Year. 1890.
of School Scholars. Days. Max. Min
1,075 236
890
683
1891
1,108 231
032
712
ance. 758 759
1892.
1,062
237
862
700
728
1993.
1.012
238
840
639
683
1894..
1,048 222
881
85
Number Per-
of cent-
School age
Year.
1890.
1891.
1892.
1299
1894..
Boya of School exa- passes. fees. mined.
auce.
[January 1805.
70
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The following tables will illustrate the con.ties, bringing their parents or guardians to tirely with the parents to show their appreciation dition of the College during the last five years :— apply for leave. On the 14th July there were of the advantages specially devised for them. }}as
Total Number Monthly Average
48 boys for the twenty one class-rooms instead well-known Government official by sending Number of Enrolment. Daily of 832 as in May. His Excellency the Go his two sons here has broksu through the
Attend- vernor, under the circumstances, permitted the prejudice with which we have alway
vacation to begin a fortnight earlier than usual. contend, viz, that the preponderance of Chi On reopening on the 3rd September 557 boys nese scholars renders this place unsuitable for returned and by the end of the month this num- boys of other nationalities. In this connection, ber had risen to 625, not counting 37 boys newly however, it is not to be forgotten, that there 545 admitted. I attribute this satisfactory return of hardly a school in the colony but has at length Average so large a number of bys to the Governor's kind admitted Chinese, after starting with exclusive- expense consideration in remitting, on account of the ly non-Chinese pupils. The two classes aboy
of each
plague, the arrears of fees due from boys who spoken of are for convenience called from the Actual scholar
were absent in the months of June and July; position of their class-rooms Class 10. and net
per aver- expen- age daily for there can be no doubt that otherwise a cou.II.C. but this gives an inaccurate impr ditare. attend-siderable number would have stayed away ou of the standard of work. Each of these
account of inability to pay such large lamp same is divided into two sections. In Clösay 692 89 45 11,912.00 19,222.46 25.34
as $12, 33, &c. As it is, 235 names were missing only one boy took the papers of Class LA, 709 90.26 12,237.00 18,158.60 23.92
between May and September as against 109 last remainder of the Senior section taking thom 671 96.12 12,342.00 19.741.43 27.09 625 93.28 12,348.00 21.405.46 31.33 year, or an extra loss of 126 boys in the summer I.B; while the Junior section found Clast 11. 587 88.58 11,562.00 28,583,85 52.42 of 1894.
papers sufficiently difficult. Class JIC. ATTENDANCE.—The minimum monthly atten- RETRENCHMENT.-Experience, as observable history, geography, and composition with Clà
new I I. and the Seniors also worked Euclid and danes, 85 in July, contrasts sadly with the in connection with the formation of a maximum 881 in April, which nearly equals the department, or the extension of an old one, has algebra papers prepared for the same class 890 of 1890 In the course of the year 403 boys shown that the expenses grow, in the first few but in arithmetic and grammar the Sepfor were admitted, as against 308 in 1893; and of years, to a considerable extent in exces of the section sat with Class IV. and the Junior ath these, 56 entered in the second half of the year, original estimate. It is therefore to the credit | Class V. As a compensation for the time spent as against 44 in the same period last year. This of Dr. Stewart and Dr. Eitel that their approval | in Chinese by other classes, these two increased demand for admission, in spite even of my estimate in 1887 of the number of officers Latin. To remore any misconception, and of an epidemic, may be viewed as an indication and items of expenditure required for the new an act of justice to the masters concerned that this college has not suffered in reputation. building has in no particular been subjugt to have this year kept the four sections of the non- cannot take into acconn binese classes separate distinguishing them as FINANCES-It is specially disappointing to increase, for we note the low figur at which revenue derivable | the general increase of 35 per cent. and N. 1, N. 2, N. 3. N. 4. I must not omit to from fees stands I have already reported to 20 per cent. to the Civil Service, nortion that his Excellency the Governor has shỏn the Treasury that, in view of the $700 actual the item English boks, where fill in silver his sympathy with this movement by relievios gain in the first five months of the year, and of bas necessitated farther adjustment, neither of the master in charge of the Senior non-Chinose the increased admissions above alluded to, there which events could possibly have ben foreseen. class, Mr. › schell, of further study of Chinese, is no exaggeration in assuming $1,200 as the The Colonial Treasurer in his evidence before so that he may devote himself more completely total increase, and $13,500 as the total revenue the Retrenchment Com nittee said (p. 127). to developing this branch of the College and that might na'urally have been expected had it "When men become trained in Treasury work, continue without overstrain to himself to sn. not been for the Plague. The total loss in they become very valuabl. If a rush of prosperintend the athletic training of these boys. Oord LoCAL EXAMINATIONS—We paid fees due to this canse cannot be taken at less perity comes to the colouy, several of my staff. than $2,000, of which $1,181 is accounted for some of whom are really intelligent men, may fes, but ouly 15 boys presented themselves, by the amenat remitted to boys who were leave me at once for better pay and this whom eight obtained certificates, vis, three absent in the months of June and July, hav-sentiment was echoed by other beds of depart Seniors under 19 years of age, and five Juniors ing left the colony with their families in the ments. The same argument applies with greater over 16 years of age. Of special subj eta, I boy Assistants of pissed in bookkeeping, 2 in drawing, 2 in phy soire naturally engendered by the plague. The force to the trained Chinese balance, $800, may be attributed to the fees of this establishment if they continue to biography, and 1 in trigonometry. U: Han six months unpaid by about 100 boys, who are underpaid, the old experience of their departure kain, who headed the Seuior list in this place. in excess of the number of absentees in the cor-
thir services are most valuable will was marked Good in arithmetic, Shakespare, and responding months of last year. With a heavy again b4 felt. The onus of showing that | algebru; and Fok Chi-yan, who took the as loss of revenue and a terrible reduction in atteo-younger and more incompetent Chinese are position amongst the Juniors, obtained the sai dance, as observable in the fifth column, it is not suitable to be teachers of English in fourteen mark in arithmetic and Shakespeare. Of th a matter for surprise that the average expense of the twenty-one classes of this College falls on eight boys who obtained certificates, 4 in the tenth columa should appear dispropor-thogs who dispute my position, which is that mark d Good in arithmetic, 4 in Shakespeare, tionate. The tables at the end of this report con- Chinese teachers of agus ranging from 25 to 40, in geography, and 1 in algebra. Taken as a whole tain two additional items of expenditure, viz.,comp-t-bt to teach a variety of English subjects, the result is very satisfactory, the percentage of adjustment of exchange in Crown Agents' surely deserve higher sal-ries than young Chi- passés as compared with last year being 531 58. account, and exchange compensation paid to three pese clerks tire and ten years their juffior, who are There is a mirked improvement iu the work of masters who accepted three shillinge exchange only required to oppy or tra slate documents. the uon-Chiness boys, though the Chinese still for the dollars when on leave; these account for It has, however, gravely been suggested to lea1. the increase in expenditure observable on last reduce the salaries of these masters, which are already lower than those of copying clerks this year.
would certaily reduce expenditure, but reuder any chance of maintaining effoi cy hopeless.
whou
•
|
|
ANGLO-CHINESE CLASS.—The number of boys foramined in these divisions dwindled from 58 in BUBONIC PLAGUE.-On the 1st May the ab
1889 to 12 in 1893. When, then, in March last. I found only two boys presenting themselves sentee list, in accordance with normal conditions was under 4 per cent, of the number on the D STINGUISHED VISITORS-Dr. Gustav Op- to form a class, I first enquired of the parents monthly roll; but on account of the outbreak of pet, Professor at Madras University, and Dr the cause of their sons' absence, and then the plague over 42 per cent. were absent on June Dennys. Protector of Chinese in British Northported to the Government the extinction" of the 1st, and on July 1st 965 per cent. were absent, Borneo, both paid a visit and expressed great Anglo-Chinese class. The reasons alleged by exactly inverting the percentages of two months interest in the education given here. The latter the parents appeared to be valid, previously, wheu that was the percentage of a paid us the highest compliment by selecting, bclassified in the following manner: (1)' several tendance. From the end of May the non-Chi-after competitive examination, u fist class boy boys are andor ten years of age, and it is objected nese scholars, nearly to a boy, absented them to accompany him back to Boruen as clerk and that the study of Chinese, in addition to English,
is too severe a strain; (2) others profess selves: two little English boys in the Preparatory interpreter in his own department. School were a bright exception, coming regular, CHANGE IN THE CON TITUTI »N THE COL-attend classes for improvement in their own ly till the College was closed. Of the Chinese LEGE:-On the 3rd Septemb r I received notion tan rages, Portuguese, Arab c. &c.; (3) others boys, the upper school boys deserve the most that the reratary of State had decided that all live out at East Point and find it impossible ör a m. till 3 p.m. credit for regular attendance; for some time connection with the Education Department and unhealthy to remain from 8 the first class formed the bulk of the total College Queen's College should cease, and that the without a sold meal. Of the 10) non-Chinese attendance. As daily dead bodies were carried College should be placed noder th management; boy on the roll, 71 are in the Upper School and out of streets in the vicinity of the College of a Governing Body This was supplemented | therefore exempted by Government order; there and the smoke and smell of burning stuff on the 6th December by an explanation con- | remain then 32 to form the Anglo Chinese class, refuse from plague-stricken houses, were borne veyed in an extract from the Secretary of State's | but 20 of these are about 8 or 9 years of age.
TH STAFF-I am happy to report an excep- into the building from a spot not 50ft, despatch, viz." The change which is now being distant, the gradual na'ure of the exodus initiated has been devised in Dr. Wright's own tionally good bill of health. Mr. May the deserves praise rather than censure. It is interests as well as those of the school. It is Second Master, went on leave in April, after the difficult to ascertain with precision how many an alternative to the existing system, which has completion of six ye ra' service, and Mr. Dokly is acting for him, proving a very energetic and of our boys succumbed to this disease. Eight been found to be unsatisfactory." deaths have been reported as due to this cause. NON-CHINESE CLASSES.-It was a pleasure satisfactory substitute. Mr. Barlow slid wiht Early in June two of our boys living in quite to me to observe that the Retrenchment Com-on leave, ou a plea of urgent private affaira. different parts of the town suddenly died of mittee (par. 130) share my opinion that it is the Mr. Jones was temporarily transferred to the plagne. So Man-chan was in school on Saturday, duty of the College to make special provision for Magistracy as Acting First Clerk. We were, the 2nd, and reported dead and buried on Mou- the education of such English and other non- therefore, for eight months shart of t
Two classes services of three masters. The consequent - day, the 4th: on the same Monday Leung Shi- Chinese boys as wish to enter,
hauges put the First · Chinees chak was removed to hospital and reported have been specially formed for their benefit, necesari dead on the following day. As a consequence, under the charge of English masters; but it will Assistant in charge of the Preparatory Sobool, Wan of Class II. B. the highest, 220 boys left in the course of the week and 120 be only possible to maintain these if the unmber Mr. more before the close of the month. With rare of pupils does not fall below a minimum of 60 for Upper School Class yet entrusted to a Chinese exceptions the boys observed the usual formali. the two classes combined. It rests therefore en- Assistant, and deprived one of the Lower Sol
77
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