116
11. The Oxford Local results this year show considerable improvement, there being 59% passes instead of 18%. Ten certificates in all were obtained; 4 Senior, 3 Junior and 3 Preliminary. The non-Chinese passes are highly creditable. C. B. HAYWARD obtained distinction in English, in the Junior Local Examination, being bracketed 7th out of a list of 63 so honoured in all England.
12. Through the kind services of the Inspector of Schools, the declaration of poverty, imposed in 1892, as a condition for competing for Free Education at this College, was removed. Candidates must be scholars at the Government Anglo-Chinese District Schools. Eight boys offered themselves last February, but none qualified; the elementary work being far too weak. Now that the Scholarships competition is restored, it is to be hoped that, as in former years, it will prove a stimulus to aiming at a higher standard in the District Schools; and that as a consequence, boys from these Schools may on admission to Queen's College be found fit for higher classes than the Preparatory School. The removal of this restiction was, I believe, the last act, in connexion with Education, performed by the ex-Governor, Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON, G.C.M.G.; and it will be highly appreciated by the Chinese; as in the ten years when these Scholarships were opened the Free Scholars often highly distinguished them- selves, and all of them obtained respectable situations, which, without Free Education, would in most cases have been beyond their attainment.
13. In June, His Excellency General BLACK, C.B., as Acting Governor, honoured us with a personal inspection of the work at the College. We were the more gratified with this mark of friendly interest, as it is ten years since we were similarly favoured.
14. We are much indebted to the Honourable Director of Public Works, for several improvements. The loop-holed wall overlooking the premises from Bridges Street has been made solid, thus putting an end to a long continued series of nuisances and interruptions. A spiked bar was placed over the gate leading to the playground, to prevent incursions from street ragamuffins. The Store-room was removed elsewhere, and the partition between its former site and a small class-room having been removed, an additional large room of 60 seats was provided, increasing the accommodation by 24 seats, with a possible annual gain of $576 in Fees.
15. This institution has recently provided several Native Masters for Schools in Borneo and the empires of China and Japan. At Yokohama, I had the opportunity of paying a visit to the Tung Man School under the charge of two of our former Pupil-teachers. I found admirable discipline and excellent progress made in the six months, since the opening of the School.
16. In accordance with instructions from the Governing Body, I examined the Lower and Prepa- ratory Schools of this College; the Upper School being reported upon by Independent Examiners. The result is as follows:-457 boys, or 83 % passed, out of 550 examined.
Lower School......
332 boys examined, 249 or 75% passed. Preparatory School...... 218
208., 96
"1
""
The work of the Preparatory School is excellent as usual, requiring only the last quarter of the year for its preparation. The weakness of the Lower School may be attributed to the fact, that the prevalence of the plague rendered necessary a repetition of the course of enforced promotions the detrimental effect of which in 1897 was referred to in my last Report. I am at a loss, however, to account for the obtrusive collapse of the Lower School in the important subject Arithmetic, the per- centages in which are far inferior to those obtained in Grammar, Geography, Composition and English Conversation; while the results in Reading, Dictation and Translations from and into Chinese are up to the ordinary average. Under the circumstances I refrain from commenting in detail on the indivi- dual subjects, leaving the figures in the adjoining Tables to speak for themselves. I should, however, fail in my duty, if I abstained from bearing testimony to the excellent steady work of masters and boys throughout the year, in the face of discouraging circumstances.
TABLE 1.—TOTAL NUMBER OF PASSES IN EACH SUBJECT.
Class.
Total number
examined.
Total number
passed.
Colloquial.
Reading.
Arithmetic.
Dictation.
Translation
E. to C.
IV
55
A.,
46
V
52
A.
33
B.,
31
C.,
VI
46
Дод
35
B.,
34
VII
56
A.
33
B.,
31
C1,
ANADA AUTOKAU
VIII A.,
45
COMORE
B., C.,
26
*****872582422
KONOMO!*882972
43
34
54
9
31
17
45
10
39
25
51
27
11
29
29
14
31
9
36
25
45
21
21
6
35
15
26
16
32
11
55
55
52
33
33
30 32
27
23
44
44 44
26
25
26
26
21
GRANCE9262-***
40
40
25
31
46
39
27
27
31
30
37
33
39
16
19
25
27
55
46
27
18
23
39
31
39
23
22
25
19
*****!*ROSCALE
49
36 41
24 36
32
21
33
29
19
35
32
25 31
36
15
16
11
11
25
28
21
16
18
28
34
27
20
18
11
12
25
17
11
11
50
44
32
26
17
16
44
24
14
27 26
Translation
C. to E.
Grammar.
Geography.
Map-drawing.
Composition.