(e) Provision for Excepting Irregular Pupils.

Previous to 1885, the Regulations of the Education Department made no provision for excepting pupils who attended irregularly. All failures were counted against the teacher of the school in which the pupil was examined. At the suggestion of the Institute a provision was introduced by Sir Robert Stout, then Minister for Education, making exceptions of those pupils who failed, but who had not made more than half the number of attendances during the three quarters preceding that in which the examination was held.