362 REPORT— 1904. 
Proposals of the Consultative Committee of the Board of Education 
Jor a System of School Certificates. 
THE following letter, addressed by the Secretary of the Consultative 
Committee to the Secretary of the Board of Education on June 1, 
1904, explains the origin of the proposals :— 
‘I am directed by the Consultative Committee to forward the follow- 
Ing statement in answer to the Board’s reference of 20th March, 1902. 
The Committee think it may be well to give a short account of what has 
taken place in connection with that reference. 
‘ Towards the end of 1901 the Board of Education received a letter 
from the General Medical Council, forwarding a memorial addressed to 
that Council by the Head Masters’ Conference. The memorial had also 
been sent to— 
‘The Pharmaceutical Society, the Incorporated Law Society, the 
Royal Institute of British Architects, the Institution of Civil Engineers, 
the Institute of Actuaries, the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the 
Society of Accountants. 
‘Its object was to draw attention to the grave inconvenience and waste 
of time caused by the multiplicity of examinations for entrance into pro- 
fessions. It pointed out that five of the bodies named held examinations 
of this kind themselves, which, although substantially identical in standard, 
were altogether diverse in the details of their requirements. The effects 
of this diversity were very serious, not only to schools, by rendering it 
impossible for boys working for the different examinations to be taught 
together, but also to the education of the boys preparing for the examina- 
tions, by depriving them of regular class instruction during their pre- 
paration. It was also observed that although these five bodies, as well as 
the others which do not examine, publish lists of examining bodies whose 
certificates they accept, the relief given was very partial, as no two lists 
were the same. 
‘The Head Masters’ Conference suggested the institution of a single 
examination, to be held at centres three times a year ; also that if possible 
a list of equivalents to this examination should be arranged for, to be 
adopted in common by all the bodies. They proposed that a conference 
should be held between representatives of the Councils concerned, of the 
Universities, the Board of Education, the Head Masters’ Conference, and 
the Incorporated Association of Head Masters for the purpose of devising 
a scheme to put their suggestions into effect. 
‘The Board referred the correspondence to the Consultative Com- 
mittee for their advice. Some specific questions in relation to the 
reference were framed by the Board, and the Committee were asked to 
answer them. On an examination of the matter, after collecting the 
necessary information, the Committee found that it was impossible for 
them to answer the Board’s questions in a really satisfactory way without 
formulating their views on the best method of testing the instruction 
given in a secondary school, as it appeared to them that this was at the 
root of the whole subject. On this account it appeared to the Committee 
that the first step required was to ascertain the general attitude of those 
whom a change in the present system would chiefly affect—namely, the 
