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who are not yet in school should be about 30,000, the cost of educating them on the same basis would be not more than $300,000 per annum, including presumably the cost of supervision.
In order to be able to carry out this work successfully, it might be necessary to find trustworthy bodies willing to undertake the work under the control of the department. A further need would be normal classes for the purpose of training the teachers on proper lines in suitable centres.
Taking the number of scholars as 30,000, and the average number of scholars taught by one teacher as thirty, it would mean that one thousand teachers must be found. This would involve a great task in the way of training, before the teachers were up to what may be regarded as Government standards, but with patience and perseverance the task could be accomplished. The work need not wait on this account, as teachers could be trained as they are at present, while doing their work, perhaps in evening classes.
Compulsory education is not yet un fait accompli in Canton or elsewhere in China, but it is in the minds of many, and Hongkong cannot afford to be behind- hand in such a matter. It has been pointed out that this Colony has been a pioneer in education, and it should retain that position, being a leader rather than a follower. As mentioned above, there is a strong body of people in Canton and in the province generally whose aim is to introduce compulsory education. They see that a country cannot advance much without education, and so are awake to the need for this.
The present is a very good time for starting such a system in this Colony many Chinese are ready for such a movement, and the Census has just been taken and from the results of that, it will be possible to get a fairly accurate estimate of the number of children of school age in the Colony. It would be easy to fix ages for the purpose of education as all Chinese ages are changed at the Chinese New Year. Chinese 8-16 would approximate to English 6-14 years of age.
It would be possible to inform all people coming to the Colony hereafter that they must make provision for the education of their children. There might be difficulties in the matter, but they would not be unsurmountable.
By means of such a system, children who were bad could be tried out in different schools, and dealt with so that they might not be a menace to the peace of the Colony.
It is not likely that many children would be brought to the Colony in order to secure the benefit of such primary education as is mentioned here, and the condition that might be imposed on new arrivals, to provide for the education of their children, would be an effective barrier.
These remarks are offered as a preliminary statement for discussion in con- nection with the problems of the child life of Hongkong.
(Sgd.) H. R. WELLS.
Hongkong, 10th May, 1921.