474
―
This view is confirmed by the fluctuation in the numbers of the individual schools, as illus- trated by the following figures. Nine Vernacular Schools obtained a Grant of $7 or more. in both 1904 and 1905. The sum of the average attendances in these good schools increased from 405 to 451, and the average is now 50 for each school. Seven schools obtained a Grant of only $5 in both 1904 and 1905. The average attendance in thenf decreased from 161 to 151, and is now 21.6.
8. The figures for the Private Schools were taken in a more systematic way than has hitherto been done: still they are but an approximation. The English and Anglo-Chi- nese Private Schools do not include 36 Night Schools, with a maximum monthly enrol- ment of 635. Of the 3,047 children in Private Vernacular Schools, 500, or one in six, are being taught by the new method; and the rest receive the time-honoured classical education. Table VI shews the proportion of girls to boys in the schools to be as 1,922 is to 3,401, a slight increase as compared with last year. Of the 2,146 pupils in Vernacular Schools, 1,292 or 60 per cent. are girls.
9. The statistics given shew an increase of 7% in the total number of pupils in Government and Grant Schools; and the critical portion of this Report will shew that the standard of elucation has been maintained, possibly somewhat improved, in the English and Anglo-Chinese Schools, and has certainly been improved in the Vernacular Schools. The last feature is satisfactory for general reasons, and particularly because Chinese female education is almost entirely limited to education in the Vernacular tongue.
GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS.
10. Table I gives details of the nature of, and the attendance at the Government Schools, as compared with 1904. The Victoria British School adds another to the number, bringing it up to twelve. Detailed Reports are given in Appendix A.
11. The total number of pupils in the Government Schools is 782; and the net cost to Government per caput is $46.17. The corresponding figure for last year is $41.22. The increase is mainly due to the heavy initial and non-recurrent expenditure on the Victoria
School.
New Schools, and Schools closed.
12. The Vernacular Schools at Tanglungchau and Pokfulam were closed at the begin- ning of the year under review. Their places were taken by the Lower Grade Anglo-Chinese Schools newly opened at Tanglungchau and Aberdeen. (See also section 16.)
Kowloon British School.
13. The School originally was open to boys and girls alike. But it was decided, upon the opening of the complementary Victoria School, to restrict the attendance of big boys. Boys over 12 are no longer allowed admittance. This has had a certain effect on the average attendance; which was nevertheless higher than it has ever yet been, namely, 57.2 for 1905, as compared with 54.8 for 1904, and 46.4 for 1903. The maximum enrolment was 68. Fees amounting to $1,979 were collected, which is also a record.
14. The shifting nature of the population and the consequent difficulty of following a fixed course of instruction are forcibly illustrated by the fact that, although 109 pupils attended the School in the course of the year, the maximum number present in any month was only 68. The average daily percentage of the total monthly enrolment reached the very high figure of 97 in December, and only fell below 90 during a scare about diphtheria.
15. Extracts from the Report of the Headmaster are given in Appendix D. For criti- cisms on the Scripture and Singing, given in the detailed Report on the school in Appendix A, I am indebted to the Rev. C. HICKLING and to Mr. W. G. B. D. FULLER, F.B.C.O., L.R.A.M., respectively.
Victoria British School.
16. The School was opened towards the end of March. Pleasantly situated on Caroline Hill and tastefully equipped, it enjoys the distinction of being perhaps the prettiest school in the Colony.