§ MR. C. B. RENSHAW (Renfrew, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether it is intended, under the new Education Code, to dispense with the University preliminary examination in the case of all Queen's students attending the Scottish Universities; and whether it will be possible to insist on this examination in the case of such Queen's students, as a rule, allowing what is contemplated in the Circular of 4th March to be a temporary provision, applying only in the case of a college, making special application and satisfying any special conditions which may be laid down by the Education Department?
§ SIR GEORGE TREVELYANIt is intended that the University preliminary examination should be dispensed with only in cases where special circumstances are shown to exist. As is explained on page 5 of the Circular, we hope that the dispensation now allowed may be only temporarily necessary; but to insist everywhere rigidly on such a requirement would discourage the first efforts 344 in this new direction in which the Government is very anxious to move.
§ MR. RENSHAWI beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland how it is proposed to constitute the Local Committees provided for in Article 91 of the new Scotch Code; and whether he can state what provisions it is proposed to make in order to secure that the Queen's students, in respect of whom the annual grant is to be given, will become teachers, as the provisions in respect of grants in Article 86 do not seem to apply in the case of Queen's students?
§ SIR GEORGE TREVELYANFull instructions as to the duties of the Local Committees will be given in a Circular which will be issued in due course. The constitution of any committee proposed by any university or university college, which desires to avail itself of the scheme will be carefully considered. Article 97 provides that Queen's students must sign a declaration that they intend to adopt and follow the profession of teacher. This rule is the same as is applied in England and Wales, where great advantage is taken of the facilities which this year, for the first time, are to be extended to Scotland.
§ MR. RENSHAWI beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether, under Article 70 (4) of the new Scotch Code, it is intended to limit the schools from which pupil teachers may be examined for leaving certificates to those in which secondary education is given; and, if so, whether he would re-consider this provision of the Code, with a view to admitting to this examination, at suitable centres, the pupil teachers from any day schools?
§ SIR GEORGE TREVELYANThe rules as to the admission of candidates to the leaving certificate examination are not laid down in the Code. It is undesirable to give to that examination anything of a professional character. But we are willing to consider applications for admission on behalf of pupil teachers in schools without secondary departments, provided that they can attend at, some centre where the examination is held.