HONGKONG.
7
No. 1907
REPORT ON THE STUDY OF HYGIENE IN HONGKONG SCHOOLS, 1906.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of
Hts Excellency the Governor,
EXAMINATIONS FOR MASTERS.
The teaching of Hygiene has been steadily pursued in the schools of the Colony during the year under review. A general improvement is apparent, not only in the pupils, but also in the ability to teach the subject shewn by the teachers. This is especially true of the Chinese masters of the 3 District Schools, whose knowledge of hygiene was two years ago a negligeable quantity. During the earlier part of the year they received regular instruction from the English masters of these schools; and the result was tested when they went in for the South Kensington Examination, Stage I, in May last. Table I gives the results in detail. Thirteen passed out of 19, including (as was to have been expected) all the English masters. Four of the Chinese masters obtained a First Class, and of those of them that passed, none less than a Second Class. Again, in October and after further preparation, the majority of the same masters entered their names for the examination of the Royal Sanitary Institute, held locally. The results have not yet been published; but it may be doubted whether junior Chinese masters have so thorough a knowledge of English, as would enable them to express themselves with the necessary clearness and exactitude on matters involving the use of unwonted and technical terms.
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
There is a standing difficulty in some of the less advanced of our schools in persuad- ing the teachers to confront their pupils with the facts of everyday life, and to use their own observation. I have seen an object lesson on the bamboo illustrated by a picture out of a reading book. This distaste to come face to face with realities has found some excuse