§ COLONEL GUNTER (Yorkshire, W.R., Barkston Ash)asked the Vice President of the Committee of Council, If his attention has been drawn to the comparative severity of the school examinations in Mr. Aldis's district, in Northeast Yorkshire, and which has caused a serious diminution of the Government grant; and, if he would give comparative Returns for 1884 and 1885, showing the percentage of passes, merit grants, grants for class subjects, and total grants for each of those two years?
§ THE VICE PRESIDENT (Sir LYON PLAYFAIR (Leeds, S.)The attention of the Education Department was drawn to the inferior character of the examination papers in Mr. Aldis's division in North-East Yorkshire, and the Chief Inspector was directed to obtain uniformity of examination throughout his district. In consequence of complaints, two of the most experienced Inspectors were sent down to examine whether the standard had been raised too high; and they reported that the results of Mr. Aldis's examination would not have been materially different if a standard strictly equivalent to that of their own districts had been applied. As the fact of the change is admitted, the Returns are scarcely necessary.