721
18. In Class III, the lowest Class in the Upper School, the ability and willing- ness of the boys. to talk English with a stranger has very greatly increased during the last two years. The boys talked very readily, except perhaps in III C. In III B they spoke very nicely, and in III A the accent and the vocabulary were good. Taking the three Divisions together composition was good. In III A, had it not been for a bad paper done by one unlucky boy, the average of the Division would have been over 80 per cent., and have gained the very unusual mark of Very Good. As it was, nearly one-third of the boys examined got full marks. The weak points are lack of neatness and "sketchiness": Class III should shew up at least three-quarters of a foolscap page. The following is an example of a frequent mistake which deserves to be pilloried, "a strongest man of the world," meaning one of the strongest men in the world. It is a trifle, but so common as to be worth correcting.
19. Class II consists of two Divisions. Apparently more attention is given to Colloquial in II B, where a Chinese master evidently takes great pains with a rather small Division. It is the more disappointing to have to report that the composition was bad in II B. In II A it was barely fair. Taking the two Divisions together one-third of the boys got less than quarter marks.
20. In Class I A two boys were dumb. The rest with few exceptions spoke well on general topics. Class I B is certainly the most disappointing Division in the School in regard to a knowledge of English. The lower half declined to speak at all, though the top boys conversed fairly.
21. The composition done by Class I A was fair, that of Class I B was very bad.
SHAKESPEARE.
22. Papers on "Julius Cæsar were set for a few boys in Class I, and some excellent answers were given, especially upon the characters of Brutus and Cassius. The text has been learnt with care, and long quotations were given correctly.
GEOGRAPHY.
23. This subject is taught throughout the School, and it seems to be learned with more alacrity and interest than most subjects.
24. Class VIII learn the points of the compass, and the bearings and topography of the School and its immediate neighbourhood: Class VII learn the geography (streets, buildings, etc.) of Hongkong. Questions on these subjects were answered with very fair accuracy, and as much knowledge of English as could be expected. Class VI learn the outlines and definitions of physical geography. We would emphasize the necessity of illustrating geographical terms by reference to places in or near Hongkong, whenever possible. There is a danger of this stage of geography being learned by rote: we did not find many boys in the Class nor in the next Class above, with a clear idea of what a watershed is, or why it is so called.
25. Europe and Asia were taught in Class V, and a fair knowledge was dis- played but we should have hoped that the boys who had learned the rudiments of geography in Class VI would now be introduced to "the world". A know- ledge of the relations and positions of the seas and continents of the world would form the best ground-work for subsequent study.
26. Written papers were set to Classes IV, III, II and I. On the whole a very fair knowledge was shewn. Class IV had in China a congenial subject, and shewed a good knowledge of it. In a few cases paragraphs out of the reader had been learned by heart. It is worth noticing that 80 per cent. of the boys to whom the question was put, both here and in other Classes, said that geography was their favourite lesson, and gave intelligent reasons for the preference. This indicates either a more interesting method of teaching the subject, or a keener desire for such knowledge among the better class Chinese, or both. A year or two ago, the subject appeared to bore Chinese boys intensely.