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EDUCATION IN THE COLONY.
IMPOÄTANT RECOMMENDATIONS BY SPECIAL COMMITTEE.
The report of the Committee on Education was submitted on the 10th inst. at the Legislative Council. It is divided into five parts. Part I gives a description of the existing system. Part II deals with the cf sses of child en re- quiring education and contains the following resolutions:-
CLASSES OF CHILDREN REQUIRING EDUCATION.
14. The Government of Hongkong may reasonably be expected to provide or as ist in providing an education for four classes of children-First-Children of British parent. age resident in the Colony. Second-Children of Chinese parentage resident in the Colony, Third. Children of Portuguese extraction resident in the Colony. Fourth.—Children of mixed European and Chinese parentage (Eura sians) resident in the Colony.
15. Further, in Imperial interests it is desir- able to offer instruction in the English lan- guage and Western' knowledge to all young Chinese who are willing to study them, even though they are not residents of the Colony: provided that the instruction can be furnished
at a reasonable cost.
Children of British Parentage.
16. It is essential that the children of British parentage be educated by themselves, and not side by side with children of other nationalities
or races.
17. There is no public school in the Colony reserved for the children of British parentage alone. It is recommended that steps be taken to remedy this state of affairs.
Children of Chinese Parentage. 18. It should be the policy of the Govern- ment to influence the education of Chiuese children from their early years, but little can be done whilst the Vernacular Schools remain what they are.
Anglo-Chinese Schools.
19. In the Anglo-Chinese Schools instruction in the English language is of course essential: it is to give this instruction that the schools were founded, and to obtain it that they are attended. It is essential that Western know- ledge should be a compulsory subject in every Standard It is essential that the students should possess on entering a sufficient knowledge of the Chinese written language, which know- ledge should be maintained and improved during
the school course.
20. The Anglo-Chinese Schools as at present constituted are defective in all three essentials. As regards English, in colloquial, composition, and intelligent reading alike, the results attain- ed are not commensurate with the time devoted to the study. Western knowledge is taught un- systematically, and moreover is not taught at all in the lower Standards. The knowledge of the Chinese written language, insufficient as it is, which the students possess on entering the Anglo Chinese Schools, is not made use of as it should be to aid them in acquiring English and Western knowledge, nor is any attempt made to train them to utilise it as a medium of expression.
21. The following remedies are suggested (a.) English should be taught with a view to its practical use: less attention should be paid to grammatical forms, and more to composition. (b.) Western knowledge should be taught systematically in all Standards, and it should be taught in Chinese until the students have sëquired so good an understanding of English as to enable them easily to receive instruction in English. (c.) Before entering these schools students should be required to show that they possess a useful knowledge of the Chinese written language. (d) Constant translation from English into Chinese and from Chinese into English, both oral and in writing, should be insisted upon. (6.) English masters should know Chinese, both for the purpose of teaching and also to enable them to supervise the work of the Chinese masters.
22. It is further recommended that induce- ments should be held out to students to prolong their studies in the Anglo-Chinese Schools, and the following expedients are suggested:-(a.) That foundation scholarships be offered giving free education in these schools. (b.) That
[April 12, 19 02.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND·
certificates should be given by the Government | a distinct advantage that they and their men- to students passing a Government ex mination. Vernacular Schools.
23. In the Vernacular Schools instruction in the Chinese Written Language is essential. It is essential that Western Knowledge should be a compulsory subject in every Standard.
24. The Vernacular Schools as at present con- stitnted are defective in both essentials. Western Knowledge is arranged to begin in the fourth year of study, but nine-tenths of the scholars leave school after three years or less; consequent- ly to them it is never taught at all. As for the instruction in the Chinese Written Langage, it is given too much with the object of memoris ing the Classics, and too little with the idea of teaching the children to read write. Explanation of what they read is not given till the fourth year, so that again nine-tenths of the children derive no practical benefit from their study.
and
25. The following remedies are suggested:- (a.) That Western Knowledge be carefully taught from the lowest class upwards. (b) That the Chinese Written Language be taught on more practical lines.
26. It is further recommended that induce- ments be held out to children to prolong their studies in the Vernacular Schools, and the following expedients are suggested:-(a) To permit the teaching of English as a special subject in the higher Standards. (b.) To offer scholarships from the higher Standards of the Vernacular Schools into the Anglo-Chinese Schools.
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folk are alike convinced of their capacity for intellectual exercise. The self-approbation of your male Chinese requires no such stimolus.” The time is rip to put increased pressure on the schoolboys; but in the case of the school- girls it can hardly be said to be so. It is therefore necessary for the time being to make distinctions in the treatme t of the two classes of children.
Portuguese and Eurasian Girls,
34. These classes are provided for by the Roman Cath lie Convents on the one hand, and the Diocesan school for girls and the Belilios Public School on the other. The last- named is attended by a considerable number of Chinese, but the restriction upon the admission of Chinese, which is recommended in English Boy Schools. is at present unnecessary.
IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING SCHOOLS.
In the Third Part the existing schools are considered in detail in the light of the principles determined in Part II; and where they are found wanting, defaite suggestions are made to remedy thair shortcomings.
QUEEN'S COLLEGE.
35-36 It is recommended that Queen's College revert to the purpose for which it was originally intended, and supply an education to Chinese only.
37. As in the other Anglo-Chinese Schools, the knowledge of English acquired at Queen's College does not appear satisfactory, consider- ing the time spent upon it; Western Know- ledge seems taught withont sufficient regard to the local point of view; and the knowledge of the Chinese Written La guage possessed by the scholars is very imperfect.
Children of Portuguese Extraction. 27. There are two classes of schools in the Colony, both under Roman Catholic manage ment, which provide an education mainly intended for the Portuguese, namely, (a.) those in which English, and (b.) those in which Portuguese is the medium of instruction. The first class includes 5. Joseph's. where Portu- guese scholars predominate, though there is a tendency to admit too many Chinese: the latter not only fail to get the education best suited to their needs (as described above) but also keep back their European class-mates, by reason of the greater difficulties which a European language and European ideas present to them. 39. As regards the organisation of the school Neither should Annamese and Filipinos be the following recommendations are submitted: allowed to predominate in a school pr marily│(a) The duties of the staff should be s3 re- intended for the children of Hongkong.
Portuguese Vernacular Schools,
£8. It is unnecessary for the Government to foster the study of the Portuguese language, and it is recommended that the support given to these schools be withdrawn,
Children of Mized Parentage (Eurasians). 29. The existing English and Anglo-Chinese Schools are sufficient to meet the needs of Eurasians; who can as heretofore choose which class of schools they prefer to attend.
38. As regards the teaching of the Chinese Written Language the following more detailed recommendations are submitted:-(a.) That an entrance examination be held cach term, the test for admission being ability to write an ordinary narrative intelligently, and to read and understand the news column of a Chinese newspaper. (b) That translation from English into Chinese and vice versa be seriously studied under competent teachers in all the classes.
arranged, that every division of every class may receive instruction in Eng.ish from an English master for not less than one and a half hours
a day. (b.) The English masters should each be in charge of a class: the divisions of classes
should be each under a Chinese master subor- dinate to the English class master. No class master should be in charge of more than three divisions, aud no division should contain more than fifty scholars reckoning by the average attendance. (c.) The salaries of the Chinese staff are inadequate and should be increased. (d.) Pupil teachers should be organised under a practical system. They should receive in- struction from a qualified normal master. (e.) Subjects like Algebra, Euclid, the more 31. The education of girls of Bri.ish parent-advanced pars of Arithmetic, Mensuration, age is as defective as their brothers' and for the
FEMALE EDUCATION.
31. The education of girls in the Colony should follow the lines indicated for boys as a general rule.
Girls of British Parentage.
same reasons.
Girls of Chinese Parentage.
Girl Schools.
Anglo-Chinese
32. There is no present need for the creation of Anglo-Chinese schools for girls. The high school for girls will satisfy any existing demand for a more advanced education in English. It must not be forgotten that the large attendance at Queen's College and the other Anglo-Chinese Boy Schools is due to a desire to acquire English for business purposes. This st malus is absent in the case of girls.
Vernacular Girl Schools.
33. They should be conducted on the same general lines as the Vernacular Schools for boys, At the same time it is a matter of some delicacy to impose stringent conditions upon the educa- tion of girls whose parents regard that education as somewhat of an extravagance, and who might be easily inclined to withdraw their daughters from school. The following passage from a recent report by the Inspector of Schools com- mends itself to the judgment of the Com- mittee:-"To find themselves amenable to education must be an invaluable lesson to the Chinese girls and a wholesome one to their parents and brothers, so that whether that which they learn is worth learning or not, it is
and Book-keeping, which are taught more as a mental exercise than for practical purposes, should not be taught to boys who have not attained to a thorough knowledge of English. Western Knowledge on the other hand should be taught from the lowest class upwards. (f.) Promotion from class to class should be slower, more regular, and dependent on no considerations other than the ability of the students promoted.
DISTRICT SCHOOL",
4. The Anglo-Chinesa district schools which should be conducted generally on the lines prescribed in Part II, may be expected to r lieve the overcrowding at Queen's College, as well as to provide a somewhat less advanced educa- tion at a lower cost.
41. The Vernacular district schools have for long been treated as if there were no natural connection between them and the Auglo- Chinese schools, even when the two were held under the same roof. In view of this, the following recommendation is made:-Verna- cular district schools should be established in connection with Anglo-Chinese district schools, and linked to them; and opportunities should be given by scholarships or otherwise, enabling the more intelligent of the boys after passing through the Vernacular schools to continue