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A Brief History of Technical Education in Hong Kong
But, retracing our steps, in the 1870s up to 100 boys, in addition to learning the Chinese language, were taught carpentry, shoemaking and printing by Roman Catholic brothers at the Reformatory at West Point.
Of course the original way of learning a trade was by an apprentice following a master craftsman from whom a lad picked up 'tricks of the trade'. These were seldom written down or made known to those outside the fraternity. A Chinese apprenticeship implied being almost a slave to one's master. In early years it meant being the master's cook, servant, laundryman and general dogsbody.
In addition to paying respects and burning joss sticks to patron deities (such as Lu Pan for the building trades), in the first year or two a boy did little more than watch a master craftsman ply his craft as well as 'fetch and carry'. If the lad disobeyed he was scolded or beaten. Life was never intended to be easy.
But returning to institutional training. The first prize-giving ceremony at the Li Shing Scientific and Industrial College was held in 1905. Over 70 students had enrolled but by examination time, with a high dropout rate, only 35 remained.
Some things never change. The founders of that college considered the objectives were to raise China from her 'low industrial condition' and to educate her sons in modern science and industry, and to train them to use their hands as well as their brains.
"We hope to train independent workers and not mere 'hands' to be always under the direction of foreigners.'
Fine sounding words indeed at a time when the aim of most schools in the Colony was to train clerks and typists.
During the Governorship of Sir Matthew Nathan (1904-1907), the Government started to show some interest in elementary technical education. This culminated in the founding of the then, so called, Technical Institute, in 1907. It was completely different to the technical institutes that we have in Hong Kong