HONGKONG.
169
No. 14
98
REPORT ON QUEEN'S COLLEGE BY THE EXAMINERS APPOINTED BY THE
GOVERNING BODY FOR 1897.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.
HONGKONG, 11th January, 1898. GENTLEMEN. We have the honour of laying before you the following report of the Annual Examination which we have, by your request, lately conducted.
A schedule of work was given us and we carefully prepared papers so as at the same time to test the general efficiency of the School and to be able to arrange the boys of each class in order of merit. Some of the questions set were consequently rather difficult for the more backward boys in some classes, but none were really beyond their standard as indicated by the schedule.
We think, on reviewing the whole of our work, that we may have been a little severe in with- holding marks from the lower boys in each class, and we are not prepared to say that the number of boys obtaining less than half marks represents truly the number of those who should be written down as failures. Such remarks as we shall make should be read in connection with the results as shown by
the mark sheets.
We consider, (in view of the fact that a large number of boys have been in the School less than six months), that the result of the Examination shows that there has been steady and useful work going on, and that, in spite of conspicuous failures in some classes, the education given is satisfactory. It should be borne in mind that in a School of nearly 900 boys it is difficult to impart a uniformity of knowledge in the various subjects, and that under the most favourable conditions there is likely to be a large number of stupid or idle boys whose work will tend to lower the standard of the class in which they are examined. We make this suggestion to, in some way, mitigate what may be considered the severity of some of our critical remarks.
The task of reporting upon the work done is as difficult as the work itself is lengthy. If 900 boys do exercises in Dictation, Translation, Arithmetic or Reading, it is manifestly impossible to sum- marise the whole of the work in one subject in a simple sentence or a short one. We have therefore, in some cases, given a more detailed opinion.
The first and last feature which presented itself to us in this examination was, we think, a very important one, and we wish to call attention to it. We refer to the great unevenness of merit in almost every class in almost every subject. No examiner looks for equality throughout a class, but we certainly expected to find more uniformity in each of the eight classes, and especially in each A section. We have been surprised again and again by the disparity between a few boys near the top and a considerable number near the bottom of the same class. We understand that the cause of this is the very rapid promotion which has been made during the past year. We are aware that there has been a very large addition of new boys, but this ought not to produce the result just alluded to. If boys are thus artificially promoted and forced up the School by a large influx at the bottom, one of two results must follow, either the boys thus too rapidly promoted will continually fail, or the standard of the class in which they are thus placed will be lowered. If either of these results obtains, and if the boys are examined on a few months' work only, an annual examination becomes a mere farce and waste of time. We venture to suggest that a remedy may be found in the creation of more parallel divisions so that promotions may be made according to absolute, rather than merely relative, merit.) If there be a class of 150 boys of a certain standard and 50 new boys arrive able to be placed in the same class it is manifestly unwise to promote 50 out of this class to inake room for the new-comers. Possibly also it might be arranged that new boys should not be examined until they have been in the School a certain time unless they show special ability. It would, of course, be necessary to see that at no part of the School, where any idle or stupid boys being neglected for the sake of the more industrious or clever ones. Though it would be desirable to keep each class full, the first object should be to preserve the standard of it, rather than the number of boys attending it. The work of examination would be easier, and more reliable, and one year's work might be more accurately compared with that of another.
We have had in mind the efforts that have been made to promote the study of English, and we are glad to be able to state that we have observed some marks of progress in this respect. Some of the Composition and Grammar papers, and the Reading and Conversation, lead us to think that there has been improvement, but there is much yet to be done.
Owing to the inevitable withdrawal of one of the three examiners on account of the pressing nature of his other public duties, the whole of the work devolved upon us. But, with the united approval of yourselves and the Head Master, in Reading and Conversation, we examined a few boys only in each section of the eight classes. The Head Master himself very kindly undertook to hear every boy read and converse before the rest of the examination began so that marks in these subjects could be awarded. We are much indebted to him for this as our tables of marks would be very incomplete without reference to these two subjects. One of the assistant masters also furnished us with marks for shorthand in one class.