Sir J. D. REESasked the President of the Board of Education if it is the practice of the Board of Education to grant certificates to candidates for the certificate examination who are in residence in training colleges when they have been unable to sit for the examination through illness, whilst the same privilege is not granted to students who sit for the acting teachers' examination; and will he consider the advisability of instituting an unvarying qualification for the teachers' certificate examination instead of leaving it to the discretion of the Department?
§ Mr. FISHERThe Board are prepared to consider applications from training college authorities for the grant of certificates to students who have completed approved courses of training, but who have been prevented by illness from entering for their final examination. In such cases the Board obtain records of the student's work during the course of training, and reports from the college staff, and a certificate is only granted if the Board are satisfied that the student has reached the standard of attainments which would qualify for a pass in the examination. It would not be possible for the Board to apply the same arrangements to candidates for the acting teachers' examination, since the same evidence would not be available in their case. I see no reason to abandon the present practice.