!
381
But, allowing that there are peculiarities attending the acquisition of Chinese which are not to be found in other lan- guages the objection does not operate to the extent which they persuade themselves it does. If the children were sent more regularly to School, and the choice of the books to be read left to the masters, acting in this respect in accordance with their instructions from the Board, the objection would be found to be practically invalid. And that it really is so may be seen from the state of the School at Tang-lung-chow, which has the greatest attendance of any Village School in the Colony. The master, several years ago, brought out a system of teaching by classes for himself, and steadily adheres to it-the result being that his School far surpasses in efficiency any of the others, where, in deference to the prejudices of the parents, the old system is more or less followed, the masters being afraid that a departure from it would leave their Schools empty.
Another objection is that the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Schools. It is very discouraging, after the repeated attempts which have been made to explain to the Chinese that this is not compulsory, but entirely at the option of j parents and guardians to find this objection continually put forward: and, that it also is more ostensive than real may be gathered from the fact that in a School supported by one of the Missions, where the Bible must be read, there is a regular attendance of forty children, while there are only some ten or twelve at the Government School in the neighbourhood.
Taking all these things into consideration, and coupling with them the fact that there are so many children in the Colony who never enter a School, and who are, in consequence, growing up in ignorance and vice, the Board, while lament- ing that the advantages offered by Government are not better appreciated, are willing to wait patiently in the hope that, in the ordinary progress of events, the cause of education will ere long present a more favourable aspect.
The Board have to report a decrease in the number enrolled for the year, but it is satisfactory to find that the attendance is much more regular, as will be seen from the Tabular Statement appended. This attendance is judged of, not from the reports of the masters, but from the state of the Schools as found by the Inspector on the days of his visits.
The School Rolls are now more faithfully kept than formerly, although there are still instances of considerable discrepancy between the number recorded and the number actually found present. At the same time, the entire blame of this cannot be thrown on the masters. As Chinese Schools are open from 6 o'clock in the morning to 4 o'clock in the afternoon, it is possible that most of those marked present may have been so at some portion of the day which suited either their own or their parents' convenience.
The Board have pleasure in reporting on the favourable state of the Schools at Tang-lung-chow, and Stanley, together
with the Girls' School in Victoria.
The first of these has a larger and more regular attendance than any of the other Schools. At the examination for Prizes recently held, the number of books which had been read during the year, the accuracy with which the lessons had been learnt, and the discipline which was maintained, were deserving of special commendation.
The School which occupies the next place is that at Stanley. In the course of two years the present master has raised the attendance from almost nothing to an average of thirty--thus deserving the promotion promised to him of being placed in the first grade of teachers with on increase of salary.
The improvement at the Girls' School is particularly marked. It was thought last year that it would be necessary to dismiss the master on account of negligence; but the caution then given him has had the effect of raising his School to be the third in order of merit.
The Board regret that the School at West Point does not this year occupy its previous place either in numbers or effi- ciency. The causes of this are not very apparent, although it may be attributed, in part, to the feeble health of the master.
Of the other Schools it is not necessary to enter into details. They are far from being in a satisfactory condition; and so strongly are the Board of this opinion that if another year does not show any improvement they will deem it advisable to recommend their discontinuance, and the centralizing of education in Victoria and its immediate neighbourhood.
The education at all these Schools is exclusively Chinese, if the reading of the Scriptures be excepted. These, however, are taught to the pupils in their native language.
The Board have not been able to entertain the requests made by several Villages for the restoration of old or the esta- blishment of new Schools. In the former case sufficient results have not been shown to justify the Board in granting any further aid than the School-houses already lent. In the latter, the counter-petitions presented show that it was only when rival candidates, for the office of Government Schoolmaster, held forth to them the hope of a pecuniary reward that they entertained the idea of educating their children.
Although the Board have thus deemed it necessary to dwell at considerable length on the drawbacks which are experi- enced in the conduct of the Village Schools they have not done so with the intention of impeding the cause of education in Hongkong; but they have acted in the belief that a faithful statement of the real difficulties with which it is boset will do more to its advancement than if the favourable aspects of the case had been brought more prominently into view.
II. In entering on the second part of their Report, the Board have pleasure in referring to the state of the Central School.
Being now more efficiently conducted from the appointment of an additional English master, of considerable experience in teaching, it is likely, in the course of a few years, to justify the hopes entertained on its establishment. It is attended, principally, by a class of boys superior to those at the Village Schools; and, for this reason, the Board have resolved that, for the future, fees shall be charged against all the pupils.
The School is divided into two Departments which comprise the ordinary branches of an English and Chinese education the latter being considerably superior to that imparted at the Village Schools, from the fact of admission being allowed only on passing the Entrance Examination in the more commonly used Chinese Books. The Bible is not used as a text-book, in English, but it is taught by the Chinese masters, in their own language, to those pupils whose parents offer no objections. Being under the immediate superintendence of European masters, the School does not experience the same difficulties in its management as the others do. With some little firmness necessary at its commencement a daily attendance has been secured, which, in regularity, will bear favourable comparison with that of any school in England. The pupils, too, from the advan rnges they anticipate from a knowledge of English, are, as a rule, diligent and obedient; and, when not too old, show consi- derable aptitude in the acquisition of the language.
The School continues to grow in favour with the Chinese. Admission is eagerly sought by many more than can be received; and the Board entertain the hope that the favourable impression which this School seems to have made will extend itself also to the Village Schools, as prejudices are gradually removed, and confidence established in the benevolent intentions
of the Government.
On behalf of the Board,
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT of NUMBERS and ATTENDANCE in the Government Schools for 1862, 1863 and 1864.
1. Aberdeen
2. Bowrington.
3. Central School..
4. Girls' School *5. Little Hongkong,
6. Mah Mosque
*7. Sai-wal
*8. Shek-oe..
*9. Shau-ki-van-
10. Stanley..
11. Tang-lung-chow (H)
12. Tang-lung-chow (P)
19. Tai-tam-tok...
14 Webster's Crescent.
15 West End 16. West Point
17. Wong-nei-chung
1863.
1862,
1864.
No.
Average
No.
Average Enrolled. Attendance. Enrolled. Attendance.
No.
Average Enrolled, Attendance.
32
17
27
15
24
16
30
12
16
10
17
16
200
150
140
137
161
161
34.
23
20
26
21
26
12
11
23
22
13
18
10
8
13
13
21
13
60
7
20
17
11
40
12
424
| 8 8 § 8 5 2 2 2 8 8 6826438 | 2
185888
Schools marked with an asterisk have been diseontinued,
Maximum No. enrolled Maximum Attendance.
13
65
20
15
49
::༤ུ
ཚུལ་སམ།
317 12
44
15
14
35
lä
400
469
392
1862.
1800.
1864.
739
535
502
821
469
417
Minimum No. enrolled.
505
414
484
Minimum Attendance
200
301
324
JAMES LEGGE, Chairman,