The Aberdeen 'Industrial School, subsidized by the Government, and the St. Louis Industrial School are both operated by the Salesian Society; the former, a residential school for orphans or children of poor parents, gives primary education and 5 years of trade training; the latter offers special classes in printing and bookbinding and received from the Government during 1951 an interest-free loan of $600,000. A number of private technical schools supply instruction in radio, electrical, telegraphic and automobile technology, but often their teaching standard is low and their equipment poor.
Full-time training for students and refresher courses for practising teachers are given at the three training colleges. At the Northcote and Rural Training Colleges courses last for two years, whereas the newly instituted Grantham Training College, the premises of which are not yet completed, gives a one-year course specifically directed towards. teaching in urban Chinese primary schools. No tuition fees are paid at the colleges and subsistence allowances for students are granted in cases of proved need. At the end of the year there were 107 teachers in training at Northcote Training College, 61 at Grantham Training College and 45 at the Rural Training College.
The Rural Training College, opened in 1946, continues to achieve excellent work in the training of old and new teachers for village schools. Students live a full life, the curriculum including two hours' practical work each day in biology, animal husbandry, horticulture and farming, four hours of lectures and practical teaching, and one hour of supervized study. The College cooperative farm raises poultry, pigs, goats, cows and vegetables, and pays a 100% profit per annum. The services of· college graduates are eagerly welcomed in the country and several have started cooperative farms in their village schools.
The College, however, has not yet found a permanent home.
Besides giving generous subsistence allowances for students at the training colleges, the Government provides scholarships to the University of Hong Kong where 39 students are entirely or partially maintained. One scholarship, tenable at any British or Commonwealth university, is awarded every three years. Scholarships for overseas universities are also provided under the Colonial Development and Welfare Act, by the British Council, and by the Federation of British Industries.
Although the year 1951 has witnessed many activities and
considerable progress, the Colony is still faced with many educational problems, the majority of which can only be solved by increased expenditure. The number of children receiving schooling has shown an annual increase since 1947 of more than 20,000, the increase during 1951 being 25,000. Mr. N. G. Fisher, whose "Report on Government Expenditure on Education in Hong Kong" has been recently published,
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