in question. He
was to leave
buthampton by the steamer of the 20th inst for songhong
Iremain Je
(Signed) G. Victoria,
Chairman of the Board of Education
(True Copy)
Madlexander
Acting Colonial Secretary
Letter from Wm. Robinson, Esq., Honorary Secretary to the Board of Education,
Hongkong, to the Registrar of the University of London.
SIR,
Hongkong, 10th April, 1861.
I have been requested by the Board of Education of this Colony to write to you, and request your assistance in the following matter:
The Government of Hongkong has for many years maintained Schools for the instruction of Chinese boys. The Education has been entirely Chinese in some of them, conducted by Native masters; but in others the rudiments of English have also been taught by assistant- masters, Chinese who had acquired some knowledge of our language. They are not religious schools; but the sacred Scriptures in Chinese are used as a class-book. They have been under the superintendence of an Inspector-a European gentleman, whose business it has been to visit the Schools, and see that the Teachers did their duty.
The office of Inspector became vacant last year, and the Board of Education took the oppor- tunity to recommend to His Excellency the Governor a change in the plan of conducting the Schools. They proposed (1) that several of the Schools should be collected in one large Central Institution, where there should be school-room for 400 pupils, who should be taught their own language and the rudiments of English as hitherto; (2) that, instead of an Inspector, the Insti- tution should be under the charge of a Head-master, who should reside in it, and have ail the Native masters immediately under his eye; (3) that from the pupils who were taught English the Head-master should form classes, to receive a thorough English training from himself; (4) that other Chinese youths, who had not been in any of the Government schools, but wished to learn English, should be admissible on the payment of fees to the Head-master's classes; and (5) that the superintendence of the other Schools, not concentrated in the proposed Institution, be continued as heretofore, the Head-master to be assisted in it by the Board of Education.
His Excellency has approved of the plan, and asked the Board to find a gentleman whom he can appoint as Master. A residence, as mentioned in the plan, will be provided for him in the Institution, and he will receive a Salary of £500 per annum. He will be expected to acquire the Chinese language, without a knowledge of which he cannot fill the situation efficiently. The position is a highly honourable one, affording a sphere of great usefulness. Under the right man the Institution will not only benefit the Chinese population of this Colony, but tell powerfully on the enlightenment and progress of the adjoining continent. The Board of Edu- cation have thought it a likely way to obtain the services of a suitable individual to write to you, and the Principals of the Universities of Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and to beg that you
will bring the matter before any young man who may appear to you suitable for the situation. The
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