On Monday Sir John Pakington distributed the certificates awarded by
the Oxford local examiners to the Birmingham candi- dates in the Midland Institution, and made a statement not wholly favourable as to the popularity of these examinations. He said that the number of candidates for the senior and junior exami- nations had been as follows :-
Seniors. Juniors. Total.
1858 401 750 1,151 1862 289 . 732 1,021 1863 276 795
1,071
But there was this that Sir John Pakington thought hopeful, that while in 1858 out of 750 junior candidates only 280 passed, in 1862, out of 732 junior candidates, 430 „ passed. Again, in 1858, 150 seniors passed out of 401; in 1862, 155 passed out of 289,—a much larger proportion. Sir John condemned the masters of two great Birmingham schools for not encouraging their pupils to compete for this A. A. degree. We do not
see why eminent men who are clear that they are giving the best teaching they can, and who can test the results of their own teaching better than the Oxford men can test it for them, need encourage their pupils to compete for the Oxford certificates. Competition begins for all only too early in life, and it should take a good motive to urge, schoolboys into any examinations beyond the natural sphere of their school duties.
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