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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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them to obtain additional scholarships, exhibitions, or prizes for which they can com pete at the colleges or institutions they enter. The winners of the Barbados scholar- ships, in the majority of cases, have gained additional exhibitions. be remembered that the winner of that scholarship is required to be up to the standard, It must, however, which must be reached if an open scholarship at any college in either of the Universities is to be awarded. Unless, therefore, the standard qualifying for the Guiana Scholar- ship is raised, there may be some difficulty in reducing the value of the scholarship to £175 a year; but in any event the scholarship should not exceed in value £200, or be tenable for more than four years.

In making this recommendation the Committee has carefully considered the report of the Committee relating to scholarships granted by Colonial Governments, which was sent for its consideration, but having regard (among other circumstances) to the previous training and habits of life of those who compete for the scholarship, to the numerous instances known to the Committee of students from this and the West Indian Colonies who with an allowance of £200 a year, have obtained an educa- tion at the older Universities and provided for cost of living in vacation time, and to the fact that in very many cases the scholars do not pass their time in a residential University, the Committee is of opinion that it is unnecessary to raise the value of the scholarship above £200 a year, even if it is not reduced as suggested.

Georgetown,

18th July, 1900.

FIRST MEETING.

HENRY A. BOVELL, Chairman. PATK. DARGAN.

W. MAYNARD PAYNE.

G. GARNETT.

Minutes of the Proceedings of the Education Committee at a preliminary meeting held on Thursday, 10th November, 1898.

Present: The Chairman (Hon. H. A. Bovell, LL.B., Q.C., Attorney-General), W. M. Payne, Esquire, F.R., George Garnett, Esquire, F.R.

Absent: The Honourable P. Dargan.

The object for which the Committee was appointed was discussed, and it was decided as a primary step in the matter to obtain certain necessary information from various sources. A list of questions was drawn up to be sent to the Head Masters of Queen's College (British Guiana), Harrison College and Combermere School (Bar- bados), and Queen's Royal College (Trinidad). A different set of questions was also framed for the Oxford and Cambridge Local Examiners, and for the conjoint Board of those Universities.

It was also decided to invite the attendance before the Committee as witnesses of Mr. Potoury, Mr. Blair, and Professor Harrison.

The Secretary was directed to write at once to Mr. Potbury asking for replies to the questions referred to above, and to communicate the answer when received to the Chairman, who would thereupon cause another meeting of the Committee to be summoned.

The Committee then adjourned sine die.

SECOND MERTING.

HENRY A. BOVELL,

Chairman.

Minutes of the Proceedings of the Education Committee at the Second Meeting, held on Saturday, 29th July, 1899.

Present: The Chairman (Hon. H. A. Bovell, LL.B., Q.C., Acting Government Secretary), the Hon. Patrick Dargan, W. M. Payne, Esquire, F.R.

Absent: George Garnett, Esquire, F.R.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

The Chairman stated that the special object of the meeting was to arrive at some decision with regard to the British Guiana Scholarship, and to furnish an interim

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report in the matter. He compared the standard of the examination upon the results of which the scholarship is awarded in this Colony with that used as the test in other Colonies, and invited the views of the other members.

Mr. Payne stated that he was strongly opposed to the continuance of the present system of awarding the scholarship, and suggested that the sum now given should be sub-divided into three scholarship allowances, for science, agriculture, and scholastic proficiency respectively; the first to be tenable at any recognised University in the world, the second at any University in the United Kingdom or the United States of America, the usual conditions as to regular attendance, &c., being attached, and the third scholarship being on the same basis as the one now existing. The standard for the first two might, he suggested, be fixed by Mr. Harrison.

Mr. Dargan agreed that the scholarship in its present form should not continue, and proposed that either the standard should be at once raised, or that no scholarship should be granted until a decision in the matter had been arrived at.

After further discussion it was agreed to send in an interim report recommending that for this year only the scholarship should be awarded on the results of the Senior Cambridge Local Examination, as at present, the value of the scholarship not being the sum at present fixed, but such an allowance, not exceeding £150 and not less than £50, as the Governor-in-Council, after consideration of the pecuniary circumstances of the winner thereof and his need of public aid in pursuing his studies, might deem fitting; the scholarship to be tenable for the same number of years, and to be subject to the same conditions, &c., as the existing scholarship is, but the cost of the successful candi- date's passage to England not being defrayed by the Government.

It was also decided to obtain information regarding the curriculum and cost of living at scientific or agricultural universities established in the United Kingdom, Canada, or New York: and also the nature of the certificate of competency, in cases where such is granted by a University of the class referred to.

It was agreed to invite the attendance of Mr. Potbury and Professor Harrison at the next meeting of the Committee.

In reply to a question by Mr. Dargan, the Chairman promised to go into the matter of the necessity of amending the Regulations, if their recommendations regard-

Į ing the scholarship were given effect to.

The Committee then adjourned to Saturday, 5th August, 1899.

THIRD MEETING.

HENRY A. BOVELL,

Chairman.

Minutes of the Proceedings of the Education Committee at the Third Meeting, held on Saturday, the 5th August, 1899.

Present: The Chairman (Hon. H. A. Bovell, LL.B., Q.C., Acting Government Secretary), the Hon. Patrick Dargan, W. M. Payne, Esquire, F.R., George Garnett, Esquire, F.R.

There were also present Professor Harrison and Mr. Potbury. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The interim report of the Committee regarding the Guiana Scholarship to be awarded on the results of this year's examination was laid on the table and approved.

Professor Harrison was then examined by the Committee. He stated that the present system under which natural science was taught at Queen's College was practi- cally useless. Very much longer time should be devoted to this branch of tuition than was possible with the present staff to produce results of any real value. In his annual report for 1890-91 he had made a proposal for giving the boys a useful scientific educa- tion, which was both simple and inexpensive.

With regard to the general education at Queen's College, Mr. Harrison said that he thought that the present standard was excellent for a commercial life, but insufficient for purposes of advanced education; the scholarship standard he thought decidedly too low. As regards the advancement of science in the Colony, he thought that con- sideration might well be given to the scheme which he had suggested in 1891, his views given in connection with which he had no reason to change.

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