42
HONGKONG SCHOOLS.
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The Report of the Inspector of Schoole, for the year 1906 is published in the Gazette. Mr. Irving, prior to his departure, stated that the number of schools (Government and Grant) was 85, an increase of two as compared with last year. The average attendance was 5,496 as against 5,323, the increase being nearly equally divided between the Upper and Lower trade schools. The Anglo-Indian School has this year been considered as in the Lower Grade, as has also the Berlin Foundling House, since neither of these schools have had any European teachers.
There has been for several years a steady increase in the numbers of pupils attending the Government and Graut English schools. The Private English schools also
to be increasingly well attended. It is to be noted that the figures for the Private schools are based upon the maximum monthly enrolment, as the average attendances are not obtainable, The figures are at best an approximation; but as they have been arrived at in the same way for several years, the error is probably constant. The majority of the Private English schools give a very elementary education in English: The figures do not include the night schools, of which there are 26, with an enrolment of 494 pupils. The number of pupils at the Govern ment and Grant Vernacular schools is 2,149, to a unit the same as last year. On the other hand the numbers in the Private Vernacular schools continue to increase rapidly. According to a return made by the Attendance Officer, in 1905 out of 118 of these schools only 15 employed methods of imparting instruction. This year, he reckons that the proportion is 45 ont of 128. The least that can be said of these figures is that they are evidence of a general tendency towards the improvement of Vernacular education.
The proportion of girls to boys is as about 2,000 to 3,500, or as 4 to 7. This ratio is not even as satisfactory as it appears at first sight, because, as the greater part of the girls are in the Lower Grade Vernacular schools.
The total number of Upper Grade pupils is 777, a satisfactory increase upon the preceding year of over 11%. The number of pupils studying in lower grade schools shews an increase of over 50%.
The cost of each pupil to the Government is an important point in connection with the value of the schools. It ranges from $99.09 at the Victoria School, to $8.10 at the Belilios School, Vernacular Side. The average cost to Govern- ment of the three District schools of Saiyingpun, Yaumati and Wantsai is $26-42, as compared with $24:48 at Que-n's College. The cost of Venlong School, $77.55, is very high when the elementary nature of the work is considered.
Lower grade Anglo-Chinese schools were opened at Pingshan in August, and at Taipo in May. It has been decided to close the little Vernacular school at Sheko from the end of the year. It was the last of the Government schools that gave an education to boys in the Chinese language.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
with the Headmaster as their Officer. They went into camp at Stonecutter's Island in October. Mr. Williems reports that "the results achieved in signalling have quite justified the formation of the Corps". Provision for Morris tubes, ammunition and a miniature rifle range behind the school will be made in the Estimates for 1908.
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I regret to report that the Belilios Public School, Anglo-Chinese Side again shows falling off in numbers, the average attendance for the year being 82, as against 93 last year. The fees likewise are the lowest that have been collected for many years. The Vernacular Side of the School, which now gives such a good education through the medium of the Chinese language has taken a good many pupils who otherwise might have attended the Anglo- Chinese Side. Nor are things quite as bad as they appear; because I have in the last two years disallowed the attendance of a number of boys who had intruded and climbed into the fold. I do not expect to see any further decline in Dumbers. The teaching and work of the school is very satisfactory, and worthy of a stronger support by the public.
District Schools feeders to Queen's College, In pursuance of the policy of making the their Classes were reduced from 7 or 6 to 5 in number, and are now called by names corres- ponding with those of the Lower and Prepara- tory Schools at the College, thought ere the lowest Class, Class VIII, has been abolished, Only a very few boys applied for admission to the District Schools after failing to pass the entrance examination into College, under the scheme described in last year's report; but it is too early to be despondent about the success of the scheme. An unusually large number of boys Milsummer from entered the College at Wantsai, and incidentally lowered the average results at the Wantsai Christmas Examinations. The analogous process of linking these schools with the Lower Grade istrict Schools was continued.
Iwo free scholars are yearly ad mitted from Aberdeen into Saiyingpun School, and from Tanglungchau into Wantsai School. And this year a free scholarship into Yaumati has been given to the senior pupil of Uenlong School. This last is a step towards bringing education in the New Territories into touch with the Hongkong system.
bitter
On the subject of Visual Instruction, Mr. He Irving has something interesting to say. remarks that in the year 1905, the Government of Hongkong, on the initiative of the Home Government, subscribed the large sum of $3,000 towards a scheme for promoting a knowledge of the Mother Country among the schools of the Empire. With this sum two lanterns and sets of lantern slides have been purchased and supplied, and a course of interest- ing lectures to accompany them. These arrived in the Colony at the beginning of the year under review, and steps were at once taken to There was a consider. put them to the best use. able difficulty in arranging the lectures to the best advantage, owing to the great distances separating the schools. The Diocesan Home and Orphanage and the Victoria School are more than three miles apart as the crow flies, while the Kowloon School is two miles from either, with the harbour between. Moreover, the weather and the seasons put a limit to the time in which lectures can conveniently be given. The long days of summer call for artificial darkening of the lecture room, and that necessitates closed windows. To submit a closely packed roomful of children, at the end of their day's work, to such conditions, with the thermometer between 80 and 90 degrees, and the air full of acetylene gas, is clearly impossible. The authorities of the Italian Conv nt wrote, as early as the beginning of May, "Having to close all the doors and The unhealthy nature of the surroundings of windows, the room became so bot that more than the school caused some anxiety. The expendi-
one girl felt giddy. I am afraid we cannot ture of a large sum of money has been sanction- avail ourselves of it during this hot weather ed, with the object of draining the swampy land We cannot have the day scholars here when near the school, and of clearing the grounds of it is dark now, that is after 7 o'clock p.m." At brushwood. It may, therefore, be hoped that the best, from the beginning of May to the end before long the school will be as healthy as it is of September, the lanterns pleasantly situated. The concrete flooring has Had it been otherwise desirable, it would no given a great deal of trouble, and has made it doubt have been convenient to bring the pupils of the different schools into some central place, Impossible for the school to be kept as clean as it should be. Tlis defect also is being remedied. such as the City Hall, and there deliver the The boys of the Upper Echool were at the b-lectures to them all together. But in practice, ginning of the year formed into a Cadet Corps there seem to be many objections to such a attached to the Hongkong Volunteer Corps,
Besides others having relation to the
The maximum monthly enrolment and the total of fees collected a Kowloon British School again surpassed all previous "records ", being 78 and $2,101.50 as against (8 and 81 979 for last year. But the average attendance shews for the first time in the history of the school a slight falling off, from 57 to 55. Mr. James accounts for this by "the unusual heat of last summer, and the consequent withdrawal during the hot months of many of the smaller children". As soon as this state of affairs was realised punkahs for pupils were forthwith provided. A play. ground is badly needed. At Victoria British School the average attendance was 41, which, compared with the figure for the previous year, shews an increase of eight.
course.
cannot be used.
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[July 22, 1907.
discipline of the different schools and the difficulty of” getting the pupils to attend, it was pointed out, and with much reasou, that children are much more likely to assimilata lectures given by their own teacher, who will rehearse the main points on the next day, than if they had merely listened to a lecture from a stranger, who was quite unacquainted with the amount of knowledge his audience already possessed. The lanterns and slides are all that could be desired, and the lectures contain very much valuable information. It is generally agreed that they are too long for pupils who have not been Home, and for whom hardly anything can be taken as known. It is no criticism on the printed lectures to say, that the less slavishly they were adhered to, the better were the results. The lecturer at the Diocesan School gives an account of the interesting variation be made. Mr. Garrett, who kindly undertook to give the course at the Kowloon Schoo', and whose knowledge of London is extensive, gave a course which was quite or ginal, and which proved most interesting to the pupils and also to their parents, who attended in considerable A very good course was given at St. Joseph's College.
unmbers.
ITALIAN'S MYSTERIOUS DEATH.
As reported on July 17th, the body of an old Italian was found by the police at his residenos on Shaukiwau Road. It has long been known that the deceased, who has been for many years in the Colony, earned a rather precarious live- lihood as a hawker. He held a licence and was often seen going about with a sack over his shoulders. Shabbily attired, wearing any sort of clothing whether suited to the season or not, he has been a familiar figure on the streets for m-ny years. At one time he kept a shop in Queen's Road where he used to sell things which he had picked up at auctions. Once or twice the police had to take proceedings against him but on those occasions he had a ready excuse and W&S always able to pay his fine. Latterly he had been living in one of the houses beyond the Kerosene Depot on Shaukiwan Road, but for a day or two he had not been seen. On Tuesday the police forced open the door of his room and discovered his body much decomposed, showing that death had taken place some days before. Examination showed a small incision in the throat and the circumstance pointed to suicide. Foul play is not suspected.
One theory with regard to his death is that be got a touch of sun last week which affected his mind and led to his taking his own life. Deceased, who always presented a very sickly appearance, was about 60 or 65 years of age, He spoke fair English.
GREEN ISLAND CEMENT CO.,
LTD.
An extraordinary meeting of the Green Island Cement Co., Ld., to pass a special reso- lation, was held at the offoes of "the general managers, Messrs. Shewan, Tomes and Co., on the 13th July. Mr. E. Shewan presided, and there were also present Bir Paul Chater and Hon. Mr. H. Keswick (consulting_committee), Mr. R. Henderson (secretary), Messrs. J. A. Young, E D. Haskell, and R. Hancock,
The SECRETARY read the notice olling the meeting, and the resolution requiring confrm 1- tion. The resolution read :-
That it is desirable to capitalise the sum of 8900,000, being part of the undivided profits of the Company standing to the credit of the Company's reserve fund and accordingly that the same be distributed as a' boans amongst the shareholders of the Company at the date of the passing of this Resolution in proportion tɔ the shares held by them respectively, and that the General Managers be, and they are hereby. authorised to distribute among the shareholders the 20,000 unissued shares in like proportion.
The CHAIRMAN proposed the adoption of the resolution,
Hon. Mr. KESWICK seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN—A call of $5.50 per share will be made immediately. Scrip will be ready on the 22nd instant. That is all the business gentlemen. Thank you for your attendanos.
* 162,25 MG6 (2) 1984 a deligh