3) One of the following:
Pure Mathematics.
Applied Mathematics.
Physics.
Chemistry.
Botany.
Geology.
Logic.
(4) Any one of the previous subjects not already taken, or History, or Geography, or Italian, or Spanish.
(5) English Literature and Essay (this subject may - in the case of candidates for a Pass - be postponed until a subsequent Intermediate examination, or until the Final examination).
Honours candidates may be examined in one or more of the following subjects, but the number of subjects for Pass and Honours together may not exceed five, and the combination of Pass and Honours subjects must satisfy the requirements of the five sections above.
Latin.
Greek.
English.
History. |
French.
German.
Mathematics.
Logic. |
*Only the Pass examinations are held out of London. All Honours papers and practical examinations in Science must be taken at the University.
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Candidates for Honours are not examined in the corresponding subjects of the Pass Examination.
In modern languages there are oral tests, and there are practical examinations in Science. In the Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Geology papers, questions are set involving (1) the translation of passages in French or in German, and (2) answers with regard to the subject-matter thereof.
(ii) For the Intermediate Science Examination, a candidate for a Pass must take four out of the following seven subjects, one at least being selected from the first three:
(1) Pure Mathematics.
(2) Applied Mathematics.
(3) Experimental Physics.
(4) Chemistry |
(5) Botany.
(6) Zoology.
(7) Geology. |
Honours papers may be taken in one or more of the following subjects:
Mathematics (Pure and Applied).
Experimental Physics.
Chemistry.
Botany.
Zoology.
Geology.
No candidate may take both the Honours and Pass papers in the same subject. Those who take Honours in Mathematics (Pure and Applied) are only required to take two other subjects.
Questions are set involving (1) the translation of passages in French or in German, and (2) answers with regard to the subject-matter thereof.
There are practical as well as theoretical examinations.
3. Civil Service Examinations
(a) GENERAL ACCOUNT OF THE POSTS FILLED BY EXAMINATIONS OF A KIND AFFECTING SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Examinations play a very prominent part in the appointment of persons to situations in the Civil Service. In fact for the great majority of such posts (except such as are filled by promotion in the ordinary course) some special examination is normally required. These examinations are of three kinds, namely: (1) Open competitions; (2) Limited competitions; and (3) Qualifying examinations. Of these different kinds of examinations, the first mentioned are by far the most important in relation to the question of examinations in Secondary Schools, not only because the number of candidates entering for them is larger than in the case of the others, but also because where previous service is a condition of entrance, as it is in many, if not most, of the examinations under the other two heads, the candidates cannot be school pupils. The third class of
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examination (i.e. the purely qualifying tests) applies to cases where persons who are already serving are promoted to higher offices and to some other appointments of a kind which need not be entered into here. They do not appear to be of such a nature as to affect Secondary Schools. As regards the limited competitions, it has already been mentioned that most of them are restricted to persons already in the Service, and are therefore not open to pupils in Secondary Schools. The number of limited competitions is considerable, and the precise conditions in each case have not been ascertained; but it is clear that those in which either the restriction mentioned or some other circumstance which precludes or makes improbable, the entrance of Secondary School pupils does not exist, are taken by so small a number of candidates that they can have but very slight influence (if any) on Secondary Schools. Under these circumstances it seems hardly worth while to consider them in this connection.
This leaves only the open competitions to be dealt with, and some even of these cannot be taken by pupils in Secondary Schools. This is either because the limits of age for competing are so high as to exclude the candidature of such pupils, or because candidates are required to have had some previous professional or technical training and cannot therefore enter the examination direct from a Secondary School.
As regards the question of age, it should be pointed out that in almost every Civil Service examination there is some limit of age for candidates, and often this is such as to confine the examination to candidates above Secondary School age. But the difficulty of course arises of deciding what we mean by Secondary School age, there being no fixed age at which pupils leave school. In view, however, of the fact that the number of pupils who remain at school until the age of 19 or beyond is, comparatively speaking, quite small, and that of those who do so probably the majority are intending to proceed to a University, we may perhaps (ignoring exceptional cases*) regard all examinations which are confined to candidates of 19 or over as being unlikely to affect Secondary Schools.
A list of the more important Civil Service examinations for which Secondary School pupils are eligible to compete will be found in the table at the end of this section (page 268). Examinations for grades of appointment which are usually filled by open competition, but in connection with which no
*Probably the most important exception would be the examination for the India and Colonial Police Services, the age limits for which are 19-21; but the number of candidates is small - on the average rather over 100 a year. The examination for Assistants of Customs and Excise, for which the age limits are at present 19-22, is, on the other hand, taken by large numbers of candidates (two or three thousand a year), but is not of a kind for which a pupil who had remained at a secondary school until so late an age as 19 would be likely to enter.
[page 248]
such competitions were held in the years 1907-9, are not included in this list; nor are those for which the number of competitors is quite small, nor those which are restricted to candidates above 19. The table shows the number of candidates who entered for the various kinds of examination, and the number of posts competed for, during each of the three years 1907, 1908, and 1909. In regard to these figures it is necessary to point out that by no means all the candidates at the examinations were Secondary School pupils. Many of them had left school and were in employment (either in the Service itself or elsewhere), and many had been under instruction at establishments other than Secondary Schools. This point will be dealt with more fully later on; but a warning is given here, because the bare figures might otherwise give a false impression.
It should be pointed out that the examinations included in the table form a very small proportion of the total number held in connection with the Civil Service. This fact will he appreciated when it is stated that the total a umber of candidates for competitions conducted by the Civil Service Commissioners, the results of which were announced in 1909, was over 22,000,* while the number of different classes of situation in connection with which those competitions were held was about 60. But having regard to the various circumstances (especially the limits of age) likely to affect the candidature of pupils of the kind with which we are here concerned, and ignoring those examinations for which the number of candidates is quite small, we find that there are only three or four Civil Service examinations which call for detailed consideration in connection with the question of examinations in Secondary Schools. Of these the principal ones are the examinations for Boy Clerkships, Second Division Clerkships, and "Intermediate" Appointments; while on the side of girls the examinations for Girl and Woman Clerkships in the Post Office are the most important. The other examinations mentioned in the table are probably of little importance in relation to the question under consideration, being so far as we can judge of a kind that would not usually be taken by Secondary School pupils. Since we have no certain information as to the type of pupil entering for these examinations, it has been thought best to include them; but it will be seen that the examinations are very simple ones and not at all of the character which might be expected in examinations for which it was anticipated that the candidates would be Secondary School pupils.
It may help to a better understanding of those Civil Service examinations with which we are mainly concerned to give a very brief sketch of the kind of way in which the clerical
*Excluding examinations in connection with the Army and Navy, as to which see pages 268 ff. and 274 ff., and examinations for promotion.
[page 249]
establishments of the Service are organised. When the principle of open competition for posts in the Civil Service was first adopted an attempt was made to divide the clerical establishments into two classes. viz. Class I and Class II. Class I still exists, but Class II became obsolete after a few years, when a Lower Division of the Service (including both men and boy clerks) was created. This Lower Division was in 1890 renamed the Second Division, and the Boy Clerks were excluded from it. The Service now contains therefore a First Class and a Second Division; but it must not be supposed that throughout the Service there is a complete and uniform organisation of the clerical staffs into these two grades. On the contrary, in addition to other grades of clerk more or less common to the whole Service, there are situations of varying kinds designed to meet the needs of particular Departments. Leaving out of account, however, these miscellaneous appointments (which, however numerous and important in themselves, do not appear to have much bearing on the question of examinations in Secondary Schools), there remains an organisation of which some parts are found in nearly all, while others obtain in several offices. It consists of the following divisions:
1. Boy Clerkships, filled by open competition.
2. Assistant Clerkships, recruited entirely from the Boy Clerks.
3. Second Division Clerkships, filled mainly by open competition.
4. Staff appointments filled by promotions from the Second Division.
5. A group of situations, known by different names in different Departments, but filled (mainly by open competition) by means of a single scheme of examination, and intermediate between the Second Division and Class I.
6. Class I Clerkships, filled mainly by open competition.
If, therefore, we confine our attention to the Service in general, it will be seen that a person may enter at one of four stages, viz. (a) as a Boy Clerk between the ages of 15 and 16; (b) as a Second Division Clerk between 17 and 20; (c) by means of one of the "Intermediate" Appointments (see 5 above) between 18 and 19½; or (d) as a Class I Clerk between 22 and 24. The last of these may he ignored as affecting Secondary Schools only indirectly, if at all.
In regard to the Boy Clerks, there are some points which it is important to notice, especially in view of their probable effect in greatly lessening a Secondary School pupil's chance of success in the competition for certain higher posts. A person who enters the Service as a Boy Clerk between 15 and 16 has still a chance of passing one of the higher examinations by studying in his spare
[page 250]
time. In fact, he must pass some other examination or else leave the Service at a certain age, this age being 18* in the case of those appointed under the present scheme for Boy Clerks and 20 in the case of those who were appointed under the old scheme. Of the more general examinations mentioned above only two can be taken before the age of 18, viz. those for Assistant Clerks and for Second Division Clerks. Many Boy Clerks have in the past entered direct for the Second Division Clerks' examination, and doubtless some will still do so even when the old class of Boy Clerk has entirely passed away, and when none may remain in this grade after the age of 18.* Of the remainder, and those who fail, probably the majority try for Assistant Clerkships, which are given only to ex-Boy Clerks. The Assistant Clerk is of a grade inferior to the Second Division Clerk and has a comparatively low scale of salary. He has, however, a permanent and pensionable place in the Service, and it is therefore open to a boy to make his retention in the Service safe by securing one of these posts while continuing his efforts to pass into the Second Division, the Customs or Excise,† one of the situations coming under the head of "Intermediate Appointments", or some other post. This is, in fact, what many boys do. Those Assistant Clerks who fail in the examinations have still a possibility of promotion to the Second Division on the merits of their office work. Boy Clerks are encouraged to work for a higher appointment by the allowance of "Service marks" in certain competitions. The allowance is made at the rate of so many marks for each period of three months of approved service up to a maximum of eight‡ such periods. The actual number of marks awarded for each period is not necessarily the same at all examinations, even for the same post. In the regulations for Second Division examinations, dated February 1910, it was stated that the number had been provisionally fixed at 10. This would make the maximum number of Service marks obtainable by any one candidate 80.§ Past examinations show that this allowance has a considerable influence on the results, and that it is responsible for the success of a number of candidates who would otherwise have failed.|| Boy Clerks are
*A slight extension is allowed under certain circumstances, as when a boy is waiting for an opportunity to compete for an Assistant Clerkship, or for the results of an examination to be announced or has passed an examination and is waiting for appointment.
†Assistants of Customs and Excise: Limits of age for admission to competition, at present, 19-22; but it is stated that no announcement can be made as to the limits of age for these situations in future. See also footnote on p. 247.
‡The maximum is 12 in the case of boys who entered the Service by the competition of September 1908, or a previous one.
§See note (3) above. In the cases there referred to the maximum is 120, and the Service marks are allotted on a somewhat different basis (see page 257).
||For further information on this point see pages 257 and 266.
[page 251]
also allowed (in common with other Civil servants), after two years' service, to make deductions from their age in reckoning their eligibility to enter certain open competitions. The amount of deduction allowed is generally either one or two years. The effect of this privilege is of course to extend by one or two years the length of time during which a person who has served for a sufficient time as a Boy Clerk remains eligible to compete for a higher appointment. Thus for the Second Division examination (for which the ordinary maximum age limit is 20) such a person could continue to compete until he was 22.
We may now consider certain features of the regulations for Civil Service examinations which are more or less common to all the open competitions. The detailed requirements of the more important examinations will be dealt with in the following section.
The examinations are under the control of a Government Department called the Civil Service Commission, which is charged with the duty of testing the qualifications of persons seeking appointment to posts in the Service. The rules governing such appointments appear to be settled (always subject to the approval of the Treasury) by the Commissioners alone, or by the Commissioners in consultation with the Heads of the Departments concerned. The examinations are not (as a rule) held at any fixed times of the year, but whenever the requirements of the Service make them necessary. The number of posts offered for competition on each occasion depends on the number of vacancies existing at the time or estimated as likely to occur within a limited time after the examination. It frequently happens that the number of candidates to whom appointments are given considerably exceeds the number of places offered beforehand. The examinations may be held at such places as the Civil Service Commissioners determine. In practice certain examinations take place in London only, others in London, Edinburgh and Dublin, and others in those cities and also in a few provincial towns.
As regards the qualifications for admission to the examinations, the rule is that - subject to certain restrictions - all natural-born or naturalised British subjects are eligible, provided they are of the requisite age, health, and character. But persons already serving the State or having been trained at the public expense are eligible only when they are given permission to compete. Without special permission from the Head of the Department concerned, a candidate is not assigned to the Admiralty, War Office, or Colonial Office unless he is a British subject and the son of a father also a British subject; nor to the Foreign Office unless he is a natural-born British subject born within the United Kingdom of parents also born therein.
As regards the age of candidates, there is nearly always
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both a lower and upper limit of age*; but some allowance is made as a rule to persons already in the service of the State. Those who have served in the Army or Navy are generally allowed to deduct from their actual age any time during which they have so served. In the case of civil servants (and persons who have served in the Royal Irish Constabulary) the amount allowed to be deducted in this way is usually restricted to one or two years, except in the case of persons whose service commenced before a certain date, and who are allowed by older regulations to deduct as much as five years from their age.
The results of the examinations are published in lists in which either all the candidates or all those who reach a certain standard are placed in order of merit; but the names are given only in the case of those successful, the others being represented by their examination numbers. The marks awarded in respect of each subject are stated throughout the lists.
The principal examinations may now be considered in detail.
(b) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE MORE IMPORTANT OF THE EXAMINATIONS
It is not proposed to describe here all the examinations which are included in the table on page 268. For reasons already stated some of them have very little bearing on the question under consideration, and it seems unnecessary therefore to enter into details in regard to them. It will probably be quite sufficient to give an account (in more or less detail as circumstances seem to require) of those examinations which are of most importance in connection with this inquiry, and in regard to the others merely to state the subjects of examination. In accordance with this plan the examinations for the following situations only are described in this section: (i) Boy Clerkships; (ii) Second Division Clerkships; (iii) Intermediate Appointments; (iv) Girl Clerkships and Woman Clerkships.
(i) Examination for Boy Clerkships
The age for admission to the examination for Boy Clerkships is 15-16, the age being calculated up to one of four specified dates according to the period of the year in which the examination is held.
The salary of the post commences at 15s [75p] a week, or 4½d [2p] an hour, and may be raised, after a year's approved service, to 16s [80p] a week or 5d an hour.
*It may be explained with regard to the limits of age for these examinations that when a competition is said to be restricted to candidates between (say) 17 and 20 what is meant is that only those are eligible who have reached the 17th anniversary of their birth and have not passed the 20th. The ages are generally calculated, not to the actual date of the examination, but to some fixed date in the year, half-year, or quarter during which the competition is held.
[page 253]
The number of candidates for the examination is large, and the number of appointments made is also considerable. It is understood, however, that the present intention is to increase the employment of Assistant Clerks (a class, it will be remembered, recruited entirely from the Boy Clerks) and to make a corresponding reduction in the number of Boy Clerks. At present there are about 2,800 Boy Clerks and about 2,600 Assistant Clerks in the Service. The numbers of candidates during the three years 1907, 1908, and 1909 were 2,411, 2,753, and 2,029 respectively. The numbers ultimately declared successful as the result of the examinations in those years was 1,092, 889, and 809.
Examinations are held, when necessary, at London, Edinburgh, Dublin, and about 10 provincial centres. The frequency of the examinations (as well as the number of appointments offered for competition) depends, of course, on the requirements of the Service. As a matter of fact, however, they seem to be held pretty regularly, three competitions having taken place in each of the years 1907, 1908, and 1909, each year in the months of January, May, and September.
The fee for examination is 5s [25p].
Seven subjects may be taken in the examination. It is not actually stated that any of them are obligatory; but a sufficient aggregate of marks must be obtained to indicate a competent amount of general proficiency. What this aggregate may be is not stated; but in practice it seems at present to be one-half the possible total. In any case a candidate who did not take the full number of subjects allowed would probably stand very little chance of success in the competition.
The subjects are:
1. Handwriting and Orthography.
2. Arithmetic (including Vulgar and Decimal Fractions).
3. English Composition.
4. Copying Manuscript.
5-7. Three of the following, including not more than two languages:
Geography.
English History.
Latin.
French. |
German.
Mathematics.
Elementary Science. |
The Commissioners issue particulars of the examinations in certain of the subjects, and more detailed information of the kind of questions asked may be obtained from the examination papers themselves which are on sale. The principles upon which handwriting specimens are judged, in this and also in other Civil Service examinations of which handwriting is a subject, are set out in some detail. The subject "Copying Manuscript", which is perhaps peculiar to Civil Service examinations, consists in making a fair copy of a badly written document in a given time. English Composition appears usually to comprise an essay, the correction of ungrammatical
[page 254]
or badly expressed sentences, and the writing in the candidate's own language of the substance or a piece of verse. The geography paper requires a knowledge of the British Isles in some detail and of the World in outline. There are no set periods in history, and in languages no set books or oral tests. The examination in elementary science is confined to paper work. The arithmetic paper includes a special test of speed and accuracy in adding long columns of figures.
It may be assumed that every candidate takes the four fixed subjects, Handwriting and Orthography, Arithmetic, Composition, and Copying Manuscript. As regards the other subjects (of which a candidate may select three), in the examination of January 1910 they were taken by the number of candidates stated below, the total number of candidates at that examination being 793:
The maximum number of marks obtainable in each subject is 400, with the exception of Copying Manuscript, in which it is 200. As to the marks actually obtained by candidates, the aggregate numbers awarded to the highest candidates in the three examinations held in May 1909, September 1909, and January 1010 were 2,173 (i.e. 84 per cent), 2,268 (87 per cent), and 2,155 (83 per cent) respectively, out of a possible total of 2,600 in each case, and to the lowest successful candidates* 1,583 (61 per cent), 1,556 (60 per cent), 1,617 (62 per cent) respectively.
(ii) Examination for the Second Division
Second Division Clerks are now employed in most of the Departments of the State. It is understood that there are altogether over 3,500 of them in the Civil Service.
The salary of the post (revised in 1907) now commences at £70 a year, and (subject to satisfactory certificates of conduct and efficiency) rises to £300. Higher positions may be attained by promotion.
*200th, 200th, and 150th respectively.
[page 255]
For admission to the examination for this post a candidate must be between 17 and 20 years of age on the 1st March or the 1st September according as the examination is held in the first or second half of the year. The only other conditions of admission to the examination are those which apply to all "open competitions" under the Civil Service Commissioners (see page 251).
The number of candidates is large, the examination being one of the most popular of those conducted by the Commissioners. But it must not be forgotten that many of these candidates are persons already in the Service. The numbers who attended the examinations held in 1907, 1908, and 1909 were 2,185, 2,484, and 1,565 respectively, and the numbers of places offered for competition in those years were 200, 181, and 50. But many appointments over and above the number advertised were made on the results of the examinations in question, bringing the totals of successful candidates up to 265, 261, and 265 respectively. Yet, even so, the percentages of candidates who were successful in these years were only 12, 11, and 17 respectively. It will be seen therefore that this examination directly affects a body of students sometimes eight or nine times as numerous as the successful candidates, to say nothing of the possible indirect influence which it may exercise over the work of other pupils who do not sit for the examination.
The examinations are not held at regular intervals, but, like most Civil Service examinations, whenever the requirements of the Service make them necessary. In 1907 two examinations were held (in March and September); in 1908, two (March and October), and in 1909, one (September). They are "held from time to time at such places as may be deemed expedient". In practice they are held in London, Edinburgh, Dublin, and about a dozen other towns.
The fee for examination is £2.
The scheme of examination was modified in 1900, the changes including the addition of certain fresh subjects which helped to bring the examination more into harmony with the ordinary Secondary School curriculum. The subjects are now as follows:
1. Handwriting and Orthography including Copying Manuscript.
2. Arithmetic.
3. English Composition.
4-7. Not more than four of the following, of which not more than two may be languages:
Précis, including Indexing and Digest of Returns.
Book-keeping and Shorthand Writing.
Geography and English History.
Latin.
French.
German.
Elementary Mathematics
Inorganic Chemistry, with Elements of Physics.
[page 256]
Although it is not stated that any subjects are obligatory, a candidate who did not take the full number allowed would have practically no chance of success.
The Commissioners issue syllabuses in Handwriting, Geography, and Elementary Mathematics only; but full information as to the character of the questions can be obtained from the papers, which are on sale. In arithmetic there is a special test of long addition, both vertical and horizontal. In the subject "Indexing" a candidate is required to enter on a form certain particulars of a number of printed documents (usually consisting of a series of official letters and papers relating to some matter of public interest) including a concise statement of the gist of each. The candidate has then to make a "Précis" or brief narrative account, of the whole correspondence, omitting anything which is not material to the main issue. The "Digest of Returns" involves ruling a form (according to pattern) and filling it up with statistics of which some are supplied ready for insertion and others have to be calculated from data furnished. In History and Geography there are two separate papers, one of which is confined to geography, while the other deals mainly with history but contains a few questions combining the two subjects. The language papers consist of unseen translation from and into the foreign language and composition, there being no set books and no oral test. In science there is no practical examination.
The subjects chosen by the 1,565 candidates at the examination of September 1909 were as follows:
In Handwriting (etc.), Arithmetic, and English Composition the maximum number of marks obtainable is in each case 600. In each of the other subjects it is 400. The aggregate marks obtained by the highest candidates in the competitions of October 1908 and September 1909 were 2,549 and 2,690 respectively - i.e. 75 and 79 per cent of the possible total of
[page 257]
3,400; while the lowest of the successful candidates* obtained respectively 2,269 and 2,428 marks, i.e. 67 per cent and 71 per cent of the maximum. At the examination or September 1909 more than half of the candidates (i.e. just over 800) were in receipt of "Service marks", granted on account of service as Boy Clerks or Boy Copyists. These were given at the rate of 5 marks for each of the first four periods of three months of approved service; 10 marks for each of the second four of such periods; and 15 for each of the third four, the maximum allowable being 120 marks. This maximum of 120 was claimed by no fewer than 233 candidates at the examination in question. Of the Service candidates 31 were included in the 50 who were declared successful when the results were announced, and the marks of 19 of them, without counting the Service marks, were less than those of the lowest successful candidate. Had no Service marks been given 14 of them would have failed to be placed amongst the first 50 candidates. It may be added that the allowance for Boy Clerks appointed as such on the results of an examination later than that of September 1908 will be different from that stated above. At present it is fixed provisionally at 10 marks for each period of three months up to a maximum of eight such periods.
(iii) Examination for "Intermediate Appointments"
The title "Intermediate Appointments" is used for convenience to indicate a group of situations recruited by means of a single scheme of examination but actually known by different names in the seven Departments which make use of them. The scheme was instituted in 1892 in the Admiralty, and has since been adopted by other Departments; but it has been revised several times and did not attain its present form until 1906. The scale of salary is the same in the several offices, viz. £100 a year rising to £350 (subject to satisfactory certificates); but the prospect of promotion to higher positions varies.
A candidate must be between 18 and 19½ years of age on the 1st May or the 1st November, according as the examination is held in the first seven or the last five months of the year. Persons who have served in the Army or Navy are allowed to deduct from their age the time during which they have so served, and persons who have been two years in the Civil Service† or the Royal Irish Constabulary may deduct one year from their age.
The number of candidates for these examinations is not nearly so large as in the case of the other two examinations we
*i.e. at the time the results were announced (viz. 70th and 50th respectively in order of merit); but since then many other appointments have been made on the results of these same examinations.
†Except Boy Clerks who were appointed on the results of a competition later than that of September 1908.
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have already considered, and the number of appointments made is also smaller. The candidates in the examinations held in 1907, 1908, and 1909 numbered 146, 282, and 572 respectively, and the numbers of appointments made from amongst them were respectively 37, 82, and 63. The proportions of candidates successful in these years, therefore, were 25, 29, and 11 per cent respectively, the examination thus directly affecting from four to nine times as many pupils as were successful.
In each of the three years named there were two examinations. They were held in June and November in 1907 and in July and December in 1908 and in 1909. The main part of the examination is conducted in London, Edinburgh, and Dublin, but the oral and practical tests take place in London only.
The fee for each candidate is £3.
The subjects of examination are as follows:
CLASS I
Mathematics I
English
CLASS II (Lower Standard)
Mathematics II
French.
German.
Latin.
Greek.
History (English).
Chemistry.
Physics. |
CLASS III (Higher Standard)
Mathematics III
French.
German.
Latin.
Greek.
History (English and European).
Chemistry.
Physics. |
Both the subjects in Class I must be taken up, and no candidate is eligible who fails to pass a qualifying examination in Arithmetic and English. From Classes II and III may be selected subjects carrying marks up to a certain maximum. This maximum, including the two subjects of Class I, is 14,000, and since each subject in Classes I and II carries 2,000 marks and each subject in Class III 4,000, it follows that a candidate need take only five subjects, and may not take more than seven. The same subject may not be taken both in Class II and Class III. One of the subjects selected must be a language.
The Commissioners issue a syllabus of the subjects of examination, and the examination papers also may be purchased. English consists of an essay and précis-writing. In modern languages, in addition to translation from and into the language, there are oral tests. There are no set books in any of the language examinations. The history paper presumes some knowledge of geography; in Class III a choice of periods is given. Practical examinations are held in Mathematics (I, II, and III) and in the Sciences. The oral and practical examinations are held at a later date than the written examination, and, as stated above, in London only.
[page 259]
The subjects taken by the 290 competitors at the examination of December 1909 are given here in the order of preference:
Remembering that it is not permissible to take the same subject in both Class II and Class III, it will be seen from the above figures that 92.1 per cent of the candidates chose French; 62.1 per cent chose Mathematics; 53.8 per cent History; 49.3 per cent Latin; 41.4 per cent Chemistry; 32.7 per cent Physics; 22.4 per cent German; and 14.5 per cent Greek. It is compulsory to take at least one language (either ancient or modern); all except 13 candidates (i.e. 95.5 per cent) took either French or German, while 55 candidates took both. Every candidate who took Greek took Latin as well; there were therefore 42 taking both Latin and Greek. One candidate took all four languages; 45 took three languages; 134 took two; and 110
[page 260]
took only one. As regards Science, 143 took either Chemistry or Physics, and 72 took both. Most of those who chose Science took also the Mathematics of Class II or Class III; but 37 of them did not do so.
As regards the marks awarded to candidates at the examination in question, the one highest on the list secured an aggregate of 10,445 (out of a maximum of 14.000), i.e. 75 per cent, while the lowest successful candidate (25th* on the list) obtained 9,164, or 65 per cent. Thirty out of the 290 candidates failed to qualify in one or both of the subjects English and Arithmetic. Amongst these candidates were some who, but for having failed to qualify, would have been comparatively high up in the list; but none would have been so high as to be reckoned amongst the successful ones.
The maximum number of marks in each subject in Classes I and II is 2,000 and in Class III 4,000; but the marks for Arithmetic and Mathematics in Class I are given separately, 400 being allotted to the former and 1,600 to the latter. The marks awarded in respect of the oral and practical tests are not stated separately, but it is explained that 25 per cent of the marks assigned to French and German in Classes II and III were given on the oral examination, and 20 per cent of the marks for Mathematics I. (including Arithmetic) and 40 per cent of the marks for Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics, in Classes II and III, on the practical examination.
(iv) Examinations for Girl and Woman Clerkships in the General Post Office
The scheme of examination for these two posts is the same, though their limits of age are different. For admission to the examination for Girl Clerkships a candidate must be between 16 and 18; for admission to the examination for Woman Clerkships she must be between 18 and 20. The age is calculated up to the 1st March or the 1st September, according as the examination is held in the first or the second half of the year.
Girl and Woman Clerks are engaged upon clerical work in the several central departments of the General Post Office (not at the ordinary local post offices). Woman Clerks have a scale of salary commencing at £65 a year and rising, by £5 a year, to £110, with prospects of promotion to higher grades. Girl Clerks start at £42 a year and rise, by annual increments of £3, to £48. They are eligible (after two years' service and if certified competent) for promotion to the grade of Woman Clerk, or they may be transferred to the class of Female Sorter.
*i.e. at the time the results were announced , but seven others were ultimately declared successful.
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The numbers of candidates at these examinations during 1907-9, and the numbers of places competed for, were as follows:
The examinations take place in London, Edinburgh, Dublin, and about eight or nine provincial towns. As a rule they have been held twice a year - in the spring and autumn; but in 1909 there was only one examination for Woman Clerkships, and it is intended that, in future, competitions for these posts shall, as a rule, be held only once a year, in the spring. While, however, the examinations are held at pretty regular intervals, the number of posts offered for competition has varied a good deal, especially in the case of the Woman Clerkships.
The examination fee is 10s [50p] in each case.
The subjects (in regard to which some changes have recently been made) are now as follows:
1. English Composition (including Writing and Spelling).
2. Arithmetic.
3. Geography.
4. Latin, or French, or German.
5. Précis Writing.
6. Not more than one of the following:
English History.
Mathematics.
One of the languages (Latin, French, German) not offered as subject 4.
This new scheme of subjects came into force for the first time in October 1910. Previously the subjects were as follows:
1-3. As above.
4-5. Not more than two of the following:
Latin.
French.
German.
6-7. Not more than two of the following:
English History.
Mathematics.
Shorthand.
Thus it will be seen that the number of subjects has been reduced from seven to six, the alternative subject Shorthand has been removed, a new subject (Précis Writing) introduced,
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and the choice given in regard to other subjects slightly modified.
A syllabus of a few of the subjects is issued; and the papers actually set in the past may be purchased. The examination is conducted entirely by means of written papers. The same set of examination papers is used by candidates for both classes of post.
None of the subjects is said to be obligatory; but, in order to qualify, candidates must obtain a certain aggregate of marks. That aggregate appears to be half the maximum. The following particulars as to the subjects actually taken by candidates relate to the examination of April 1910, which was held under the old scheme of subjects. It was attended by 1,078 candidates, of whom 414 were competing for Woman Clerkships and 664 for Girl Clerkships. All the candidates took the first three subjects -English, Arithmetic, and Geography. Five took only one, instead of two, languages; and five took only one, instead of two, of the other group of alternative subjects. None of the candidates who took fewer subjects than they were allowed to take gained a sufficient aggregate of marks to qualify. The most popular of the languages was French, which was taken by all except two of the candidates. Latin was chosen by 23 per cent of the candidates, and German by 77 per cent. As to the other three subjects, 90 per cent. took History, 64 per cent Mathematics, and 45 per cent Shorthand.
The maximum number of marks is 3,900, of which 500 is assigned to each subject except English and Arithmetic, which carry 800 and 600 respectively. Of the candidates for Woman Clerkships, the highest on the list obtained 3,118 marks (80 per cent of the maximum), while the lowest of the successful ones (20th on the list) seemed 2,820 (72 per cent). Of the candidates for Girl Clerkships, the highest obtained 2,960 marks (76 per cent) and the lowest of the successful ones (40th) 2,629 (67 per cent). Out of 1,078 candidates, 444 failed to qualify by obtaining half marks; of these, 132 were candidates for Woman Clerkships and 312 for Girl Clerkships.
(v) Subjects of Examination for certain other Posts
The subjects of the examination for the situations named in the table on page 268, other than those described in this section, are as follows:
Male sorter*
Male Sorting Clerk and Telegraphist*
Male Learner†
*It is understood that no more open competitive examinations will be held for these situations.
†After the next examination (probably early in 1912) open competitions for this situation will, as an experimental arrangement, be discontinued.
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Female Learner.
1. English Composition (including Writing and Spelling).
2. Arithmetic.
3. Geography.
Female Sorter.
1. Reading and Copying Manuscript.
2. Writing.
3. Spelling.
4. Arithmetic.
5. Geography of the United Kingdom.
Female Typist and Shorthand Writer.
1. Writing.
2. Spelling.
3. English Composition.
4. Copying Manuscript.
5. Arithmetic.
6. Typewriting.
(c) THE PREVIOUS EDUCATION OF CANDIDATES FOR CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS
Statistics as to the previous education of candidates for the Civil Service are unfortunately very incomplete. The Forty-fifth Annual Report of the Civil Service Commissioners contained the results of an investigation into the question; but that took place eleven years ago and can hardly be accepted as giving a reliable indication of the conditions existing today. The Secretary of the Civil Service Commission, who gave evidence before us, kindly furnished us with some useful information which he had obtained from an analysis of some recent competitions.* These particulars, however, and also those contained in the Report before mentioned, relate only to the candidates who were successful in the examinations. They are therefore inadequate for a complete consideration of the question, not only because the successful ones generally form but a small proportion of the total number of candidates, but also because they do not enable us to compare the manner of education of the successful and unsuccessful candidates.
The main points upon which information is needed are: (a) the number of candidates who might be Secondary School pupils, i.e. the number who were of school age and had not prior to the examination entered employment; (b) the proportion of these candidates who did actually attend Secondary Schools up to the time of the examination; (c) the degree of success of Secondary School pupils as compared with other candidates. We may say at once that we have absolutely no data upon which to base any observations in regard to the third of these points.
First of all, it is again necessary to point out that some of the examinations named in our table on page 208, (i.e. the examinations for situations in the Post Office, except Girl and
*See pages 421 ff.
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Woman Clerkships) are of a kind for which it seems unlikely that many Secondary School pupils would compete. They are included in the table, because we have no certain information on this point, and because their age limits are not such as to prevent the entry of Secondary School pupils; but we may perhaps assume for the present purpose that, as a rule, candidates for these examinations are not, and would hardly be expected to be, Secondary School pupils who enter the examinations direct from school. It has to be remembered, however, that there are probably some such pupils amongst them.
The remaining examinations in our table are those for Boy Clerkships, the Second Division, "Intermediate" Appointments, and Girl and Woman Clerkships. The average annual number of candidates for these examinations during the three years 1907-9 was 5,995, and the number of posts completed for, 1,566. We will take each grade of examination separately and see how far we can estimate what proportion of candidates (a) had been in employment before the examination; (b) entered direct from a Secondary School; (c) had been preparing for the examination at some institution other than a Secondary School.
In the case of the Boy Clerks' examination the limits of age are so low that very few of the candidates are likely to have been in employment prior to the examination. A table in the Forty-fifth Report of the Civil Service Commissioners shows that out of 190 candidates who were successful at the examination of October, 1900, 111 had been attending Secondary Schools, 59 Public Elementary Schools, and 20 Higher Grade Schools. The requirements of the examination, however, have since that time been made a good deal more severe,* and it hardly seems likely that a boy who had received no education beyond that given in the ordinary Elementary School would now stand much chance of success in the examination. But perhaps even in 1900 most of the Elementary School boys taking part in the examination had had a period of special preparation between the time of leaving school and entering for the examination. The report gives no information on this point. Mr. Hammond's statistics, however (see page 424), show that of 271 successful out of 751 candidates, at the examination of September 1909, 107 had
*The present scheme is described on pages 252 ff. The subjects of examination in 1900 were as follows:
1. Handwriting and Orthography.
2. Arithmetic.
3. English Composition.
4-5. Any two of the following:
Copying Manuscript.
Geography.
English History.
Translation from Latin, French, or German.
Euclid and Algebra.
Chemistry and Physics.
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undergone special preparation, 22 had studied privately, and 14 did not say whether they had prepared specially. That is to say, about half of the successful candidates did not enter the examination straight from school. We have no means of knowing whether an analysis of the unsuccessful competitors would show a similar proportion; but it is no disparagement of the Secondary Schools to suggest that the proportion who had received special preparation might be found to be less over the whole competition than when only the successful candidates are considered. If half the latter did not enter the examination direct from school, it might be that only (say) one-third of the total number were in the same position. In the case of the competition referred to above this would mean that about 500 entered direct from school and about 250 after special preparation. We may probably take it that the number who remained at school up to the time of the examination was somewhere between 350 and 500.
Turning now to the Second Division examination, we have the analysis, furnished by Mr. Hammond (see page (424), of the successful candidates at the examinations of March 1907 and September 1909. These figures show that, out of 184 successful candidates at the two examinations, 79 had certainly undergone special preparation, 21 had studied privately, and 71 did not state whether they had prepared specially, but probably had done so* - leaving only 13 (7 per cent) as having remained at school until the time of the examination. We have rather more information in regard to the examination of September 1909 than to the earlier one. More detailed statistics, supplied to us by Mr. Hammond, as to the first 50 candidates at this examination show that, of these 50 candidates, 33 had been employed in the Civil Service since leaving school (all except 2 as Boy Clerks), 1 other had been employed elsewhere, 12 others had received special preparation, and 3 others had studied privately since leaving school, while 1 was at school up to the date of the examination. Of the 3 who studied privately only 1 had left school any considerable time before sitting for the examination, the other 2 sitting within less than 12 months of leaving. We have further ascertained from the published list of marks awarded at this examination that 807 of the 1,565 candidates received "Service marks", which they could only have earned if they had been in the Service as Boy Clerks since leaving school. Probably not less than 100 more had been employed in some other capacity either in the Service or elsewhere, leaving about 650 who might have attended school up to the time of the examination. We saw, however, that only 7 per cent of the successful candidates at the two examinations referred to above came direct from school, and if this same
*These were doubtless persons already in the Service whose probable attendance at evening classes was not mentioned on their entrance forms (see Mr. Hammond's evidence, page 422).
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proportion could be applied to the whole of the 1,565 candidates at this later examination we should find that only just over 100 remained at school up to the time of the examination. The percentage might be larger over the whole examination than in the case of the successful ones only; but it hardly seems likely that the number would be more than (say) 300, i.e. approximately 20 per cent of the total number of candidates.
Before leaving the Second Division Clerks, it may be interesting to notice the degree of success of the Service candidates as compared with the others. It was seen that 31 of them were amongst the 50* successful ones in September 1909 (i e. 62 per cent), and now we find that the total number of Boy Clerks or ex-Boy Clerks competing was only 52 per cent of the total number of candidates. It must be remembered, however, that these candidates were in receipt of "Service marks" (up to a maximum of 120), without which many of them would have failed to reach the first 50. Had there been no Service marks, candidates of this type would have formed only 34 per cent of the successful ones. At the examination of October 1908, 50 per cent of those successful and 50 per cent of the whole number of candidates were Service candidates; but had there been no Service marks only 20 per cent of the successful ones would have been Service candidates.
We now come to the "Intermediate" Appointments, in regard to which we may again turn to Mr. Hammond's evidence for information as to the successful candidates. Taking together the three competitions referred to by him, we see that 473 candidates competed for 91 posts, and that of the 91 successful, 44 had been specially prepared, 13 had prepared privately, and 4 more did not say whether they had received special preparation. The 61 candidates thus accounted for probably include those of the successful ones who were already in employment. We are informed that of the 151 candidates at the competition of December 1908, 40 were Civil Servants; but we have no similar information in regard to the other two examinations. It is probable that over 100 of the 473 candidates at these examinations were in employment, leaving only about 350 who might have been Secondary School pupils. From what we know of the successful candidates, it seems likely that about half of these had special preparation, the other half coming straight from school.
As regards the examinations for Girl and Woman Clerkships, we see from Mr. Hammond's evidence that a large proportion of the candidates receive special preparation. In the case of the Girl Clerkships, at least 145 out of 176 successful in September 1908 and April 1909, and in the case of the Woman Clerkships at least 108 out of 140 successful in September 1908 and
*As a matter of fact other candidates afterwards received appointments; but at the time the results were announced only 50 were declared successful.
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October 1909, had had special preparation or studied privately. It is probable that very few of the candidates for Girl Clerkships have been in employment before the examination; but Mr. Hammond informed us that 25 of the 120 successful candidates for Woman Clerkships in September 1908 were already in the Service. The total number of candidates at the two examinations for Girl Clerkships referred to above was 715. If the proportion who received special preparation were the same for unsuccessful as for successful candidates, the number who entered direct from school would have been not more than 125; it seems likely that it was well under 300. In the case of the two Woman Clerkship examinations, the total number of candidates was 866, of whom probably not less than 200 were already in employment. Judging by the conditions noticed in the case of the successful ones, it might be found that between 200 and 300 came direct from school.
The foregoing calculations have been based on the examinations about which we happened to have information, and they do not refer to any single year. We do not consider that the data upon which they rest are sufficient to justify us in offering any definite estimates as to the numbers of candidates who do or do not receive special preparation. In view, however, of the importance of getting some idea of the general state of affairs, it seemed desirable to give what information we had been able to procure, scanty though it is. From statistics published in the Annual Reports of the Civil Service Commissioners, it would appear that each year, on an average, about 6,000* boys and girls take Civil Service examinations of a kind for which Secondary School pupils might be expected to compete. Of these we have good reason for thinking that well over a thousand are in employment at the time of the examination. As to the remainder, we can do little more than guess at the proportion (a) who enter the examination direct from school, or (b) who have received special preparation or studied privately. We are inclined to think that about half the candidates may be of one kind and half of the other - say about 2,500 candidates of each type annually. The reasons which have led us to this conclusion are those which are stated in the preceding paragraphs; they admittedly depend largely on conjecture, though having throughout some foundation of known fact.
With regard to the question of special preparation and private study, it may be pointed out that the period during which this took place may have merely filled up a few months between the time of leaving school and of sitting for the examination; while, on the other hand, it may have extended over several years. We have, however, no definite information bearing on this point.
*This average is based on the years 1907-1909. The separate figures for each of these years are given in the table on page 268.
[page 268]
LIST of the more important CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS open to CANDIDATES from SECONDARY SCHOOLS, with the NUMBERS of CANDIDATES and of SITUATIONS COMPETED FOR during the Years 1907, 1908, and 1909
(The figures given in this table have been supplied by the Civil Service Commission. They show the number of candidates who actually attended the examinations held during the years specified, and the numbers of appointments made on the results of those examinations.)
[click on the image for a larger version]
4. Army Entrance Examinations
The system of examinations for entrance to the Army is in course of change. A revised scheme has been issued, but does not come into full operation until after the 31st March 1912. At present candidates for admission to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, or the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, have to pass a qualifying examination and subsequently to enter for a competitive examination.* Other candidates for commis-
*There are exceptions in the case of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. King's Cadets, Honorary King's Cadets, King's Indian Cadets, Honorary King's Indian Cadets and Pages of Honour at the College have only to qualify.
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sions are, as a rule, required to pass a qualifying examination, but have no other literary test. In the new scheme there is only one literary examination, which combines the functions of the present qualifying and competitive examinations. Candidates for the Cadet Colleges will, as a rule, have to qualify in certain obligatory subjects and also to compete at this one examination. Candidates for Commissions who are not competing for Cadetships will take the obligatory subjects only and will have to qualify in them. Further, a certain number of cadetships at the Royal Military College will be reserved for the nomination by the Army Council of candidates recommended by the headmasters of recognised schools.
The existing and the new schemes are described in more detail below.
(a) THE OLD SCHEME (in force until 31st March, 1912)
For entrance to the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, it is (normally) necessary to pass two examinations. The first of these is a qualifying examination and may be either the Army Qualifying Examination or one of the School Leaving Certificate Examinations approved by the War Office. The second examination is competitive. Candidates for Commissions otherwise than through the Cadet College have only to pass the qualifying examination.
(a) The Qualifying Examination
The Army Qualifying Examination is conducted by the Army Qualifying Board, which is composed of representatives of the bodies who grant Leaving Certificates for Army purposes (see below), together with one or two representatives of the War Office. In addition to carrying out the arrangements for its own examination, this body is entrusted with the duty of maintaining an equality of standard between the examinations for the Army Qualifying Certificate on the one hand and for the Leaving Certificates on the other. These latter are awarded by the following bodies, which have been approved by the War Office for the purpose:
Scotch Education Department.
Central Welsh Board.
Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board.
University of London.
University of Birmingham.
Oxford Local Examination Delegacy.
Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate.
There is one important difference between these two kinds of certificate, namely, that whereas the Army Qualifying Certifi-
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cate is granted solely on the results of an examination, the Leaving Certificates are awarded only to pupils who have made three years' continuous attendance at one or more approved inspected schools.
We are informed that the majority of the candidates take the Qualifying Examination, only about one-third of the total number qualifying by means of the Leaving Certificates.
For admission to the Army Qualifying Examination a candidate must have reached the age of 17.* The Leaving Certificate examinations may be taken by a pupil of 16; but, if he passed, the certificate would not be granted to him until he attained the age of 17.†
The Army Qualifying Examination is held twice a year (March and September) in London and Dublin. The Leaving Certificates are given on the results of examinations held at various times. These latter examinations are not conducted solely for the purpose of the award of Army Leaving Certificates. Thus, the Leaving Certificates of the Oxford Delegacy and the Cambridge Syndicate are based on the ordinary Senior Local Examinations (taken in the form of a Senior School Certificate Examination); those of the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board on the School (or the Higher) Certificate Examination; those of London University on the Senior School Examination; those of Birmingham University on the Senior School Certificate Examination; those of the Central Welsh Board on the Senior Certificate Examination.
The fee for the Army Qualifying Examination is £2 in London and £3 in Dublin. In the case of the Leaving Certificates the fee appears generally to be the ordinary fee of the examination on which it is based. But the Oxford Delegates require a special fee of £1 a candidate, and the Cambridge Syndicate a special fee of 2s. 6d. [12½p] a candidate (but with a minimum of £1 for any school), in addition to the ordinary fee of £1 for the Senior Local Examination.
The subjects for the Qualifying and for the Leaving Certificate Examinations are:
1. English
2. English History and Geography.
3. Elementary Mathematics.
4-5. Two of the following:
Science (Physics and Chemistry).
French or German.
Latin or Greek.
*Reduced to 16 for the examinations to be held in September 1911 and March 1912, after which no further examinations will be held by the Army Qualifying Board.
†Reduced to 16. The last examination in England and Wales for the Leaving Certificate (for Army purposes) will be held in the Michaelmas Term, 1911.
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It is necessary to qualify in each of the first three and in any two of the last three subjects. Candidates for the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, must, in addition to the above, take a more advanced paper in Mathematics.
The syllabus includes oral tests in modern languages and practical work in Science. A Leaving Certificate must state that the candidate has taken a sufficient course of elementary geometrical drawing and practical geometry, and an elementary course of practical measurements, and has passed in these subjects; or the candidate may, if he likes, take these subjects separately in the qualifying examination.
(b) The Competitive Examination
The competitive examination is conducted by the Civil Service Commissioners. It is held half-yearly, in June and November. Candidates must be between 17½ and 19½ years of age* on the 1st June (for the Summer Examination) or the 1st December (for the Winter Examination), and they must hand to the superintendent of the examination room either an Army Qualifying Certificate or one of the approved Leaving Certificates.
The numbers of candidates at the competitive examinations held in 1907, 1908, and 1910 were 587, 623, and 526 respectively, and the numbers of vacancies competed for were 227, 434, and 545.
The examination is held in London; but candidates usually have the option of undergoing the written part of it at Edinburgh, Dublin, and some other centres. The fee for examination is £2 in London; while for those taking the written part of the examination at other centres it is £3 (with the addition in some cases of a local fee).
The subjects differ but little from those of the Qualifying Examination. They are:
Class I (Compulsory)
English.
French or German.
Mathematics I (Royal Military Academy only).
Class II (Optional)
Mathematics I (Royal Military College only).
Mathematics II.
History.
German or French.
Latin or Greek.
Science (Physics and Chemistry).
All the subjects of Class I must be taken. Only two of those in Class II may be taken, and if one of them he a modern
*The lower limit is to be reduced to 16½ for the Royal Military Academy, and to 17 for the Royal Military College, the change taking effect at the Winter examination, 1911, in the former case, and at the Summer examination, 1912, in the latter. The upper limit is to be reduced to 19 eventually.
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language it must be different from the one taken under Class I. In addition to these subjects, candidates may, if they choose, take freehand drawing, to which 250 marks are allotted. Each of the other subjects carries 2,000 marks. Candidates who have served in a contingent of the Officers' Training Corps, and have obtained "Certificate A" therein, are entitled to be credited with 200 extra marks at this examination.
The syllabus includes oral tests in French and German, and practical work in Mathematics and Science. There are no set books. In History candidates must have a sufficient knowledge of the geography of the countries dealt with.
(a) THE NEW SCHEME (in force from 1st April, 1912)
(i) Admission by Examination
The separate qualifying examination is dispensed with in the new scheme, and candidates will have instead to qualify in certain obligatory subjects in the Army Entrance examination.* For admission to the Royal Military Academy or the Royal Military College a candidate will (at one and the same time) have to qualify in these subjects and also to secure a sufficiently high place in order of merit on the whole examination.
The examination will, as at present, be conducted by the Civil Service Commissioners, and will continue to be held half-yearly.
The limits of age for entrance to the examination will be 16½ to 19½ in the case of candidates for the Royal Military Academy, 17 to 19½ in the case of candidates for the Royal Military College, and 16½ and upwards for qualification only. The superior limit will eventually be reduced to 19.
The subjects of examination will be
Class I (Obligatory)
English.
English History and Geography.
Mathematics A (Elementary).
French or German.
For the Royal Military Academy only:
Mathematics B
Science (Physics and Chemistry).
Class II (Optional)
German or French.
Latin.
Greek.
Mathematics C (Higher).
For the Royal Military College only:
Mathematics B
Science (Physics and Chemistry).
*In the case of candidates for Commissions who are not competing for entrance to one of the Cadet Colleges a Leaving or Army Qualifying Certificate obtained under the existing regulations will (subject to certain conditions) continue to count as a qualification after 1st April 1912.
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All the subjects of Class I must be taken, and a qualifying minimum of 33 per cent must be obtained in each. From Class II a candidate for the Royal Military Academy may take only one subject, and a candidate for the Royal Military College may take not more than two. The maximum of marks assigned to each subject will be 2,000, as under the old scheme; but 400 instead of 200 will be offered for freehand drawing. "Certificate A" of the Officers Training Corps will, as at present, entitle to an allowance of 200 marks.
The syllabus will be slightly modified to meet the now conditions.
(ii) Nomination by the Army Council
A certain number of Cadetships at the Royal Military College will be reserved each half-year for the nomination by the Army Council of suitable candidates at recognised schools.
To secure recognition for this purpose a school must be inspected by one of the following bodies:
Scotch Education Department,
Central Welsh Board,
Board of Education,
Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board,
University of London,
University of Birmingham,
Oxford Local Examinations Delegacy,
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate,
and must maintain a contingent of the Officers Training Corps*. The school must have a three years' curriculum and must show that at least 50 per cent of its pupils remain three years at the school; its curriculum in all the subjects of the Army Entrance examination must be satisfactorily reported on.
The headmaster of a school so recognised will be required to submit lists in order of merit of the candidates he recommends for nomination. To be eligible for nomination a candidate must have attended continuously at least three years at one or more recognised schools; he must be an efficient member of the Officers Training Corps*, and must be within the limits of age for admission to the Royal Military College. He will have to attend at the War Office for interview by the Army Council and for medical examination.
The number of candidates to he nominated from any one school will be determined on each occasion by the Army Council.
*This latter condition is subject to relaxation up to January 1912 inclusive.
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5. Navy Entrance Examinations
The principal examinations for entrance to the Navy are those for (i) Naval Cadets, (ii) Assistant Clerks in the Royal Navy, and (iii) Dockyard Apprentices and Boy Artificers. It may be said generally that, owing to the age or the previous training of the candidates, these examinations are not closely connected with Secondary Schools.
(i) Naval Cadets
All candidates for Naval Cadetships* are required to present themselves before a Committee, which interviews each one separately. Appointments are made by the First Lord of the Admiralty from amongst candidates recommended by this Committee; but are, in all cases, subject to the candidate passing the Qualifying Literary examination.
The Interviewing Committee sits shortly before the date fixed for each qualifying examination, the latter being held in March, July, and December.
Candidates are eligible for only one interview and one qualifying examination. They must be between 12 years 8 months and 13 years of age on the following 15th May, 15th September, or 15th January, according as they are entered for the March, July, or December examination.
The subjects of the qualifying examination are:
English (including dictation and composition).
History and Geography.
Arithmetic and Algebra.
Geometry.
French or German.
Latin.
The modern language examination includes an oral test, to which importance is attached.
Statistics are not issued either as to the number of candidates for Cadetships or as to the number of entries for the the qualifying examination. The number who were successful in 1908 was 201.
The list of successful candidates is published in alphabetical order.
(ii) Assistant Clerks in the Royal Navy
Appointments to Assistant Clerkships are made by limited competition† amongst candidates nominated by the First Lord of the Admiralty.
The number of candidates is comparatively small - about 60 or 70 a year - and the number of vacancies competed for is only about 20 a year.
*Except Colonial candidates specially recommended.
†With the exception of one candidate a year who is selected by the Board of Admiralty and has only to pass a qualifying examination.
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The examination is held in the summer each year by the Civil Service Commissioners, and candidates must be between 17 and 18 on the 15th July.
The examination fee is £1 10s [£1.50].
The subjects are:
Class I
1. Arithmetic (including mensuration).
2. Mathematics (algebra, geometry, trigonometry).
3. English (including writing, spelling, dictation, composition, précis. and shorthand).
4. Geography and English History.
5. French or German (including oral test).
Class II
6-7. Two of the following:
Latin.
Greek.
Elementary Science (with practical work).
A second modern language.
(iii) Dockyard Apprentices and Boy Artificers
Dockyard Apprentices are appointed by open competition, and Boy Artificers either by open competition or on the recommendation of certain Local Education Authorities.*
The competitive examination for Apprentices and Boy Artificers is the same; but the age limits differ, being 14-16 for the former and 15-16 for the latter.
The examination is held in May each year, the fee being 2s 6d [12½p].
The number of candidates at the examination of 1909 was 1,146 for appointment as Dockyard Apprentices and 506 for appointment as Boy Artificers, the number of places competed for being 289 and 60 respectively.
It is understood that the examination is not such as could generally be passed by a boy who had received no education beyond that of the Public Elementary School, but that candidates have generally attended a Technical School or one of the places which provide special preparation for the examination. It is probable, however, that some of them come from Secondary Schools.
The subjects are as follows:
Arithmetic.
English (including writing, spelling, composition, and geography).
Geometry and Algebra.
Elementary Science.
Drawing.
*A limited number (not exceeding 20 annually) are also appointed from amongst candidates wit.h Service Claims, subject to their passing a qualifying examination in the subjects prescribed for competitors.
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A limited number of Local Education Authorities are granted the privilege of recommending candidates for appointment as Boy Artificers, such candidates being entered without examination. These candidates are expected to have educational attainments at least equal to those of boys who enter by open competition, and must have spent at least one year in a Secondary School or at least two years in a Higher Elementary School. The number of candidates so entered is not published; but it is understood that about half the total number of admissions of Boy Artificers are made in this way.
6. Professional Preliminary Examinations
(a) THE PROFESSIONAL BODIES WHICH CONDUCT PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS OR DEMAND CERTIFICATES IN SPECIFIED SUBJECTS
At the head of most of the important professions in this country are societies whose recognition is more or less necessary or advantageous to persons entering those professions. To a greater or less extent, in law, medicine, and teaching, the qualifications which entitle a person to pursue these callings have the sanction of the State. As a rule, however, the various professional bodies owe their influence, not to the possession of any statutory power, but to the need of individuals for the passport of some publicly recognised authority. Nearly all these bodies make regulations as to what they consider the proper course of study and training to fit persons to practice the profession they represent, the reward for passing satisfactorily through the various stages of the course being as a rule admission to the society itself as Associate Member, Fellow, etc. With the ultimate qualifications, however, we are not concerned. Where the proceedings of the bodies in question touch the Secondary Schools is in their requirements as to the preliminary education of persons desiring to be recognised as students or as eligible to enter upon the course of training leading up to recognition as a qualified practitioner. Some of the societies hold special entrance examinations, at the same time exempting from their own examination holders of approved certificates granted by other bodies. Others, while not holding examinations of their own, demand a certain standard of educational attainment, as evidence of which they recognise certain certificates. Where external certificates are accepted, stipulations are often made as to the subjects which must be covered by them, and it is therefore clear that even where the professional bodies themselves do not examine, their requirements may still be of importance from the point of view of the schools which provide their candidates.
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The following professional bodies conduct special preliminary or entrance examinations of their own*:
Accountants
The Institute of Chartered Accountants.
The Society of Incorporated Accountants and Auditors.
Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects.
Auctioneers
The Auctioneers' Institute of the United Kingdom.
Engineers
The Institution of Civil Engineers.
The Law
The Law Society.
Surveyors
The Surveyors' Institution.
The following bodies do not hold preliminary examinations of their own, but require from students certificates of general education, and make stipulations as to the subjects to be covered by such certificates:
General Medical Council.
Royal College of Physicians, London.
Royal College of Surgeons, England.
Society of Apothecaries.
Institute of Chemistry.
Pharmaceutical Society.
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
*The following bodies also conduct preliminary examinations, but for the reasons stated below they have not been included in this list:
The National Froebel Union at present holds a preliminary examination which qualifies for entrance to the Union's Elementary Certificate Examination; but this preliminary examination is to be discontinued after 1911. Certain other examinations are recognised for the same purpose, but the Union makes no stipulations as to the subjects to be taken in them. In 1908, 273 candidates took the preliminary examination, and 644 were admitted to the Union's Elementary Certificate Examination on other qualifications.
Trinity College of Music. Candidates for the Diplomas of Licentiate and Associate in Music are required to pass a "Matriculation" Examination (or some other recognised examination), but the number of entries for that examination is very small (23 in 1908). It may be added that this body is only one of many giving qualifications in Music (though apparently the only one of them which holds a preliminary examination in general education), and its "Matriculation" examination applies to only one small branch of its work.
Board of Education. The Preliminary Examination for the Elementary School Teachers' Certificate is dealt with in a separate section later on (see page 282).
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A few other bodies,* while requiring certificates of general education make no stipulations as to subjects, and need not therefore be taken into account at all in this connection. Of the seven bodies named, the General Medical Council, the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Society of Apothecaries act in general agreement. Their requirements as to the subjects of examination are the same, and their published lists of recognised examinations are nearly identical. Moreover, registration as a student by the Genera Medical Council is accepted by the other bodies as proof of having passed the required preliminary examination; such registration is compulsory for students of the Society of Apothecaries, but not for those of the Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons likewise makes the same stipulations as to subjects and has a similar list of recognised examinations. The requirements of the Institute of Chemistry and the Pharmaceutical Society differ from each other and also from the other bodies as regards the subjects to be taken; but their lists of recognised examinations are not very dissimilar.
The Board of Education has not been included amongst the bodies holding preliminary examinations. Its preliminary examination for the Elementary School Teachers Certificate is, however, an entrance examination to a profession, and is indeed of far greater importance than any of the others in respect of the number of candidates - the entries for it being several times as numerous as those for all the others put together. In view of its importance, this examination will be treated separately and in rather more detail than those of the professional bodies before mentioned.
(b) DETAILED REQUIREMENTS OF PROFESSIONAL BODIES AS TO THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS TAKEN BY THEIR STUDENTS
The number of candidates in 1908 who took the preliminary examinations of the seven bodies named in the first of the above lists was 1,573. The number of persons exempted by those bodies from their preliminary examinations in that year was about 750.† As regards the bodies which require evidence of general education, but which have no examinations of their own
*Namely:
The Institute of Actuaries.
The Four Inns of Court.
The Chartered Institute of Patent Agents.
The Incorporated Society of Musicians.
The National Froebel Union (in connection with its Higher Certificate. But as to its Elementary Certificate see page 277, footnote).
†The exact figures are not obtainable in the case of the Society of Incorporated Accountants and Auditors. Excluding that Society the total was 723. The number who entered for the Society's own preliminary examination in 1908 was 71.
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(i.e. the bodies mentioned in the second list above), we cannot give exact figures, as we do not know precisely to what extent the students admitted to the several societies are identical with those registered by the General Medical Council.* The number in England and Wales registered in 1908 by that Council was 639, by the Pharmaceutical Society 332, by the Institute of Chemistry 70, and by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons 15.
Only two of the professional bodies have any regulation as to the age at which their examinations may be taken, viz. 16 in each case; but the majority of them fix a minimum limit of age for admission of students, etc. This age is 16 in six cases, 17 in one, and 18 in two. An upper limit of age is not usually fixed, but there are three instances in which it is laid down that a person may not remain a student of the Society after attaining a certain age, viz. 25 in two cases and 21½ in the other. We have no information as to the actual ages of the candidates at these examinations, nor as to how far they are Secondary School pupils.
The object of these preliminary examinations is to obtain evidence that the previous course of the candidates' training is of such a nature as to fit them for their future career. As a rule the evidence required is that of a general education. There is, however, one instance of a subject being required which does not come within what is generally understood by the term general education: this is book-keeping, which is an obligatory subject in the examination of the Auctioneers' Institute. Drawing is compulsory in the examination of the Royal Institute of British Architects; but, although it is a subject which has a special relation to the profession of Architecture, it does not appear to be treated in a technical manner. Shorthand may be taken as an alternative subject in two of the examinations. With the exception of bookkeeping and shorthand, the syllabuses do not include any subject which is not generally included in the regular curriculum of a Secondary School.
The subjects of examination are shown in tabular form in Appendix G on page 357. It will be seen that English and Mathematics are compulsory subjects in all the examinations, though their precise form is not always the same. For instance, in one case Mathematics consists of Arithmetic only; but in that case Algebra and Geometry are included amongst the alternative subjects of which a certain number must be taken. History is obligatory in all except two,† and Geography in all
*The Society of Apothecaries requires its students to have been registered by the General Medical Council. The Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons do not; but it is understood that most of their students are in fact registered by the Council. In the case of the other Societies we have no evidence as to whether any of the students are so registered.
†These two are bodies which have no examination of their own, viz. the Institute of Chemistry, and the Pharmaceutical Society.
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except three* cases. Four† of the bodies insist upon Latin; one other‡ requires both Science and Drawing and one other§ Book-keeping.
The foregoing subjects are compulsory and invariable. In addition, there are others in regard to which some choice is allowed to the candidates. These are also in a sense compulsory in that either one or two of them (as the case may be) must be taken; but the candidate is not bound down to a particular one. They will be referred to here as "alternative" subjects. Eight of the 10|| bodies insist upon a foreign language, ancient or modern, allowing the candidate to select the particular one he prefers, and five give a choice between a foreign language - or a second foreign language - and some other subjects. It should be mentioned that each of the bodies includes modern foreign languages in its list of subjects, though only in one case¶ is it absolutely necessary for a candidate to take one of them. Latin is included in the lists of subjects in all the Examinations, but Greek in only five. The following are also mentioned as alternative subjects in the regulations of the various examinations, the number of bodies accepting them being as stated in [square] brackets in each case:
Mathematics† (3)
Science†† (2)
Shorthand (2)
Drawing (1)
Generally speaking, therefore, the examinations do not go outside the following subjects or groups of subjects: English, History, Geography, Mathematics, Languages, Science. Of these the first four and a foreign language are nearly always compulsory. The chief points of divergence between the requirements of the various bodies are (a) the insistence upon
*The Institute of Chemistry, the Pharmaceutical Society, and the Surveyors' Institution.
†In considering the subjects of examination, the General Medical Council, the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, the Society of Apothecaries, and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, whose requirements in this respect are precisely the same, have been reckoned as one body. These and the following three are the bodies which insist upon Latin: the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Law Society, and the Pharmaceutical Society.
‡The Royal Institute of British Architects.
§The Auctioneers' Institute.
||See first sentence of footnote (2) above.
¶The Pharmaceutical Society, which makes Latin a compulsory subject, and insists also upon a modern language.
†It must be remembered that this subject, or at least Arithmetic, is compulsory in all the examinations. Where it is taken also as an alternative subject it involves more advanced work.
††The subjects of Science which may be offered are shown in the table on page 357.
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Latin in four cases, upon Science and Drawing in one, and upon Book-keeping in one; (b) the difference in the choice allowed in the alternative subjects; (c) a considerable diversity in regard to the number of subjects that must be offered; and (d) the variation in the syllabuses of corresponding subjects in the different examinations.
As regards the number of subjects, if we regard English Language and Literature as one and the various branches of Mathematics also as one, the total number required to be taken ranges from 4 to 7. The smallest number of "fixed" subjects (i.e. in which no choice is given) in any of the examinations is 2, and the largest 6. The number of "alternative" subjects which must be offered is never more than 2.
The syllabuses show a good many differences; but in at least one important respect they are all alike, viz. that they are confined to paper work, there being no oral tests in foreign languages nor practical tests in Science. The English paper generally consists of Composition and Dictation, sometimes with the addition of questions on Grammar. It includes Literature in only one case. The period covered by the History paper varies; but in only one of the examinations is a comparatively brief period selected from the rest for special attention. No two of the examinations are exactly alike in their Geography syllabuses, which in some cases deal with the world in general, in others with Europe only, and in others are either confined to or deal specially with the British Isles or the British Empire. In all, except one case , Mathematics, as a compulsory subject, comprises Arithmetic, Algebra, and Geometry (with Mensuration in one instance and Trigonometry in another); the one exception is that of a body which insists upon Arithmetic, but places Algebra and Geometry amongst the alternative subjects. The extent of knowledge called for in Algebra and Geometry differs considerably. In foreign languages there are set books in only one of the examinations - in modern languages in none. The modern languages which may be offered are restricted to French and German in three cases, to those two and Italian in one more, and to those three and Spanish in three more; in the remaining three cases the particular languages are not specified. Science is included in only three of the examinations, once as a compulsory subject. The subjects included under this head are different in each case. Further details with regard to the contents of the various subjects are given in a note to Appendix G on page 356.
All the bodies which have examinations of their own accept certificates of other bodies as exempting from their own examinations. The lists of such certificates differ a good deal; but they generally include some which are accepted unconditionally and some which are accepted only when they cover certain subjects. As a rule, when conditions are imposed, they correspond very closely to the requirements of the special examination
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of the body concerned, but in two cases they appear to give a rather wider choice of subjects. In a few instances the stipulation is made that all the subjects shall have been passed at one or at two examinations.
The examinations are all held in London, and most of them are also held in a few other towns. In one case the number of provincial centres is ten, and in another it may be (if necessary) as many as 22. In the other cases it is not more than three.
(c) THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS' CERTIFICATE
This examination, which has taken the place of the old King's Scholarship Examination, is conducted by the Board of Education. Success in it qualifies a student (a) for admission to a Training College for Elementary School Teachers (but does not entitle him to claim admission), or (b) for recognition by the Board of Education as an Uncertificated Teacher.* It is not, however, the only means of qualifying for such admission or recognition, a number of other examinations being accepted for the same purpose.
The examination is held each year at such Secondary Schools, Pupil-Teacher Centres, and other places as may be necessary. It is divided into two parts, of which the first is held shortly before Christmas and the second about Easter. Part I is a qualifying test, and Part II can only be taken by candidates who have passed Part I (but not necessarily at the same examination).
Candidates receiving instruction at the time of the examination in a recognised Secondary School or Pupil-Teacher Centre are known as "Internal" candidates, while others are called "External" candidates. Internal candidates are admitted to the examination free, but an external candidate pays a fee of 5s [25p]. Special fees of 10s [50p] or £1 are payable by all candidates who apply for admission after the proper date.
A large majority of the candidates are either pupil teachers or bursars. For such there are no limits of age for admission to the examination; but there are, of course, in connection with their recognition.† Other persons may be admitted provided they will be over 18 years of age on the 31st July following the examination. A large proportion of the other persons so admitted are people who have at some time been employed as pupil teachers or bursars.
*For admission to the Certificate Examination itself a candidate must, as a rule, have passed an examination qualifying for recognition as all uncertificated teacher. The Preliminary Examination thus serves a third purpose in that it qualifies a candidate (if otherwise eligible) for admission to this later one.
†Pupil teachers and bursars must (as a rule) be between 16 and 18 at the commencement of their period of recognition.
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The number of candidates has decreased greatly in recent years, as the following table relating to the years 1907-10 will show:
It is not within the scope of this memorandum to inquire into the causes of this decrease, nor are we in a position to estimate how far it is likely to continue. But it is, of course, evident that in so far as the candidates are drawn from Secondary Schools, the smaller their numbers are the less important becomes the examination in its possible influence on those schools.
Of the 10,221 candidates for the 1910 examination, only 8,817 took Part I on that occasion, the remainder having passed it previously. Of the 8,817, 2,301 (or 26.1 per cent) failed in Part I, while 532 withdrew after passing it. The total number who entered for Part II was 7,388, of whom 1,558 (21.1 per cent) failed. The total number who failed in the whole examination was 3,859.
Only a minority of the candidates are Secondary School pupils. Amongst those who took the examination in 1910 were 1,095 bursars, or late bursars,* in Secondary Schools, and 2,806 pupil teachers, or late pupil teachers,* who had been instructed in Secondary Schools. The other candidates were pupil teachers or late pupil teachers (not instructed in Secondary Schools), 2,794; supplementary teachers, 1,113; other candidates, 2,413. Included in the last of these numbers are 1,404 candidates who had taken Part I on a previous occasion and sat only for Part II of the 1910 examination. Although these are not classified separately† in the statistical tables, it is clear that some of them (probably rather over 250) were late bursars or late pupil teachers instructed in Secondary Schools. As to the
*The expressions "late bursars" and "late pupil teachers" mean only those whose recognition as bursar or pupil teacher had expired within the 12 months preceding the examination.
†They are included in the classification of the total number of candidates who took Part II; but since it is not shown how many candidates in each class withdrew after passing Part I, the number who entered direct for Part II under each head call only be ascertained approximately.
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rest it is understood that the number of Secondary School pupils not being bursars or pupil teachers who enter for the examination is insignificant. It appears, therefore, that the number of Secondary School candidates at the 1910 examination was not much over 4,000.
The subjects of Part I according to the syllabus of the examination to be held in December 1911 are as follows:
Reading.
Composition.
Penmanship.
Arithmetic.
Drawing.
Theory of Music.
Needlework (girls only).
All these subjects are compulsory; but in the case of Internal candidates a certificate of proficiency in Reading given by the Head Master or Head Mistress is accepted in place of a test by the Inspector. External candidates are examined in Reading by the Inspector, as a rule during the four weeks preceding the written examination.
The subjects of Part II for the examination of April 1912 are:
Compulsory.
English Language and Literature.
History.
Geography.
Optional.
Elementary Mathematics.
Elementary Science.
Latin.
Greek.
French.
German.
Welsh.
Hebrew.
Candidates have to take the three compulsory subjects and at least one of the optional ones. They may if they choose take more than one of the latter. Not more than two languages may be taken, and if two are taken one must be Latin, Greek, French, or German. The number of optional subjects that may be taken is therefore limited to four. In deciding whether a candidate has obtained a sufficient aggregate of marks to pass, the marks for only one optional subject (the best if more than one be taken) are included.
The syllabus is of a general character. There are no set books in the Languages, nor set periods in History. The Science and Language examinations consist of paper work only. The syllabus in Elementary Science consists of an Introductory Section and three other sections - A. Chemistry, B. Physics, C. Botany - of which one may be taken (must be taken by candidates for distinction). Hitherto there have been two
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alternative syllabuses in Science, one as above and the other confined to plant life; this second one is omitted from the 1912 syllabus.
The results of the examination as a whole are published in a list in which the names are arranged in alphabetical order, and are not classified. Distinctions are given in the individual subjects, and these are noted against the names in the list, which also shows the status of the candidate (Pupil Teacher, Bursar,Uncertificated Teacher, etc.), the school (if any) in which employed, and the school or centre in which instructed.
The lists of examinations qualifying for recognition as an Uncertificated Teacher and for admission to a Training College include some which are accepted unconditionally and some which are accepted only when success has been achieved in certain subjects. The qualifying examinations are contained in four different lists, one of which relates to recognition as an Uncertificated Teacher, and the other three to admission to a Training College (i) as a two-year student; (ii) as a student preparing for a degree examination; and (iii) as a one-year student.
7. Examinations in Special Subjects
The previous sections of this memorandum have dealt with examinations which are mainly tests of various stages of a more or less general secondary education. In addition, there exist a number of bodies which examine, and grant certificates, in single subjects that are either usually or sometimes taught in Secondary Schools. It is clear that some at any rate of these examinations are taken by pupils in Secondary Schools, but there is in most cases no precise information as to what proportion of the candidates are of this type. Taking them in the bulk it is probable that only a minority of the whole of the enormous number of candidates come direct from Secondary Schools; but, on the other hand, certain of the examinations, especially those in Music and Drawing, are taken every year by very large numbers of Secondary School pupils. In any case these single subject examinations do not appear to have quite so important a bearing upon the subject of our inquiry as the more general ones we have already dealt with, and it is not proposed to describe them in great detail. A reference will in each case be given to the published syllabus from which further information can be obtained.
As an indication of the importance of these examinations in their own sphere it may be noticed that the total number of entries for them in one year amounts to close upon 400,000. The number of individual candidates is of course considerably less owing to the fact that many candidates take several different subjects.
This statement does not profess to exhaust the list of examinations in special subjects. Those which are obviously not
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intended for pupils of the kind we have in view (for example, examinations for teachers and for persons in certain other professions), and those whose relation to secondary education is clearly quite small, have not been referred to at all. It is believed, however, that in the following paragraphs there will be found an account of all the more important of the special subject examinations taken by candidates of this kind. Some even of these, it will be noticed, draw only quite a small proportion of their candidates from schools of the kind with which our reference deals.
(a) EXAMINATIONS IN SCIENCE, ART, TECHNICAL, AND COMMERCIAL SUBJECTS
(i) The Board of Education's Local Examinations in Science and Art
The local examinations of the Board of Education in subjects of Science and Art are intended for registered students in schools recognised under the Regulations for Technical Schools, etc.; but other persons are admitted as "external" candidates.*
Up to and including the year 1908, both the Science and the Art Examinations were held in the daytime as well as in the evening; but now the former are held only in the evening. The examinations in Science were held in 1909 at 826 centres, and those in Art at 677 evening and 67 day centres. The local arrangements are in the hands of either a special local secretary, a special paid superintendent, or the managers of the school or class requiring examination.
The total number of entries for the Science Examinations in 1909 in England and Wales was 64,467, and for the Art Examinations, 45,767, or 110,234 in all. But the number of individual candidates was probably a good deal smaller, as many would doubtless have taken several subjects. There are no limits of age for entrance to any of these examinations. The ages at which they were actually taken in 1909 were as follows:
Under 16 | 9,613 |
16-18 | 22,338 |
18-21 | 36,918 |
21 and over | 40,981 |
Ages not stated | 384 |
Total | 11,234 |
*Provided that no boy or girl may be so admitted who has been in attendance at a Public Elementary School at any time in the six mouths immediately preceding the examination, and that pupil, teachers and pupils in preparatory classes attached to Pupil Teacher Centres, or pupils under 15 years of age in a Secondary School on the grant list may not enter for the examinations without the express permission of the Board.
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Probably only a comparatively small proportion even of those under 21 were Secondary School pupils. The statistics, however, do not give us any information as to the kinds of school from which the candidates were drawn; nor do they show how many were internal and how many external candidates.
In view of the fact that the Board of Education have recently given notice to the effect that, extensive and important alterations will shortly be introduced in their schemes of examination in Science and Art (see Circulars 775 and 776), it is not proposed to describe the examinations here. For information as to the conditions under which the examinations were held in 1911 reference may be made to the published Regulations and Syllabuses.*
(ii) The London Chamber of Commerce
The London Chamber of Commerce conducts annual evening examinations in a number of subjects.† They are held at many centres in London and also in over a hundred other places in England and Wales, as well as in other parts of the British Isles, the Colonies, and elsewhere.
The examinations, which include English, foreign languages, mathematics, science, and mercantile subjects, are of two grades - Junior and Senior. It is not necessary to take more than a single subject at an examination, but those who pass in the requisite subjects (some being obligatory for this purpose and others optional) receive a full "Junior" or "Higher Commercial Education Certificate", according as their success is in the Junior or Senior grade. Separate certificates are given in each subject, and these may be exchanged for the full certificate when the necessary conditions have been fulfilled.
The Junior Examination is said to be "suited to pupils in Higher Elementary and Secondary Day Schools, during the last year or two years of their school life, or to young persons employed during the daytime attending Evening Classes at which instruction in commercial subjects is given". The Senior Examination is "suited to youths over 15 years of age who can devote all their time up to the ages of 18 or 19 to study, and to others employed during the day time who can only attend at Technical Colleges or Evening Classes, at which instruction in advanced commercial subjects is given". There are, however, no limits of age for either examination.
In addition to the Junior and Higher Certificates a Teacher's Diploma is awarded under certain conditions. It is based on
*See Regulations for Technical Schools, etc., Price 2d. (by post 3½d.), and Syllabuses applicable to Technical Schools, etc., Price 4d. (by post 7d.). To be purchased either directly or through any bookseller from Messrs. Wyman and Sons, Ltd., Fetter Lane, E.C.
†London Chamber of Commerce (Commercial Education Department), Oxford Court, Cannon Street. London, E.C., Syllabus of Examinations, Price (post paid) 1d.
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the Senior Examination with additional questions and a higher pass mark, and is given only to those intending to be teachers. It is probably not taken by Secondary School pupils.
Statistics are not published as to the number of candidates taking these examinations. The Pass Lists show that in 1910 the total number of successes in single subjects was over 5,000; but the number of individual candidates who were successful would no doubt have been a great deal less. It may also be seen from the Pass Lists that some of the candidates are Secondary School pupils, though the bulk of them evidently come from other schools, including Evening Classes, Technical Schools, Higher Grade Schools, and special coaching establishments.
It is worthy of mention that the syllabuses require in every case an oral test in foreign languages and a practical test in science.
In the List of Passes the names of the successful candidates are placed in alphabetical order in each subject, the names of their schools being stated. Distinctions are given in individual subjects, and are indicated by symbols placed against the names in the alphabetical list. A number of prizes, medals, and scholarships are awarded on the results of the examination to London candidates who comply with certain conditions.
(iii) The Royal Society of Arts.
The Royal Society of Arts conducts annual evening examinations* in commercial subjects (including English, arithmetic, modern languages, and other subjects - such as shorthand and book-keeping - of a more exclusively mercantile type), and also in Music. The bulk of the candidates are students at Evening Classes; doubtless there are some who are at Secondary Schools, but no definite information is available on this point.
The examinations are held at local centres, of which the number in 1909 was 414. The total number of individual candidates in that year was 26,155, and the number of papers worked 29,014.†
There are no limits of age for entering the examinations.
The Commercial Examinations are arranged in three stages - Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced. In modern languages special viva voce tests may be arranged at centres where there is a sufficient number of candidates. Examinations are held both in the theory and the practice of Music.
*Royal Society of Arts, Programme of Examinations, Price 3d. (by post 4½d.). George Bell and Sons, York House, Portugal Street, London. W.C.
†This last number does not include candidates in the Practice of Music (392), in Colloquial Modern Language (656), or Army Candidates in Shorthand and Typewriting (65); these candidates are however, included in the 26,155.
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Certificates are given in each subject; in the Intermediate and Advanced stages of commercial subjects First and Second Class Certificates are given. Candidates who pass in a specified group of subjects receive certificates of Elementary, General, or Advanced Commercial Knowledge, according to the stage in which they pass.
In the lists of successes the candidates are arranged in alphabetical order under the names of their centres. A number of medals and prizes are awarded on the results of the examinations.
(iv) The Union of Lancashire and Cheshire Institutes
The Union of Lancashire and Cheshire Institutes conducts examinations* which are primarily intended for students of classes connected with the associated institutions (amongst which are Education Committees as well as schools and classes of various kinds). Other schools may, however, under certain conditions, have their students examined, and external candidates are also admitted. The examinations are held only in the evening, and are framed especially for students attending Evening Classes. But to a small extent they are taken by pupils in Secondary Schools, of which, in fact, there are two in association.
The subjects cover a wide range. They are divided into sections, of which the first consists of group courses - Rural, Technical, Commercial, Industrial, Domestic - in which candidates have to pass in a certain number of subjects and obtain a minimum aggregate of marks. The other sections, in which any single subject may be taken, include languages and literature, commercial subjects, science, handicraft, music, domestic, and art subjects. There are oral tests in modern languages and practical tests in handicraft, cookery, and laundry work.
The number of schools and classes which presented candidates in 1910 was 594, and the total number of exercises worked was 96,456. The number of individual candidates was 41,739, of whom 15,821 took the group courses. Statistics are not available to show how many of them were Secondary School pupils; but it is doubtful whether there would have been more than a few hundred. The growth in the number of candidates for the examinations in group courses, which were only started in 1907, has been very rapid; in 1907 the number was 3,510; in 1908, 6,255; in 1909, 12,996; and in 1910 (as stated above), 15,821.
There are no age limits for the examinations, and particulars are not available as to the ages at which they are actually taken.
*Union of Lancashire and Cheshire Institutes: Prospectus 1d. (by post, 3d.). Annual Report 3d. (by post, 7d.). Chas. Lever, 40, King Street West, Manchester.
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In the Group courses there is only one grade of success, "pass"; but in most of the single subjects there are four, viz. Distinction, First Class, Second Class, Satisfied the Examiner. The results of the examinations show the marks obtained by each successful candidate. A number of scholarships, exhibitions, prizes, and medals are awarded on the results of the examinations.
(v) National Union of Teachers
Examinations in commercial , handicraft, and domestic subjects are conducted by the National Union of Teachers.* They attract a large number of candidates (14,250 in 1909) of whom however very few enter from Secondary Schools. Only seven such schools presented candidates in 1909. The great bulk of the candidates sit for the spring examinations, which take place in the evening; but to meet the requirements of students taking commercial subjects in day schools, special day examinations are held in the summer in certain subjects.
The subjects of examination include English, arithmetic, foreign languages (in which an oral test is optional), art, mercantile, domestic, and manual subjects. In most subjects the examination is in three grades - Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced: and First and Second Class Certificates are given to successful candidates in each grade; distinctions are also awarded. Commercial Diplomas (in three grades) and Preliminary Technological Certificates are given to those who pass in certain groups of subjects. Silver and Bronze medals are offered in the advanced stage of each subject.
(vi) The City and Guilds of London Institute
The City and Guilds of London Institute, through its Department of Technology, holds annual examinations in a large number of technological subjects, and (for Teacher's Certificates) in manual training and domestic subjects.† These examinations are mostly held in the evening, and are not likely to be taken by more than a very small number of pupils in Secondary Schools. The total number of entries for the technological examinations of the Institute in 1910 in England and Wales was 22,443. There are no restrictions as to the ages of the candidates.
(b) EXAMINATIONS IN MUSIC
Examinations in Music are taken every year by many thousands of candidates. They are of diverse kinds and standards, ranging from the most elementary tests up to
*Examinations Board of the N.U.T., Bolton House, 67 and 71, Russell Square, London, W.C.; Syllabus of Examinations.
†City and Guilds of London Institute, Department of Technology. Programme, price 9d. net. John Murray, Albemarle Street.
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examinations for degrees in Music. Of those which are likely to be taken by pupils in Secondary Schools, the most important are the local examinations conducted by the following bodies:*
Associated Board of the Royal Academy and the Royal College of Music.
Incorporated Society of Musicians.
Tonic Sol-fa College.
Trinity College of Music.
We have already referred to the examinations of the Royal Society of Arts, which include tests in the theory and practice of Music.
There are of course other well-known institutions which hold examinations and grant diplomas in Music; but their examinations test a higher stage of knowledge than would generally be expected from Secondary School pupils - as also do some of the examinations of the four bodies named. In addition, there are establishments of a private character, some of which hold examinations. We have not thought it necessary to collect information in regard to them; but it is likely that they are taken sometimes by Secondary School pupils.
The total number of entries in 1908 for the examinations of the four bodies named above was about 65,000. The number of individual candidates was less. There are no age limits in connection with these examinations, and there is nothing to indicate what proportion of the candidates were presented from Secondary Schools. Some of them, it is clear, are not intended for such pupils, but even those which are designed with a view to their needs are taken also by other candidates. There can be no doubt, however, that a very large number of pupils in Secondary Schools enter for these examinations.
A description of the various examinations will not be necessary. They are simply examinations in the theory and practice of Music, divided into a number of different grades. No evidence of general education is required in connection with them.†
The examinations of Trinity College and the Associated Board are held both at schools and at local centres; those of the Incorporated Society at local centres only; those of the Tonic Sol-fa College apparently at places and times convenient to the examiners and the individual candidates. The Associated Board and the Incorporated Society, in addition to their
*The Syllabuses may be obtained from the offices of the societies, viz: Associated Board, 15, Bedford Square, London, W.C.; Incorporated Society, 19. Berners Street, London, W.; Tonic Sol-fa College, 26, Bloomsbury Square. London, W.C.; Trinity College, London.
†It has already been mentioned that such evidence is required by Trinity College and the Incorporated Society of Musicians of candidates for certain diplomas of a higher standard than those we are now considering (sec footnotes on pp. 277 and 278).
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ordinary local examinations, are prepared to examine and report upon the musical education of whole schools.
In most of the examinations, two classes of certificate are issued - (a) Pass and (b) Honours or Distinction. Exhibitions, medals, and prizes are given on the results of some of the examinations.
(c) EXAMINATIONS IN DRAWING
In addition to certain bodies which examine in this, amongst other subjects, the Royal Drawing Society conducts examinations in Drawing only. The Society's examinations are named (a) the School Examinations - for pupils in Secondary Schools, but taken also by a few in Elementary Schools; (b) the Illustrating Syllabus - for those who are leaving or have left school; and (c) the Teacher-Artist Examination. The first-named was taken in 1908 by 726 Secondary Schools, presenting 44,209 pupils; the second by 66 candidates, whose ages ranged from 15 to 19; and the third by 225, who with but few exceptions were over 20 years of age.
The School Examination, which is the only one that need be considered here, is in seven divisions (viz. Preparatory, and Divisions I-VI), of which the Preparatory Division can be taken, it is said, by pupils of seven or eight years of age. But there are no actual restrictions as to age in taking the various divisions, though there are some limits in connection with the award of certificates. In each division one paper is set, with two grades of success - Pass and Honours. The full certificate is, however, given only to those who obtain Honours in each of the Divisions I-VI. A pupil may take more than one division in the same year. The syllabus may be obtained from the Society.*
It is understood that the examination is not held at local "centres", as are most of the other examinations we have considered, but only at the schools whose pupils are entered.
The Society annually awards prizes to the number of 50 to the best candidates.
8. Examinations conducted by Local Education Authorities
In order to ascertain what was the practice of Local Education Authorities with regard to examinations in connection with Secondary Schools under their control, a form of inquiry was sent by the Committee to all the County and County Borough Authorities in England and Wales. Information was asked in regard to examinations conducted by the Authorities themselves,
*Royal Drawing Society, 50, Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster, S.W. General Prospectus, price 6d.
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and also as to any requirements or restrictions imposed by them in connection with entrance for examinations conducted by external bodies. Replies were received from 54 of the 62 counties, and from 66 of the 74 county boroughs. Some of these Authorities have no Secondary Schools under their control, and a few do not even contribute to the maintenance of any Secondary Schools.
In a majority of the counties, and in nearly all the county boroughs, the Local Education Authorities conduct examinations of their own in connection with free places, scholarships, exhibitions, or similar forms of award. Entrance examinations (other than for free places and scholarships) and periodic tests of the work of the schools, though apparently subject in some cases to regulations laid down by the Authority, are conducted as a rule by the teachers themselves without assistance. These purely internal tests, however, are often supplemented by annual or biennial examinations, conducted by outside bodies, in pursuance of the requirements either of the Local Education Authorities or of the Schemes or Articles of Government of the schools. As regards the examination of individual candidates, discretion is, as a rule, left to the schools as to the external examinations to be taken; but some Authorities have regulations on the subject, which, however, generally apply only to scholarship holders. None of the Authorities conduct leaving examinations, except for scholarships.
(a) EXAMINATIONS AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOL COURSE
(i) For Admission (but not for Free Places or Scholarships)
In many of the Secondary Schools maintained by Local Education Authorities, the head teachers (with, if necessary, the assistance of the staff) are required by the Authorities' rules to examine all applicants for admission whether as fee-paying pupils or otherwise. Most of the Authorities, however, appear to leave to the discretion of head teachers the decision as to the methods to be employed. Some of the entrance examinations are held solely for the purpose of determining the Form in which the newcomers shall be placed; and perhaps this is the primary intention of many (if not most) of the entrance examinations for fee-paying pupils.
Particulars are not usually given in the returns we have received as to the character of the examinations. From such information as is provided it appears that they are usually graduated according to the age of the applicants; that they sometimes include a viva voce as well as a written test; that for the younger candidates they are mainly confined to English and Arithmetic, but sometimes with the addition of History and Geography; and that from older ones, i.e. those over 13 or
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over 14 further subjects are sometimes required, viz. Algebra, Geometry, French, or one or two of these. It is stated in some cases that the examination is based on the work of the Public Elementary Schools, and in some that the head teachers of the Elementary Schools recommend candidates for admission. In one area the examination is conducted by the head teacher and H.M. Inspector in concert; in another by the head teacher and the inspector of the Local Authority; and in another by the head teacher, the Secretary for Education, and another person appointed by the Governors.
(ii) For Scholarships, Free Places, etc.
Free places in Secondary Schools earning grants from the Board of Education are offered to pupils in Public Elementary Schools under rules laid down by the Board.* In addition to these free places, a number of scholarships are given by Local Education Authorities. In so far as these latter comply with the conditions for the award of free places they may be reckoned as such; and from the information contained in the returns it is impossible to distinguish completely between scholarships which merely fulfil the requirements of the Board's regulations and those which are additional to the ordinary free places. The remarks which follow must, therefore, be taken (unless otherwise stated) to refer generally to the various kinds of awards which are made by Local Education Authorities to pupils at the commencement of their Secondary School course. These awards take the following forms:(a) Free places; (b) Scholarships confined to pupils in Elementary Schools; (c) Scholarships for which other pupils may compete; (d) Allowances (for maintenance, travelling, or board) given under special conditions to the holders of free places or scholarships which do not otherwise include such allowances. It should be noted that free places and scholarships are often awarded on the same examination, and that, in fact, in some areas the only free places provided are those which are given under the name of scholarships.
Various plans have been adopted by Local Education Authorities in making their awards.† Most of them include an examination of some kind; but this is not always one which is designed and carried out by the Authority itself. In many cases it is conducted by an external body - notably by the Joint Scholarships Board, whose Minor Scholarship Examination was used in 1909 by the Education Committees of 17 counties and two
*See Appendix to the Regulations for Secondary Schools.
†To prevent misunderstanding we would emphasise the fact that we are dealing only with awards made by county and county borough Education Authorities. Our information is not sufficient to enable us to give a complete description of the methods adopted throughout the country in allotting free places and scholarships, a great number of which are, of course, given by bodies other than these Education Authorities.
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county boroughs. The majority of the Authorities who replied to our inquiry, however, do arrange examinations of their own in connection either with free places or scholarships. In these cases it appears that the conduct of the examination is placed in the hands (a) of examiners appointed for this purpose; (b) of the regular officials of the Authorities; (c) of committees representative of the Secondary Schools, the Elementary Schools, and the Education Committee; or (d) the head teacher of the Secondary School, with whom is sometimes associated an Inspector, an Elementary School teacher, or another person. This last method applies especially to the award of free places, which are, indeed, in several instances given on the ordinary school admission examinations which are applicable to all pupils desiring to enter the school.
Junior and Minor Scholarships and free places are, as a rule, reserved for candidates under 13 - sometimes under 12 - years of age; the minimum age limit, if one is fixed at all, is nearly always either 10 or 11. Scholarships which are not confined to Elementary School pupils are often given at a later age - mostly between 12 and 14.
So far as the free places (or scholarships counting as such) are concerned, the scope of the examination is defined by the Board's Rules. Regard must be paid to the age of the candidates, the subjects in which they have been receiving instruction, and the standard of admission for fee-paying pupils. The subjects in which a candidate below 13 may be required to qualify are limited to English and Arithmetic. Further questions may be set to ascertain the relative merits of the candidates, and older candidates may be subjected to a severer test. The examination may be, and it is observed that it often is, partly oral.
The information supplied to us by the Local Authorities shows that the scholarship examinations which are limited to candidates below 13 do, in fact, consist principally of English and Arithmetic. English, though mainly confined to Composition, Reading, Writing, and Spelling, is not infrequently taken to include History and Geography, while in some cases these are added as optional subjects. Grammar, Algebra, Geometry, Elementary Science, Drawing, and Needlework are further subjects which sometimes appear as compulsory, but more often as optional subjects. When the scholarships are open to Secondary School pupils (in which case the limits of age are often a little higher), French, German, and Latin may sometimes be taken as optional subjects. The examinations are often graduated according to the age of candidates, and in many cases a definite allowance in marks proportionate to the ages of the candidates is made.
The assistance of the teachers of the Public Elementary Schools or other schools attended by candidates is often invoked in making the awards. In the case of free places, such co-
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operation is recommended in the Board's Rules. It is secured by asking these teachers to nominate candidates, or to report upon them or to help in the examination itself.
Many Authorities require that candidates who qualify in the written examination shall undergo an oral test, which is conducted either by the examiners who conducted the written examination, by a special committee, or by the Authority's officials. On this oral test the final selection is made.
Details of the procedure followed are not usually stated, but the following methods which have been adopted in particular areas may be mentioned. They are not given as typical examples, but rather as illustrating the variety of ways in which this matter is dealt with. In certain respects, however, they are similar to what is done in places other than those named.
(a) In Dorset, there is a written examination on which those obtaining less than a certain percentage of marks are rejected. An oral examination follows, and is conducted by one person, who goes to the several centres; but he is helped, wherever possible, by the head teacher of the Secondary School. On the oral examination candidates are arranged in three classes, and those in the third are rejected. The final award is based on (a) the marks of the written examination, (b) the class in the oral examination, (c) any special remarks of the examiners, and (d) the reports of the candidates' present head teachers.
(b) In London, head teachers of Elementary Schools are required to fill up application forms for Junior County Scholarships in respect of all pupils in attendance who are of the requisite age and have reached a certain standard. Even if the pupil is considered unsuitable for the award of a scholarship, the form must still be sent in, the teacher's opinion being stated in a separate communication. Candidates who have not reached the qualifying standard, but are otherwise eligible, may also be nominated. In awarding the scholarships consideration is given to the marks obtained at an examination in Arithmetic and Composition, the reports of the head teachers, and any other information which it may be deemed desirable to obtain.
(c) In Middlesex, a written examination by the Authority's officers is followed by an oral test of the qualified candidates conducted by a committee consisting of a representative from the Secondary School and one from the Elementary School, together with an officer of the Authority.
(d) In Surrey, also, there is a written examination, and a viva voce test of those who qualify in it; but the former is conducted by three examiners appointed by the
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University of London, and the latter by a board of examiners including the three before-mentioned, together with representatives of the Education Committee and of secondary and elementary education, and the Secretary and Chief Inspector of the Committee.
(e) In the West Riding a report upon each candidate is submitted by his head teacher. These reports are considered at meetings of head teachers of the district, and applications from candidates not considered sufficiently good are rejected. Approved candidates attend a written examination, on the results of which a certain number (about one-fifth of the original entries) are selected for an oral test. The scholarships are awarded on the combined results of the written and oral examinations.*
(f) At Brighton, there is (i) a written qualifying examination, and (ii) a competitive examination which is largely oral; and both are conducted by a committee of representatives of the Secondary and Elementary Schools and the Education Committee.
(g) At Chester, candidates are nominated by the Managers of the Elementary Schools on the results of an examination conducted by them or by the head teacher, and are subsequently examined, on paper and orally, by the head of the Secondary School assisted by a representative head teacher of an Elementary School.
(h) At Liverpool, where the examinations are conducted by the staffs of the Secondary Schools, the papers are set in conjunction with the Director of Education; candidates are also examined orally by the headmaster or mistress.
(i) At West Bromwich, the Secretary of the Education Committee examines annually every child in Standards VI and VII eligible for scholarships to the Secondary School, and Free Admissions are awarded on the results of this "Merit Examination".
(j) At Rotherham, there is a written examination for which the questions are framed by the Director of Education; in the case of each candidate a report of his whole school career is furnished by the head teacher of his school; those whose written work and report are satisfactory are called up for an oral examination. It is the duty of every head teacher to forward to the Education Office the name of any promising pupil
*See Mr. Houghton's evidence (page 483), from which, and not from the returns, this information is obtained.
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who has not made individual application to be allowed to enter the competition for scholarships.
(k) At Portsmouth, the award of free places is decided not by the results of an educational test, but by the needs of the pupils. All candidates for admission to the Authority's Secondary Schools, however, whether as holders of free places or as fee-paying scholars, have to pass an entrance examination; in necessitous cases (up to a maximum of 25 per cent of entries) the fees are remitted.
It may be added that some Authorities restrict a proportion of their scholarships to candidates resident in particular parts of their area (e.g. to rural districts or to towns below a certain population), or give special allowances in the examination to those entering from such areas. In some other cases, a proportion of scholarships is allotted to each of the Public Elementary Schools in the area.
(b) EXAMINATIONS DURING SCHOOL LIFE
As regards examinations during the Secondary School course, reference is made in the Authorities' returns to: (i) Periodic examinations of whole schools or classes; (ii) Examinations of individual pupils for certificates; (iii) Examinations for scholarships and other awards. So far as our information goes, Local Education Authorities do not themselves conduct examinations of pupils in Secondary Schools during their school life, except in connection with scholarships, etc. For the most part they leave to the head teachers discretion as to the other internal and external examinations to be taken by pupils. Some of them, however, make regulations on this point, which it seems appropriate to mention.
(i) Periodic Tests
Arrangements for periodically testing the work of the schools by means of strictly internal examinations conducted by the teachers themselves are in most cases left entirely to the head teachers. Some Authorities appear to make general regulations to the effect that such tests shall take place; but in these, as in other cases, the actual arrangements are made by the head teachers. In practice such examinations are held in most of the schools either at the end of each term or twice a year.
In addition to these purely internal examinations, a few Local Education Authorities require the annual or biennial examination of the whole of a school, or of certain Forms, by an external body. Thus, in Durham all the Authority's schools are examined and inspected by the University of Durham each year (except when a full inspection by the Board of Education is held). In Middlesex and in Surrey such schools are annually examined by the University of London; in Norfolk, and in
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Grimsby, by the Cambridge Syndicate; and in West Bromwich by the University of Birmingham. It is possible that similar arrangements have been made by other Local Education Authorities, but they are not mentioned in the returns. In some other places the Authorities require that certain Forms shall be presented yearly for particular examinations.
It must be remembered, of course, that in the case of many Secondary Schools their Schemes or Articles of Government contain clauses requiring the periodic examination of the whole or part of the school. But we are dealing here only with the regulations of the Local Education Authorities themselves, and not with these Scheme requirements nor with the arrangements made by the Governors of individual schools.
(ii) Examinations of Individual Pupils
Some Local Education Authorities insist upon certain external examinations being taken by their own scholarship holders. Apart from this, and the examination of whole schools or Forms already referred to, they do not lay down regulations compelling individual pupils to enter for particular examinations, though, of course, in schools which regularly prepare and present candidates for certain examinations it is expected that individual pupils will fall in with the usual custom. On the other hand a few Authorities have made regulations forbidding pupils to enter for external examinations below a certain age or before reaching a certain Form, or for any examinations other than those which they or the head teachers approve. Others again encourage certain examinations by paying the fees of candidates (or of successful ones), and discourage others by not paying the fees.
(iii) Examinations for Scholarships
Many scholarships are given by Local Authorities to pupils already in Secondary Schools to enable them to continue their attendance until a later age than would otherwise be possible. Some are of a general character, and some are meant only for those who intend to become teachers in Elementary Schools. The former are generally called Intermediate - sometimes Continuing or Senior - Scholarships, and are given at various ages, but mostly between 13 and 15 or between 14 and 16. Bursaries for intending teachers are given between 16 and 18, and other teaching scholarships are given at various ages. Even Minor Scholarships given between 11 and 13 are sometimes reserved for intending teachers; but we are dealing here only with awards made after admission to the Secondary School. Bursaries are often given (and sometimes scholarships) either on the school records of the candidates or their successes in external examinations, or on a combination of the two, no special examination being held for this purpose. Where examinations are held,
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either for scholarships or for bursaries, they generally include English, Arithmetic, History, Geography, Languages (ancient and modern), Mathematics, Science, and occasionally Drawing and Music. Of these, the first four are, as a rule, compulsory, and the others optional, but sometimes the choice is more restricted.
(c) EXAMINATIONS AT THE END OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOL COURSE
There do not appear to be any Local Education Authorities which hold examinations of their own for the purpose of granting certificates to boys or girls about to leave Secondary Schools. A few Authorities give leaving certificates to those who have passed satisfactorily through the school course, but they do not require a special examination for this purpose. Doubtless, also, the head teachers give some form of certificate to those who need it. Further, where an Authority arranges for the annual examination of a school by an external body which awards leaving certificates, it does provide a means by which a pupil may obtain such a certificate, though not actually giving it itself; and, again, many schools not so examined make a practice of entering their higher Forms for examinations for certain certificates which, though not primarily intended as such, do in fact serve as school leaving certificates.
A great many Local Authorities give scholarships tenable at Universities or other institutions to which students go on leaving the Secondary Schools. Some of these Authorities (13 according to the information given in our returns) conduct examinations for this purpose. Others award them on the results of examinations by external bodies, especially the Joint Scholarships Board, the University of London, and the Northern Universities. Others give them on the records of the candidates' work in the Secondary Schools taken in conjunction with their success in external examinations, or consider each individual case on its merits. Another method, which is adopted in a few cases, is to give scholarships or exhibitions to candidates who (subject to certain conditions) have obtained some other scholarship at a University or other approved place of higher education, or have achieved distinction in some other way.
Various age limits are fixed for these scholarships. In some cases the maximum limit is as high as 25, but generally it is 21, 20, or below.
As regards the examinations conducted by Local Education Authorities themselves, they are, as a rule, of a somewhat specialised character, requiring a high degree of knowledge in comparatively few subjects. But in some cases candidates at these examinations are required to produce evidence of having received a good general education, or to qualify in certain
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preliminary subjects. Attendance at an approved Secondary School for a stated period is also sometimes a condition of admission to the examination. The standard demanded is stated in one or two instances to be that of the Universities' scholarship examinations. Some of the examinations include (or may include) an oral test or an interview.
9. Scholarship Examinations
For reasons stated in the introduction to our report we have not made any recommendations with regard to scholarships, nor have we made that detailed and lengthy inquiry which would be necessary to enable us to describe the conditions under which they are now awarded. In view, however, of the great part which examinations for scholarships play in the existing system of external examinations in Secondary Schools, some reference to them is necessary in this account of the present state of things. As a matter of fact we have already, in the preceding section, in describing the examinations conducted by Local Education Authorities, covered a good deal of the ground. But although the number of scholarships given by these Authorities is very large, their influence upon the Secondary Schools is, perhaps, not so great as that of others - particularly of those which are given at the different Universities. As to the scholarships given by the Governing Bodies of schools, and by other bodies, it may be pointed out that while they are very numerous they do not all involve special examinations, since many of them are allotted on the results of examinations such as the Oxford and Cambridge Locals and the Matriculation examinations of certain Universities, accounts of which have been given in the earlier portion of this memorandum. Moreover, a number of bodies make use of the system of examinations worked by the Joint Scholarships Board, which was inaugurated solely for this purpose. Since the information at our disposal is not sufficiently complete to justify us in attempting a description of the various scholarship examinations held throughout the country, we shall content ourselves with giving here an account of those which are conducted by the Joint Scholarships Board, which are probably fairly typical of a number of other scholarship examinations held by separate bodies.
THE EXAMINATIONS OF THE JOINT SCHOLARSHIPS BOARD
The Joint Scholarships Board was instituted by the Incorporated Association of Headmasters, and consists of representatives of Teachers' Associations, Universities, Local Authorities, and other bodies, with a few co-opted members.
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The Joint Board examines the candidates for various scholarships, by means of common sets of papers in three grades (Minor, Intermediate, and Major),* and reports the results to the several awarding bodies. It rests entirely with the latter, on the basis so provided (and possibly also after considering other circumstances), to decide as to the award of the scholarships.
The information supplied to the separate awarding bodies by the Joint Board consists of lists of candidates, in two classes, indicating respectively those who have, and those who have not, attained to scholarship standard. The names are placed in order of merit, except in the case of the Minor Scholarships (One Day) Examination, when they are arranged alphabetically. The awarding bodies (and the head teachers if those bodies agree) may also, on payment of certain charges, obtain local mark sheets (for private information only) and special reports. Pass lists for the examinations as a whole are not published; but the names of those who are first and second in each subject of examination are (if worthy of special commendation) mentioned in the general reports on the examinations.
In 1909, the Minor Scholarships Examination was used by 49, the Intermediate by 13, and the Major by 14 awarding bodies. The numbers of candidates were - 5,161 for the Minor, 296 for the Intermediate, and 120 for the Major Examination.
The appointment of examination centres, and the local arrangements for the necessary superintendence, are in the hands of the awarding bodies.
Further particulars may most conveniently be given in relation to the separate grades of examination. It should be pointed out, however, that in addition to general regulations laid down by the Joint Board, special conditions (as to age, residence, subjects, income limit, etc.) are sometimes attached to particular scholarships.
(i) Minor Scholarships Examination
This examination is designed for pupils proceeding from Elementary to Secondary Schools. Candidates should be not more than 13 years of age. Where desired by the awarding body an age allowance is made by increasing the aggregate marks obtained by each candidate below 13 by 1 per cent for each month by which his age is less than 13, up to a maximum of 18 per cent.
The examination is arranged on two alternative plans, by one of which it is extended over two days (with an interval of about a month between), while by the other it is taken all in one day. The regulations, except as regards the optional subjects and the number of them that may be taken, are similar.
*Each of these is under the management of a separate committee of the Joint Board.
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The examination is divided into two parts: (a) Preliminary, and (b) Final. The subjects of the Preliminary are compulsory for all, and consist of (i) Arithmetic, (ii) Composition, (iii) Dictation (including Spelling) and Handwriting. In order to pass, it is necessary either to satisfy certain conditions in each of these three sections or to secure an aggregate of three-fifths of the full marks. The subjects of the Final are optional, and not more than four of them may be taken in the two-day examination, nor more than three in the one-day examination. They include Scripture, Grammar, History, Geography, Algebra, Latin, French, German (in the two-day examination only), Science subjects, Drawing, Domestic Economy, and Needlework. They are grouped differently in the two examinations; and there are restrictions as to the number of subjects to be taken from each group, which it is perhaps unnecessary to mention here.
The ordinary fee charged by the Joint Board to the awarding bodies is 3s [15p] per candidate, with a minimum fee of one guinea [£1.05]; but this does not cover the cost of stationery or of superintendence. A reduction is made where candidates are entered on behalf of more than one awarding body. Presumably the fee (if any) to be paid by the candidates is fixed by the awarding bodies.
(ii) Intermediate Scholarships Examination
This examination is intended for pupils who are prolonging their stay in Secondary Schools. The age of candidates must not, as a rule, exceed 16. An allowance may be made for age, if desired by the awarding bodies.
The examination is in two parts, (a) Preliminary and (b) Final, and only those candidates who obtain a certain percentage of marks in each of the subjects of the Preliminary are admitted to the Final. The subjects are as follows:
Part I (Preliminary): Obligatory Subjects
(i) English (including Composition, Geography, and History).
(ii) Elementary Pure Mathematics.
(iii) Elementary French or German,
(iv) Elementary Drawing and either Elementary Experimentul Science or Elementary Botany.
Part II (Final): Optional Subjects
(Not more than two, of which one at least must be (v), (vi), or (vii).)
(v) Mathematics (Pure or Applied).
(vi) (One only) Advanced French or German; Greek; Italian, Latin, Spanish.
(vii) Experimental Science or Botany.
(viii) Drawing.
(ix) Domestic Economy and Cookery.
The syllabus includes practical work in Expermental Science in the Final (but not in the Preliminary), and also in Subject (ix); and in Modern Languages easy Dictation in both Preliminary and Final.
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The charge for examination is 15s [75p] per head when the number of candidates does not exceed 19, and 12s 6d [62½p] when it is above that number. This does not include cost of superintendence, practical examination centres, stationery, or materials.
(iii) Major Scholarships Examinations
This examination is designed for pupils proceeding to Universities or University Colleges. Candidates must not be more than 19 years of age, unless exceptionally allowed. Age allowances are made when desired.
The examination consists of two parts - Preliminary and Final. The former is held at the candidates' own schools; the latter, a month later, at centres. A candidate is not expected to compete who has not passed an approved examination or can give other evidence of general education which is regarded as equivalent.
The subjects of examination are as follows:
Part I (Preliminary): Obligatory Subjects
1. English Essay.
2. Elementary Pure Mathematics.
3. Elementary Science - either (a) Elementary Mechanics, Physics, and Chemistry, or (b) Elementary Botany.
4. Elementary French, or German, or Latin.
Part II (Final): Optional Subjects
Not more than three subjects from one of the following branches:
A. Science Branch
(One at least must be 5, 6, or 10.)
5. Chemistry.
6. Physics.
7. Pure Mathematics.
8. Applied Mathematics.
9. Domestic Economy.10. Botany.
|
11. Physical and Mathematical Geography.
12. Drawing.
13. French or German.
17. English.
18. Latin.
19. Greek. |
B. Commercial Branch
(14 and a language from 13 must be taken.)
12. Drawing.
13a. French.*
13b. German.* |
14. Commercial Arithmetic and either Book-keeping or Shorthand.
15. Commercial History, etc.
17. English. |
C. Literary Branch
(If Latin is not taken in the Preliminary either 18 or 19 must be offered):
7. Pure Mathematics.
13a. French.
15b. German. |
17. English.
18. Latin.
19. Greek. |
*Other Modern Languages may be offered.
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In the Final there are practical tests in Science and in Domestic Economy, and Dictation and Conversation in the Modern Languages.
The fee is 30s [£1.50] a candidate, but this is distinct from the cost of superintendence and stationery, for which a local fee not exceeding 10s [50p] a candidate may be charged.
10. Entrance Examinations
W e have already referred, in Section 8 of this memorandum, to examinations for admission to schools under the control of Local Education Authorities. The information at our disposal, however, is not sufficient to warrant us in attempting a description of the methods under which boys and girls are admitted to Secondary Schools throughout the country. To obtain such information it would be necessary to make inquiries of each separate school, and the advantages of such an investigation would hardly be commensurate with the obvious difficulties involved. But it must be confessed that the impossibility of dealing with this question causes a rather serious gap in a statement of the present examination system.
It is of course common knowledge that many Secondary Schools do hold examinations of candidates for admission. In fact, it is probable that in nearly every Secondary School newcomers are examined in some way; but this frequently means little more than an inquiry as to the work the pupil has done, and does not necessarily include a test of the knowledge he possesses or of his capacity to acquire more. Even where the examination is of a more formal character, its aim is not always to select the best, or to reject the unfit; but rather, assuming that (normally) all will be accepted, to find their proper places in the school. Even in these cases, however, the headmaster would doubtless be empowered to refuse admission to any who were obviously unfit. There remain, however, a number of schools where a really serious entrance test is imposed, and where those who do not reach a certain standard do not gain admission. As a matter of fact, the whole question of the severity of the entrance examination naturally depends very largely on the degree to which admission to the particular school is sought. The greater the competition for places in the school the higher the standard for admission. Where competition does not exist the entrance examination is necessarily little more than a means of guiding the teacher in placing the pupils in their proper Forms.
It may be useful to refer to the evidence given by some of our witnesses on this point. For example, Mr. Fletcher, Chief
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Inspector of Secondary Schools, pointed out that "all school Schemes required an entrance examination, and although many schools were not under Schemes the vague principle of examining pupils at entrance was admitted in nearly all schools. Neither in Scheme nor non-Scheme schools, however, was the principle carried out at all thoroughly. Nearly always on the admission of a new pupil the headmaster examined him for the purpose of ascertaining his right place in the school. But the real qualifying examination, plainly contemplated by the Schemes, was rarely carried out effectively. Governing Bodies, however, were generally willing to accept the principle of such an examination, and the tendency to hold it was certainly growing."
Mr. Stephens, H.M.I., said that "a fee-paying pupil was very seldom refused admission to a Secondary School, even though his standard of attainment was low."
Mr. Houghton, Inspector of Higher Education in the West Riding, said that "entrance examinations, so far as they are conducted by the heads of Secondary Schools, are, for the most part, of a very perfunctory character. They are necessarily tests for classification purposes rather than for admission, since the fees of every fee-paying scholar are a desirable addition to the school funds."
Mr. Cyril Norwood, Headmaster of the Bristol Grammar School, admitted that "he had not seen much of entrance examinations, because he had had very little experience of schools which were able to pick and choose from the material available. At his own school, however, he had just lately been able to reject unsatisfactory boys."
The position of the Public Schools in this matter is different from that of most of the schools on the Board of Education's List of Efficient Secondary Schools. Boys entering the Public Schools have, in many cases, already spent some time in a Secondary School, or in an institution which corresponds to the lower part of a Secondary School. The question has a double importance in these cases, because the examination the boys must pass is not only an entrance examination to the Public School, but also an examination during the course of the Secondary Schools from which they enter - or, in the case of those schools whose work consists almost entirely in preparing for the Public Schools, a leaving examination. Moreover, the examination is a much more serious affair than the entrance examination to the ordinary Secondary School. It is, therefore, especially interesting to notice that an attempt has been made - apparently with much success - to unify the entrance examinations to the Public Schools. The following is a brief description of the arrangements made in this connection.
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THE COMMON EXAMINATION FOR ENTRANCE TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS
This Common Examination was instituted in 1904, and is controlled by a Board of Managers consisting of three representatives of the Head Masters' Conference and three of the Association of Preparatory Schools. The examination in its first year was taken by 521 candidates, and the number has increased each year since, until in 1910 it was 1,902.* The examination is now† adopted by 48 Public Schools.
Candidates are examined either at the Public School to which they are seeking admission, or (under certain conditons) at their Preparatory School. The examinations are held simultaneously, and with identical papers, at the Public and the Preparatory Schools. The conditions under which the examination may be held elsewhere than at the Public School are (a) that the headmaster of any school belonging to the Association of Preparatory Schools may have the papers sent to him on application; (b) that the headmaster of a school not belonging to that Association may have them sent to him if he obtains the permission of the Public School for which a candidate is entered; (c) that in either case a fee of 7s 6d [37½p] is paid for each candidate. Those who desire to use the papers for boys other than candidates may have extra ones at the price of 6d [2p½] per set.
Papers are set in the following subjects:
LATIN (Translation, Composition, Grammar).
GENERAL (Scripture, History, Geography).
FRENCH (Translation, Composition and Grammar).
MATHEMATICS (Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry).
ENGLISH (Reproduction. Grammar).
GREEK or GERMAN (Translation, Composition and Grammar).
LATIN VERSE or NATURE STUDY.
The requirements of the individual Public Schools as to which of these subjects are to be taken differ considerably. Certain subjects are not specified at all by some of the Public Schools, others are optional, and others are not expected of younger boys. It is stated that "it may be generally assumed
*The figures for each year are as follows:
| Number of Candidates |
1904 | 521 |
1905 | 1,007 |
1906 | 1,372 |
1907 | 1,520 |
1908 | 1,589 |
1909 | 1,697 |
1910 | 1,902 |
†January 1911.
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that on 'Modern Side' Greek is not expected, nor Latin Verse; nor German or Nature Study on 'Classical Side'. Also that some allowance for age is made in all papers."
The standard of attainments required and the age of admission are not the same in the case of all the Public Schools making use of the Common Examination. To quote again from the Regulations, "The papers are set by examiners appointed by the Managers; but the answers are looked over at the Public School concerned, which accordingly determines the standard in each case."
11. Conclusion
We believe that in this memorandum we have given an account of all the more numerically important examinations for which pupils in Secondary Schools prepare. But we are aware that other examinations are carried on, and that some of them are taken by Secondary School pupils. For example, certain University, Technical, and Agricultural Colleges have their own examinations for the admission of students, either to the college as a whole or to particular courses. Again, for boys entering upon business life there are some examinations other than those we have referred to as preliminary to certain professions. Most of the large banks (at any rate in London) require young persons seeking to enter their service to pass at least a qualifying examination; and it may be remarked that the suggestion has been made that these examinations should be put on a common basis for all banks and placed under the control of some such body as the Institute of Bankers. Examinations for a similar purpose are held by certain insurance companies, and it may be by some other large employers. For positions in local government, special examinations are sometimes held; the London County Council in particular has organised a system of examinations for clerks in several grades. There are doubtless also examinations, in addition to those mentioned in Section 5, dealing with special branches of education, such as commercial subjects, domestic subjects, and handicraft; and it may be that some of these are taken by Secondary School pupils. But our endeavour to secure approximate completeness, and at the same time to avoid the danger of making statements which, on account of too great compression, might be misleading, has already caused our memorandum to exceed considerably the length to which, when we commenced our investigations, we anticipated that it would extend.
In conclusion, we desire to reiterate the warning, given on page 160, that, although the greatest possible caution has been
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exercised in preparing this statement, we cannot be certain that, in extracting the information here set forth from the mass of regulations to which reference has had to be made, some misinterpretations or mistakes have not occurred. We trust, however, that the care which has been taken in reading the printed regulations, supplemented by the experience which individual members of the Committee have had of their actual working, has been sufficient to prevent any serious errors.
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Appendices (image-only pdf file - 5.6mb)
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Index
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