493
The difference will continue in each class, the Chinese boy will spend hours a week on the practice of colloquial English and of writing idiomatic English and of translating from and into Chinese." He will be mentally and physically far superior to the little boys with whom his limited knowledge of English must class him.
As time goes on-after say 3 years-his knowledge of English will be so much increased that he will be better able to study side by side with non-Chinese boys and the arguments against amalgamation will be lessened. At Queen's College, however, by what seems to me an extraordinary disregard of expediency, the amalgamation ceases and the differentiation begins at this point.
My contention may be summed up in an exaggerated example.
Non- Chinese and Chinese should be taught apart, for the reasons which would urge one to dissuade a Frenchman desirous of learning English from attending an English infant school.
E. A. IRVING.
No. 10.
[No. 191.]
Governor to Secretary of State for the Colonies,
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 8th April, 1903.
SIR,-In continuation of my despatch No. 161* of 30th ultimo, I have now the honour to forward for your consideration and approval the new Education Code, which has been circulated amongst all managers and European headmasters of private schools in the Colony and is generally approved by them. It has also been seen by the Bishop of Victoria and accepted by him. The Code has been consi- dered by my Executive Council and it is recommended by them for adoption. I attach a resumé of the main points of difference between the new Code and the one now existing, together with an estimate of the increased grants which will probably be carned next year under the new Code.
2. The nett estimated increase amounts to $15,540. The grants in the new Code are arranged under four heads: (1) to English Schools, with a staff fully qualified to give instruction up to the Seventh Standard: this means in effect a European staff, or at least a staff with a proportion of Europeans on it. For these schools the grants will be made in Sterling, because English teachers in the Colony are now nearly always paid a Sterling salary. The grants are a little higher than those earned by Board Schools at home, but not nearly so high as those earned by the higher Elementary Schools; (2) the second class of grant is to schools with staffs qualified to teach the lower standards. This class covers the schools described in italics on page 18 of the Education Committee's Report, that is to say, elementary Anglo-Chinese Schools under Chinese teachers; (3) the third class is for Vernacular Schools which are qualified to give instruction up to the Seventh- Standard. These schools are under European management and Europeans teach in them. The grants are therefore proposed to be made in Sterling; (4) to the ordinary Vernacular Schools.
3. I would observe that although under the new Code it is proposed that grants should be paid on the report of the Inspector based on inspections, there is ample provision in the Cole to hold examinations of particular schools in whole or in part or of a regular annual examination of all schools if such were considered necessary.
I have, etc.,
(Enclosure No. 1.)
THE GRANT CODE.
PRELIMINARY CHAPTER.
HENRY A. BLAKE.
1. A sum of money is annually grauted by Government for Public Education in the Colony, and is administered by the Government through the Inspector of Schools.
* No. 9.