788 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION J. 



followed by others from representatives of widely different parts of the 

 Empire. After this came the official Imicheon, and a reception by 

 Lady Tennyson. 



The real work of the conference began on Saturday, 25th, and 

 we were kept very busy for the next week, as the Leagaie of Empire 

 had provided us with a great deal of matter for discussion. 



On going to the first official meeting I was very much alarmed 

 to find that I was the only woman among fifty men, who were all 

 directors of education, inspectors, or agents-general, ahci all unknown 

 to me, as Sir Horace Tozer, who had shown me great kindness, was 

 too busy to attend the meetings. The door was guarded by a police- 

 man, and no one was admitted without a ticket; indeed, the Prime 

 Minister of one of the States, who had forgotten his ticket, was. 

 refused admission until a friend known to the policeman was found to. 

 identify him. 



At the iirst official meeting it was decided that the larger subjects 

 which it was desired to discuss should be taken in full conference, and 

 that certain subjects of a more special or teclmical nature should be 

 discussed in three committees, consisting respectively of those repre- 

 sentatives in whose countries such subjects were of the chief import- 

 ance. 



Committee A, on which .1 sat, discussed problems affecting parts 

 of the Empire in which there are large English-speaking populations — 

 for example, the provisions of specific agricultural education for rural 

 areas ; B, problems aft'ecting English-speaking populations in remote 

 and isolated portions of the Eanpire — for example, the provisions of 

 higher education (1) by co-operation between neighbouring colonies, (2) 

 by the establishment of scholarships tenable in larger centres within the 

 Empire, also native-race problems; C, the bi-lingual problem, both 

 languages being European. 



It was also decided that resolutions should only be put when it 

 was clear that the conference was prepared for a unanimous decision. 

 This was considered necessary by the members of the British Board of 

 Education, lest the Government should be compromised in any way. 



On Monday, 27th May, the first subject of discussion was " The- 

 mutual recognition of teachers' certificates." After a considerable 

 amount of information as to the manner in which certificates in the 

 various countries were awarded, and their value equated, the confer- 

 ence came to the conclusion that " the variety of local conditions, 

 especially in regard to such matters as the tenure of office by teachers, 

 their method of appointment and promotion, and similar points, made 

 it impossible to arrive as yet at any complete system of mutual 

 recognition of the teachers' certificates issued by different educational 

 bodies in various parts of the Empire." 



The next subject to be considered was " The ir^terchange of 

 teachers and inspectors." After discussion, it was resolved : — " That 

 the conference considers it desirable that financial and administrative 

 arrangements should be made for enabling teachers and inspectors of 

 schools to acquire professional knowledge and experience in parts of 

 His Majesty's dominions other than their own." In this connection I 

 should like to add, that in visiting schools at the conclusion of the 



