§ MR. NORMAN (Wolverhampton, S)To ask the Secretary to the Board of Education whether he is aware that at the recent certificate examination by the Board of Education candidates were required to answer six questions out of thirty-six in the paper upon theory of teaching and school management, these six questions to be taken from at least three of the six sections of the paper, whereas four of the sections were outside of the syllabus issued by the Board; and, if so, whether, in order to avoid the difficulties thus imposed upon candidates who had prepared themselves according to the official syllabus, he will give instructions that this shall not occur again.
(Answered by Sir William Anson.) It is understood that the Question refers to the syllabus issued by the Board for acting teachers, and does not refer to the case of training college students. The candidates were required to answer not more than six questions selected from at least three sections of the paper. Two sections of the paper bear directly on the official syllabus, and from the remaining sixteen questions a candidate would have no difficulty in finding more than enough based upon the syllabus to complete the necessary number of answers. Without admitting that the the questions were outside the syllabus, it is possible that the syllabus may have 1580 suggested a more limited range Of thought and study than is desirable for candidates. Allowance will be made for this, if necessary, in marking the papers.