Kay
172
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 2ND APRIL, 1879.
GOVERNMENT CENTRAL SCHOOL,
HONGKONG, 13th January, 1879.
SIR, I have the honour to forward to you the Annual Report for the Central School for 1878. 2. On the departure of Mr. STEWART for England on leave, several important changes were made in the Staff of tile School. The first was the separation of the duties of the Inspector of Schools from those of the Head Master; the second, the appointment of Mr. ARTHUR as the Acting Second Master, and of Mr. MURRAY late of the Independent College, Taunton, as Fifth Master, in order to compensate for the absence of Mr. BALL, who in consequence of illness was permanently incapacitated for duty. In November, Mr. PIERCY, the Fourth Master, acting on the advice of his medical adviser, resigned, and Mr. MCKINNEY, of the Surveyor General's Department, was at once tranferred to the School.
3. It was natural to expect that these numerous changes would inconvenience and retard the progress of the School to a certain extent; I have however to report that the various masters speedily settled down to their work, and the work went steadily forward without interruption.
4. As the absence through sickness among the Staff has been less than in former years, and as the duties of the Inspector of Schools did not trench upon the time of the Head Master, the work according to the time-table was more continuous, and therefore a higher standard at the annual examinations just concluded has been attained. have reason also to anticipate in the year upon which we have entered even a higher degree of attainment, when the School derives the full advantages of the services of Mr. MAY, who has been recently appointed to the Thd Master-ship vacated by Mr. BALL. 5. A steady attempt has been made to facilitate the acquirement of English Speaking during the year. I may mention that it has always been a rule of the School that English Masters in front of their classes were on no account to speak Chinese unless compelled. In addition to this, an entry to the following effect has been made in the time-table, that in erery lesson, whether taught by an English Master, or a Chinese Assistant Master, questioning in English was to be employed not only as a test, but in order to facilitate the acquisition of Colloquial English. In the lower classes, the progress, in Colloquial, as far as regards the subject matter of their lessons, has been most marked. I even attribute the high marks obtained by the pupils in the written examinations partially to this source. The amount of matter read this year may not have equalled that of previous years, but the comprehension of what has been read has been far more general over all the classes, as the papers in translation from English into Chinese and from Chinese into English sufficiently show. 6. In the first class I insisted upon the repetition of from six to eight lines from Standard prose authors every morning. This I made the subject of corversation either between the boys and myself or between the boys themselves. By this mea. I was able to provide subject matter for practice in English Speaking. The result so far has been satisfactory,
1 I anticipate that when the system has had time to develop, and the boys now forming the lower classes have been du romoted to the Upper School, that English Speaking will become very much more general provided that the boys rema ufficiently long at School for the purpose. I also have devoted an hour a week for Colloquial through the rest of the
7. At the and Monitors dates for Mas
8. The a take into co
the places of those rem
last year. T here that a larg situations, and be accounted
9. It is 10. Du from 9 A.M the work
11.
have p morni
know
illu:
It
h
T
bol.
ly examinations, I have endeavoured to give practical lessons in the art of teaching to the pupil Teachers time were at my disposal, these lessons could be formed into a regular method class, where candi-
Angl
acular Schools recently established might be trained. the
is almost the same as that of last year, as far as figures are concerned, but when we the fact at all applications for admission since September have been refused, and that therefore › have left during the same period have not been filled up, the improvement in the average attendance been very considerable, the average daily attendance for the year being 430.80 as against 431 of of boys enrolled this year is 608 against 610 of last year. It is necessary, however, to explain of these left at the beginning of the year to enter the Chinese Government Service and for other therefore only by the improved regularity of the remainder th the high average attendance can
alth to 6 to 11 A.M. instead of
note that 47 boys were rendered homeless by the recent fire. her months the hours for English were changed on the ground ormerly. By this arrangement an interval between 8 and 9 in torning was available, and as n the cool of the morning, it made it less trying to the English State
ool now being entirely surrounded by Chinese houses, any amenity and quietness it may once 1 completely destroyed. From the commencement of School at 6 A.M. to 2 A.M. in the following ed succession of noises in the neighbourhood. No less than 29 vociferous hawkers have been pace of two hours. It frequently has been our experience that after spending nearly an hour find the whole effect of the lesson lost by a disturbance in the street regarding a few cash. to state that he has sent men to prevent these occurrences, but five minutes after the policemen I was as noisy as ever. I beg to suggest that the same plan be adopted as in previous years, ecially appointed to warn hawkers of the great annoyance that is caused by them during and
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
Schools,
&c.,
$c.
L...
for
Gilma.
The i the Surv
particulars
The Gove
'T NOTIFICATION.
ceived at this Office up to ednesday, the 9th instant, of the Praya Wall opposite
pecifications may be seen at neral's Office, where further
obtained.
ent will not bind itself to accept
the lowest, or any Tender.
By Command,
W. H. MARSH,
Colonial Secretary,
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hongkong, 31st March, 1879.
ALEXANDER FALCONER,
Acting Head Master.
號九十七第報憲
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茄詳細各票價値不論低
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三月 卅一 日示
者可赴工務司詢問便
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