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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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The report read included the following items
--The total number the average both figures are
(January 28, 1905
I append a Report by the Normal Master, Mr. Tanner, upon the Pupil Teachers under his charge. I agree with him that they have all worked well, and paid great attention to his instruction. I cannot speak too highly of the manner in which Mr. Tanner has discharged his duties as Normal Master; he seems specially adapted to the work, and shows considerable tact in encouraging these young teachers. I must confess, however, that after my observation of the excellence of the course of ins ruction given in Conversation, I was disappointe I in the actual knowledge displayed at the Examination. Even in the Preparatory School. I could not That is Queen's College. accept as conversation * Sir,' &o. No-boy could inficite and name in succession the streets he would pass in going from Queen × College to the Clock Tower or the Civil Hospital. There was also an astounding ignorance of the locality of the Guol. Again it would appear that pictures do not convey a clear idea to the Chinese mind: one boy called a green hil studded with trees a cloud, several pointed to a cart as an animal. Seasons and dates, human dress and relationships appear to have been entirely forgotten after a careful drilling of several months.
from Norman Dukes holding England by right of and Miss Greig, Miss Shelbourne, Mr. and Mrs | It is worthy of record that several boys from conquest, became English Kings who considered Braidwood, Mrs and Miss Seth, Dr. Thomson, this Colony (including this collage) have recently that they had claims on the Norman Duchy. Rev. Sutherland, Mr. G. Piercy, Mr J. Dyer found the possession of Oxford Certificates of The battle of Agincourt in 1415, and 200 years Ball, Rev. Hickling, and Mr. and Mrs Mooney, great value on proceeding to England and DR. BATESON WRIGHT, Head of the America: the Seuior being accepted in lieu of after the gigning of Magna Charta, marked the highest point ever reached in the assertion of College, before reading the annual report, said: the Entrance Examination required by Medical those claims. The ill-success of the King who Your Excellency-We have pleasure in and Legal Societies, and the Junior facilitating
here. It it uot admission to various schools. followed Henry V. and the subsequent internal welcoming your troables in Englan at the time of the wars of necessary for me to introduce our new Governor the Roses, led her to abandon the attempt to to the masters and boys, as immediately on your become a Continental power. Some two hun-arrival you proposed early in Angust to repair dred years after Agincourt she
had to this College, but owing to the weather and started her first colonial efforts, and the vacation you were unable to do so. On the laid the foundation of her commerce, 3rd October you came here. You not only and it was her Colonies and her commerce paid a visit, but made a thorongh_inspection, that led her again to take part in wars on the both in English and vernacular. The impres- Con inent, and to the battle of Waterloo in 1815, 'sion you left ou the staff and the boys is such occasion as exactly 400 years after Agiue mrt and 600 years that we welcome you on this after the signing of Magua Char 8. With a friend instead of hailing you as a stranger, these examples of historical scaffolding from (Applans ·). the general history of Europe, and the history 1 should have of England, I must. I fear, stop. liked to have given another with reference to the East, and to have rau orer briefly the salient. features in the histories of the five ancient · monarchies of Egypt. Cha'dea. Assyria, Baby- lonia and Persia, of my own people-the Jews, of classical India, of Sanscrit times, and of the vast Empire' of China, which differs from the other Easte a cutries I have named having remained under practically the same form of Government from the earliest dawn of history to the present day. Bat my speech has degenerated to a lecture which has made an undue claim on your time and attention. only hope that what I have said may have impressed the idea on some that a scaffolding of "dates and facts acquired in a school course of history, helps the subsequent building up of the world's stories, and that these stories are of intense interest. I wil now conclude by evincing my own interest in the subject and stimulating that of the boys of this school in another way, viz. by presenting an extra prize to the boy who has shown himself the most promising student of history.
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The recipient was Edward Law. The Rt. Rev. Bishop J. C. HOARE thanked His Excellency for so kindly distributing the prizes. It was of very great value to the educational works of the Colony to have the head of the Government showing real practical interest in education. He personally felt, after having been round with His Excellency to one or two schools and spent some hours with him, that he did not come only to give away the prizes. His Excellency had a knowledge of what was wanted, and could give a great deal of advice as to how educational work should be carried out. The Colony is to be congratulated in having a Governor who is really a help to it in its educational work (applause). His Ex- cellency had been speaking about history. This was a most interesting subject to read, but the most difficult to teach, as one does not know where to begin or end. There was no royal road to the learning of this subject. The modern history books published were no doubt very interesting, but he believed the older teachers were much more advantageous. His Excellency was right in saying that if we want to learn it at school we must put our noses against the grindstone and learn date after date, and thus get the skeleton together. We can then put in reading studies in after life, and thus fill in the flesh and blood.
His Lordship then addressed the scholars at some length with regard to sport, holidays, etc, and wound up by calling for three hearty Theers for His Excellency and the ladies and the gentlemen present. These
were given. ikewise three for the Bishop and three for Mr. Piercy and his wife.
QUEEN'S COLLEGE PRIZE DISTRIBUTION.
HIS EXCELLENCY ON MATHEMATICS,
The prizes won by scholars of Queen's College were on Jan. 25th distributed at the College by His Excellency the Governor. Among those present were the Hon. Mr. F. H May and Mrs. May, Mrs. Gershom Stewart, Dr. Ho Kai, Mr. Irvine, Insp utor of Schools, Consul Romano, Dr. and Mrs. Atkinson, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Williams, Mr. E. A. Hewett, Rev. T. Pearce, Miss Bateman, Miss Holmes, Mr.
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1,501. the roll was on daily attendance being 1,000: iu excess of those reach- el in 1903 and form a re ord. Our attendances, which in ngland would be the object of congratulatiou and envy, were seriously affected by the phenomenal number of cases of beri
bari.
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The sight diminution in fees, 8 is due to the unprecedented exodus, in the first half of the year, of 166 boys from the Upper School, which in March consisted of 497 boys, The racant accommodation was as far as pssi- ble utilised for the Preparatory School, where the fees are lower. It is much to be regretted | that parents and guardians do not recognise that it is a penny-wise-and-pound-foolish policy to curtail the boy's education just when it is ripening in order to earn so much the earlier a few dollars a month. Parent have often subsequently deplored the fatal mistake they have thus made. The total number of applicants for seats in 1904 was 632, of which 16" (or 23 per cent.) failed to satisfy the simple entrance test in Chinese, and 69 m re refused for want of room. Thus 453 boys were admitted. On the other land 495 boys left in the course of the year. So long ago as in my annual report, January, 1896, I pointed out that. while this annual change of one-third of the total number of scholars is prejudicial to the best interests of education, it has always obtain- ed in the history of this college, i.e. for over forty years. In the Estimates, 866,689 were voted for Queen's College; of this sum only 860,411 were expended, including Crown Agents: Account. The total amount of fees was $29.048. and minor sums were paid to the credit of the Government, leaving $31,337 as the Government share of expenditure on Quen's College for the year 1904 chargeable to the public. It is to be noted that though in the Estimates there was an increase for Expenditure of $8.148 the actual increase of cost to the Government Master, ад was only $5,184 for Normal additional English Master. five Vernacular Masters, and higher rate of salaries for Chinese Assistants. Mr. A. J. May, the Second Master, returned to the Colony on the 28th September: Mr. Ralphs had been acting for him up to 29tlí February and Mr. Dely from the 1st March: having returned on the 25th February. Mr. Ralphs went on twelve months' leave to Europe
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3rd March. Messra, de-Martin, B.A. (Dublin), and Garrett. B.A. (Cantab), arrived on 25th February and 24th September respec- tively both gentlemen have zealously and successfully taken up their work, which being chiefly of an elementary character with Chinese pup ls is a novel experience. The former is a new appointment to the Eleventh English Mastership pnt ou 1904 Estimates for the first time; the latter fills the vacancy caused by the sad death of Mr. Soymour, who was at his duties from 9 to 12 on Saturday, 14th May. was admitted to the Government Civil Hospital at 3.3 the same day ou a medical certificate declar. ing him to be suffering from Bright's Disese, and died Tuesday, 17th May, at 11.30 p.m. Mr. Seymour took great interest in the boys' sports, and his classes passed successfully with high percentages.
The results of the xford Local Éxaminations in 1904 were, as regards Queen's College, inferior to those in 1903, only 18 good marks being obtained as against 40. The percentage of passes were, Seniors 50, Juniors 50, and Pre- | liminary 78, the last being very satisfactory.
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Discipline in the college remains excellent. Ther- is, however, a matter affecting what may be called external discipline to which I desire to draw the attention of the public. There is a tendency on the part of some Chinese parents and guardians to treat Queen's College as if it were a hotel. Boys are taken away and sent on a tour of the other schools and readmission is claimed for them on the plea that they prefer our fare. Again boys are sent to Canton or Macao and the Head Master is peremptorily ordered by letter to mark them on leave and readmit them on their return. Of the 66 boys dismissed in 1904, nearly all were removed from the books for this gross disregard of well-known school regulations. It is needl-ss to add that leave is willingly granted in all urgent cases of sickness or death of relatives, and for some of the many family functions penliar to China, but unknown in Europe.
Last May the Register number of a boy on l'hus in almission to this college was 1000 42 years a myriad names have been enrolled at Qu'en's College, and of these, three quarters hare been entered in the last 23 years. Say 9,000 boys have left this college and one-third are scattered on the mainland, then we have a small army of 3,000 unpaid misssionaries spread- ing Western ideas.
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Having pr s nte I the prizes His Excellency said :
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Dr. Ba'eson Wright, I thank you for your kind words of welcome. It has given mo special pleasure to present the prizes to-day at this, the principal school of the Colony, which has been established for over 40 years and has ben for more than half of that periol under your distinguished direction. The report which business-like you have read to us is a
document. The record average daily atten- dance of 1,000 boys shows the great and growing I not with importance of the institution. satisfaction your good report of your staff and the special words of praise that have been given to the five mast rs of the Vernacul r School. Your remarks on the work don by the scholars in the different subjets of study ara also interesting and lead me to hope that 1905 will be a year of promise.
Ladies and gentlemen, You are probably by this time sufficiently familiar with my methods to anticipate that I shall pick out the work subject of the school as the one to discuss on this occasion. In order not to disappoint you I will take the following paragraph from the Head Master's report: Mathematics were very weak, Algebra being the bet subject, Euclid and Mensuration the worst Book-keeping i Class IIA produced a fia co, serious blunders vitiating 70 per cent. of the papers. Instruc- tion in mathematics in the College is confined to four elementary subjects-arithmetic, includ- ing book-keeping, plane geometry, mensuration