[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "EPICOTATOR.1
SIR,—The method of examining for scholarships set out by Mr. Brigg in his letter to you last week has been used by the Northamptonshire Education Committee for the last three years. It is part of a scheme of examinations which was recommended by the Consultative Committee of the Board of Education some four years ago. It was adopted by the Northants Education Committee largely for the purpose of meeting the difficulty which arises iu awarding scholarships fairly between candidates from the urban and from the rural districts. The method of setting written papers only gives special advantages to the pupils of the well-organised town schools, but, as Professor Sadler says, it fails to meet the needs of promising children in the country districts. I think it may be claimed that the addition of the viva voce—an important part of the new scheme—ensures that no promising candidate from a rural school is handicapped too severely by the greater oppor- tunities of his town competitors. The viva-voce examination takes place after the written examination. This would seem to be the only fair method. The Osborne method places the viva voce before the written examination, and if—as I understand was the case in the last election—the number of candidate's is reduced by the viva-voce to within ten or twelve of the number of vacancies, the Osborne method comes too near to simple nomination. Another and more itupcirtant recommendation of the Consultative Committee—more properly called " new " than the viva voce—is that which has reference to the subjects of the examination. There is no syllabus of examination. Each candidate sends in a statement of the whole work done at school during a specified period of time (one year or two years), and on this work the candidate is examined. The method, at first sight difficult, has been found quite feasible, and it has had the results which were hoped would follow from its adoption,—viz., the curriculum of a school or of a candidate is not disturbed by preparing for the' examination, and there is no temptation to resort to improper "cramming." One other point may be mentioned. The teachers in the elementary and in the secondary schools are represented on the Board of Examiners.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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