253
11. Though not equal to the high standard attained last year, the work exhibited in the examination throughout the college is highly satisfactory, and may be rated at a good average. The English subjects: Composition, Geography, Dictation, Reading, Conversation, with Translation from and into Chinese maintain a high level of excellence. There was a perceptable improvement in Arithmetic, though much weakness in method and too many instances of gross carelessness were still in evidence. English Grammar was weaker even than usual: the total ignorance of Analysis (a subject so necessary for self-criticism in Com- position) in the two top classes was appalling. The percentages in Hygiene were not so high as last year, this may be attributed to the greater severity of the questions, and to a tendency on the part of many boys to give answers illuminated by the light of nature instead of based upon principles of science. Mensuration was very good in Class II but bad in Class I. The General Intelligence paper was better than last year.
12. Class VIII was abolished in 1906, an additional section being added to each of the Classes V and VI. Only three sections of Class VII now remain and two of these will be removed next term, it is therefore probable that the Preparatory School in connection with Queen's College will cease to exist in the course of this year.
13. Halt an hour a week was allotted to each of the new subjects Geometrical Drawing and Algebra in Class IV. Though very little can be done in so short a time, it is hoped that even a slight acquaintance may prove advantageous to boys promoted to Class III. Gardiner's Outlines of English History was substituted for Brief History in Classes II and III. There is now a tendency on the part of boys to assimilate and reproduce matters of detail in nar- rative that afford amusement but are of no historic value.
14. Optional Classes show considerable advance. In Senior Trigonometry +boys were examined (one failing): three attempted the Solution of a triangle with given logarithms, one boy completed the solution, the others made a slight error in discovering the second side. In Junior Trigonometry, 6 were examined (one failing), the marks of four ranged from 79 to 85.
Geometrical and Model Drawing were offered this year instead of Freehand. Model Drawing was very successful 5 out of 7 boys boys passing with marks varying from 50 to 90. Only two boys out of seven passed in Geometrical Drawing with 38 and 45 marks respectively. Several candidates employed only four sides when required to draw five sides, others drew pretty designs unasked for. Kwan Iu-ki obtained the highest marks again as he did last
year.
15. The Normal Master Mr. RALPHS, in a Report to myself speaks very highly of the work done by the articled and acting Pupil Teachers, and my observation during the year together with the practical Examination in Teaching leads me heartily to endorse his remarks of approval. I also agree with him about the disadvantage of young inexperienced teachers tak- ing charge of large classes of 60 boys, but the excellent results in VIA do not support this theoretical objection. The seventh Class in the latter half of the year appears to have suffer- ed from the intrusion of scholars who were not sufficiently grounded in the merest elements of education. Stricter precautions will be taken in the future. Some half-dozen boys were dismissed in October for having obtained admission under false pretences, being practically unacquainted with the Alphabet.
16. The Vernacular School has made great progress. Two years ago when Chinese education was restored here, one-third of the boys were in the bottom clsss and one-thirteenth in the top class these conditions have in this short time been reversed, as is manifest from the Table below.
Vernacular School, Class 1........... (Lowest),...... 60 boys.
17
"}
#
2. 3.
93
200
+1
22
4....
142
77
}}
"}
:).
17
5............(Highest),.
214
17
Total examined,
709