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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 9TH FEBRUARY, 1867.
HONGKONG, 4th February, 1867.
SIR,---I have the honour of presenting to you my second Annual Report on the Government Schools in this Colony. Following the plan adopted last year I shall divide my Report into two parts, the first having special reference to the Central School, and the second to the Village Schools. These will be followed by a series of Tables giving in a condensed form an estimate of the extent to which the Chinese community have availed themselves of the Government Scheme of educa- tion during the five years of my connexion with the schools.
THE CENTRAL SCHOOL.
From the peculiar position which I occupy with respect to this school I am unable to enter with minuteness into, or to speak with impartiality of, its merits, defects, discipline, in short, all that is connected with the system which has been adopted and the mode in which it is carried out. I must therefore confine myself to a few particulars more in the form of statistics than in that of an opinion as to the actual state of the school.
The subjects taught are substantially the same as they were last year. The Irish National School Books and the Trans- lation into English of portions of the Chinese Classics form, with the ordinary branches of all National Schemes of education, the sum and substance of the work. Nothing higher has, as yet, been attempted for two very obvious reasons. In the first place, the boys are, ipso facto, dependent on the English Masters for all their instruction. The Chinese Assistants are not competent, even under the closest supervision, to do more than teach the most elementary of the subjects. Reading, Translation, Composition, Geography, and all beyond the simplest rules of Arithmetic if not attended to personally by the English Masters had much better not be attempted at all. When it is considered that last year the scholars in the Upper School numbered eighty six and in the Lower School ninety six it becomes very evident that there is little time left for going on to the more advanced subjects of History, Algebra, and Geometry. The great aim hitherto has been to push on the more intelligent of the boys only as far as shall not be inconsistent with all, except the incorrigible, obtaining a fair average amount of instruction, in other words, not to neglect the many for the benefit of the few; and, until the services of another English Master have been obtained, I see little hope of much more being done. Then, in the second place, when the boys reach that stage in their progress when they would be capable of appreciating, and profiting by, a more advanced course of instruction they leave school for situations in which they can turn their knowledge of English to practical account. They have not yet learned to consider education an aim in itself. It is, at present, but a means to a particular end, and the minimum amount that can serve their purpose is all that they seek for.
As the year drew to a close I began to fear that the increased size of the classes would be found to have operated preju- dicially on the general efficiency of the school. The results, however, of the examinations which have just been held have to a certain extent proved that these fears were groundless. Of the total value of the papers set to the first class only two failed to reach the minimum of one third which may be allowed as a fair standard for passing. Two failed in the second class and four in the third. Thus, of the sixty nine examined in the Upper School eight would have failed had the examinations been held for any other purpose beyond that of testing how far master and scholar had succeeded, the one in imparting, the other in receiving, the instruction given during the year. Nearly equal results were obtained in the Lower School where it may be a question whether written examinations are not too severe a test considering the age of the boys and the short time they have been at school.,
In my last Report I stated that I entertained the hope of being soon able to overcome many difficulties connected with the school by training Chinese Assistants for their work. I then anticipated that I should always be able to retain two of the more advanced boys for a period of at least four years, after which they might, if they chose, find employment elsewhere and be succeeded by the two who stood next to them. This project has all but failed. The demand for the services of the more intelligent of the boys is so great that it is, in the meantime, hopeless to expect them to remain for any length of time. The two in whose case the experiment was tried have both left many months ago. Their place has been filled by others, but these will doubtless leave also, just when they are beginning to be of real service to the school. I shall not, however, abandon the scheme. Out of several it may be possible to retain some; and, as the knowledge of English becomes more general and situations therefore more difficult to be obtained, the greater will be the probability that these Assistants will remain until, at least, others are fully qualified to take their place.
His Excellency the Governor has signified his intention of extending the course of study by the introduction of Lectures on the simpler elements of Science,-Chemistry, Electricity, and other branches of Natural Philosophy. I trust that, at first, only very moderate expectations will be entertained of their success. Considerable difficulty must attend the communication of a knowledge of these subjects through the medium of a language in which the scholars are but in their first stages of advancement, and for the ordinary nomenclature of which there exist, as yet, no equivalents in Chinese. To this must be added the fact already referred to that the boys leave school by far too early for acquiring a taste for such studies. It must not be supposed that I am throwing difficulties in the way or attempting to exaggerate those that confessedly exist. In every school, where it is possible, more attention should be given to such subjects than is generally done, and the Central School should certainly not be content to remain in ignorance of such branches of knowledge considering the advantages that would arise from their diffusion. I have thought it right, however, in making reference to the proposal to moderate as far as possible any undue expectations of success. I hope that, at first, the amusement to be derived from the Lectures will be considered as not the least essential reason for their introduction, and all that it is possible to do shall be done to make them, in time, pro- fitable sources of instruction as well.
Would the Revenue of the Colony permit of it I would recommend most strongly the appointment of another English Master not only for reasons already given but for the additional one that a class could then be formed of boys whose parents are able to pay a higher scale of fees for a higher grade of instruction than can be given under present circumstances. There are several boys now in the school who could advance to Algebra, Geometry, and kindred studies could it be found possible to devote time to them, but the time thus spent would have to be taken from more elementary subjects to the detriment of the present average proficiency of the school. For these reasons I cannot hold out hopes of much higher than present results so long as present circumstances remain as they are.
I am glad that it has at last been decided that the school is to be no longer exclusively confined to the Chinese, as this will be the first step to a more general extension of education to other and equally deserving portions of the community. How the amalgamation of the different races in one school will be found to succeed if advantage of the privilege is taken to any great extent no one can at present undertake to say. It will not be without difficulties, perhaps serious ones, but these must be encountered not only for the sake of many children in the Colony who are without the means of instruction and who, unlike their Chinese neighbours, would be very glad to avail themselves of such advantages, but also for the sake of the repu tation of the Government whose duty as well as interest it is to dispense its gifts with perfect impartiality. I am only afraid that when the announcement has been made public the alacrity with which it will be responded to may be attended with serious embarrassment. That it will lead ultimately to the establishment of another school, both from the number of applica- tions and from differences that will be found necessary in the system of teaching, I do not think there can be a doubt; and, that the public education of the Colony should tend to this result, all its well wishers must be gratified to find.