SIR HOWARD VINCENTTo ask the Secretary of State for War if the new course for admission to the Army has been decided upon, and, in such case, what subjects it includes, and if Greek and other dead languages have been discarded in favour of natural science and military history and geography in accordance with the recommendations of the Military Education Committee.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Arnold-Forster.) The new syllabus for examinations to be held in November, 1905, and after that date, has been decided on and has been published for general information. There will be in future two examinations to be passed by candidates for the Army. The first provides for every candidate being qualified up to a given standard of general education before he enters for the competitive examination for entrance into Woolwich or Sandhurst, and includes the following three obligatory subjects: English, English History and Geography, Mathematics (elementary), and, in addition, two out of the three following subjects: Science, French or German, Latin or Greek. The second examination is the competitive examination for Sandhurst and Woolwich, and includes for Woolwich three compulsory subjects, viz.: English, either French or German, Mathematics I., and any two of the following: Mathematics II., Science, History, German or French, Greek or Latin; for Sandhurst, two compulsory subjects, viz.: English, French or German, and any two 353 of the following: Mathematics I., Mathematics II., Science, History, German or French, Greek or Latin. Both for Woolwich and Sandhurst a small proportion of marks will also be allotted for Freehand Drawing as a voluntary subject.