No. 13.
HONGKONG.
REPORT OF THE HEAD MASTER OF THE QUEEN'S COLLEGE FOR 1894.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor.
91
No. 4
95
QUEEN'S COLLEGE, HONGKONG, 16th January, 1895.
SIR, I have the honour to forward the Annual Report on Queen's College for the year 1894. 1. The total number on the College Roll for the year was 1,048. The Plague, which mercifully spared the lives of our masters and scholars, has however played ruthless havoc with fully half the statistics in the Table following.
2. The following tables will illustrate the condition of the College during the last five years :-
YEAR.
Average
Total Number of Scholars.
Number of School days.
Monthly Enrolment.
Daily Attendance.
Maximum.
Minimum.
1890,
1891,
1892,
1893,
1894,
1890,
1891,
1892,
1893,
1894,
1,075
236
890
683
758
1,108
231
932
712
759
1,062
237
862
700
728
1,012
238
840
639
683
1,048
222
881
85
545
YEAR.
Number of School Boys Examined.
Percentage
Actual Net
of Passes.
School Fees.
Expenditure.
$
Average
Expense of each Scholar per Average Daily Attendance.
692
89.45
11,912.00
19,222.46
25.34
709
90.26
12,237.00
18,158.60
23.92
671
96.12
12,342.00
19,741.43
27.09
625
93.28
12,348.00
21,405.46
31.33
587
88.58
11,562.00
25,752.00
47.22
3. ATTENDANCE.-The minimum monthly attendance 85 in July contrasts sadly with the maximum 881 in April, which nearly equals the 890 of 1890. In the course of the year 403 boys were admitted, as against 308 in 1893; and of these, 56 entered in the second half of the year, as against 44 in the same period last year. This increased demand for admission, in spite even of an epidemic, may be viewed as an indication, that this college has not suffered in reputation.
4. FINANCES.-It is specially disappointing to note the low figure, at which Revenue derivable from Fees stands. I have already reported to the Treasury that, in view of the $700 actual gain in the first five months of the year, and of the increased admissions above alluded to, there is no exaggeration in assuming $1,200 as the total increase, and $13,500 as the total revenue, that might naturally have been expected, had it not been for the Plague. The total loss in Fees due to this cause cannot be taken at less than $2,000, of which $1,181 is accounted for, by the amount remitted to boys, who were absent in the months of June and July, having left the Colony with their families, in the scare naturally engendered by the Plague. The balance, $800, may be attributed to the fees of six months unpaid by about 100 boys, who are in excess of the number of absentees in the corresponding months of last year. With a heavy loss of revenue and a terrible reduction in attendance, as observable in the fifth column, it is not a matter for surprise, that the Average Expense in the tenth column should appear disproportionate. The Table at the end of this report contains two additional items of expenditure, viz: Adjustment of Exchange in Crown Agents' Account, and Exchange Compensation paid to three. masters, who accepted three shillings exchange for the dollar when on leave; these account for the increase in expenditure observable on last year.
5. BUBONIC PLAGUE.-On the 1st May, the absentee list, in accordance with normal conditions, was under 4% of the number on the monthly roll; but on account of the outbreak of the Plague over 42% were absent on June 1st, and on July 1st 96.5% were absent, exactly inverting the percentages of two months previously, when that was the precentage of attendance. From the end of May, the non-Chinese scholars, nearly to a boy, absented themselves; two little English boys in the Preparatory School were a bright exception, coming regularly till the College was closed. Of the Chinese boys, the Upper School boys deserve the most credit for regular attendance; for some time, the First Class formed the bulk of the total College attendance. As daily, dead bodies were carried out of streets in