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(a) it provides a secondary vernacular education ("middle school") for school pupils, and (b) it has normal classes which train men student teachers, giving them a two years' course. The annual output averages about six teachers. We consider the output to be insufficient for the adequate staffing of urban vernacular schools and we think the training of such teachers requires a separate institution with its own staff.
The Vernacular Normal School for Women provides a four-year course of training. The annual output averages about eight teachers. Here again we con- sider the output insufficient. To attract sufficient numbers of suitable students, however, both men and women, the pay and prospects of vernacular teachers in general will have to be much improved.
(2) Evening Classes.
The Evening Institute has classes providing a three-year course for both men and women. The annual output averages about 25 teachers. We consider these evening classes open to the same criticisms as the corresponding classes for Anglo- Chinese teachers. The system is a makeshift one and cannot give really adequate training.
It must be remembered that vernacular teachers are required not only for vernacular schools, but also for teaching Chinese studies in the Anglo-Chinese schools. At present, we are informed, it is almost impossible to get such teachers who are capable of taking the higher Chinese studies in the upper classes of these schools. There is also a considerable body of opinion in favour of replacing English by Chinese as the medium of instruction in the lower classes of the Anglo- Chinese schools a scheme which if carried out would largely increase the demand for trained vernacular teachers. It is also considered desirable that some at any rate of this class of teacher should have a knowledge of English which would enable them to start instruction in English in the top classes of the vernacular primary schools.
We recommend accordingly:
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That Government should take immediate steps to provide a new training centre or centres in Hong Kong for training men and women vernacular teachers. That the new centre or centres should provide a course of two years' duration, and that the scholastic qualification for admission to this course should be the completion of the Senior Middle School course, but that the Director of Education should have power in his discretion to admit students with lesser qualifications to the course so long as this may be necessary to secure an adequate supply of teachers, provided that this discretion shall be subject to review after 5 years.
That the new centre or centres should accommodate the existing Normal Classes of the Vernacular Normal and Middle School and the Vernacular Normal School for Women and have room to allow for expan- sion up to a total of 200 students.
That the new centre or centres should be staffed and managed on the same lines as the centre for Anglo-Chinese teachers already recom- mended.
That Government assistance should be provided where necessary for the students in training.
That as soon as a sufficient supply of trained teachers from the new centre or centres is available. the evening classes should be discontinued.
The above recommendations are based in the main on our view that Government should undertake greater responsibility for primary vernacular education particularly in the way of establishing its own vernacular schools; they are also based to some extent on our view that the adoption of