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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 7TH MARCH, 1874.
These ar-
September, were allowed two-fifths of the values of the standards for 80 attendances. rangements were made to enable the scheme to be brought into operation at once, and to get the returns made up at the end of the year.
20. St. Saviour's School, under the Management of the Revd. Father PALMER, was attended during the year by 110 scholars, principally Portuguese, but including English and other nation- alities as well. The average monthly enrolment was 64, and the daily attendance varied from 44 to 62. The number presented for examination, that is, all who had attended 200 times and upwards, was 25. Of these 16 passed and 9 failed. The grant to the school amounted $64. This must not be taken as a measure of what the school can do, and will do in the future; although, even as a first examination, it is not by any means satisfactory, and no one feels this more than the manager and teacher. Two points need careful looking to in this school. There must be a stricter discipline in the way of attendance, and the teaching power must be increased, before the school can take a high rank among the educational institutions of the Colony. In all other points it leaves little to be de- sired. The teacher is able and energetic, but he cannot possibly do justice to such a large school single- handed. A very favourable change has recently been made in the school books, which were formerly by far too difficult. All the other appliances are ample and in excellent order.
21. St. Stephen's School under the Management of the Revd. A. B. HUTCHINSON was only recently established and is solely for Chinese boys. The number of scholars for the year was 75, the average monthly enrolment being 61, and the daily attendance varying from 40 to 53. On the examination day 29 scholars were examined, of whom only four failed. A larger number would have been presented, if the examination had taken place earlier. Many of the boys had left for their native villages on the approach of the Chinese New Year. This difficulty will be obviated in future either by holding the examination earlier, or by insisting on the boys remaining until within a fort- night of the new year. The school is doing much good in a very poor locality of the city. The teacher has his work at heart and labours faithfully. The sum gained by the school was $33. This will be very much improved upon next year, when the full number of attendances is made
up, and full values given for passes. It is also to be noted that the third was the highest standard under which scholars were presented. As the school advances, higher standards will be reached, and a more liberal sum will thus be at the manager's disposal for its support and extension.
22. Wántsai and T'ái-p'ing Shán Chapel Schools for Chinese boys are under the Management of the Revd. Dr. EITEL. At the former, 54 scholars were enrolled during the year. The average monthly enrolment was 54, and the daily attendance varied from 48 to 52. The number examined was 42, and of these 19 passed very satisfactorily. Scholars were presented under all the six standards, which accounts for the greater number of failures. T'ái-p'ing Shán Chapel School was attended by 42 scholars. The monthly average was 37, and the daily attendance varied from 31 to 35. At this school 28 were presented for examination under the first five standards. There were 14 failures. The sum gained by the two schools amounted to $110.50. A very much higher pro- portion of passes could have been obtained at these two schools, if the scholars had been ranged, as it was perfectly competent for the manager to do, under lower standards. Having, however, full confidence in the teachers, he classified the scholars as has been stated, and the result showed that his confidence was not misplaced. The teachers are able, hard working men. They were fully aware of the extent to which the credit of the schools depended on their exertions, and they exerted themselves accordingly. The schools reflect great credit on masters and manager.
23. The Baxter Vernacular Girls' Schools under the Management of the Revd. A. B. HUTCHINSON, are three in number, but for the purposes of the Grant-in-aid scheme they are considered as one. This arrangement was necessary because the schools, taken singly, could not have reached the average attendance qualifying each of them for a grant; and, in order to meet, as far as possible, the difficulties attending female education here, and the reluctance of parents to send girls any but the shortest distance from home, the manager thought it advisable to have three schools in various parts of the city, to secure as large an attendance as possible. The three schools were, therefore, taken as three separate class-rooms, the scholars being classified as if belonging to one school; and as such they will be here spoken of. The total attendance for the year was 133. The average monthly enrolment was 72, and the daily attendance varied from 42 to 48. On the examination day 37 scholars were presented under the first three standards. Of these 28 passed and 9 failed. There were also 32 passes in plain needlework. The sum paid to the school amounted to $57.60. The school is solely for Chinese girls. The average age is 10, the extremes being 7 and 16. The school is well conducted, well superintended and well taught. The education given is solely in the Chinese * language, a fact to which undue prominence cannot be given. Hitherto, the educating of Chinese girls in English has been one of the most disastrous experiments which the Colony has ever witnessed. 24. The Victoria Boys' School is under the Management of the Honourable P. RYRIE. The number enrolled in 1873 was 28; but, as the average daily attendance, for the last six months, during which the school came under the provisions of the scheme, did not amount to the minimum of 20, the school was not examined. During the present year, the numbers have increased, and the school will no doubt be able to qualify itself for a grant. It was only opened in 1873, and being at present self-supporting, it has been much hampered in many ways, the fees being insufficient to provide a large school-room in a central locality. It is attended principally by Portuguese, but it is open to