11. The wonderful docility of the Chinese soon led to the production of order out of what, at first, seemed but a hopeless chaos; and, from that year to the present, beneficial changes and steady progress have been made. A second English master was added in 1864, and a third in 1869. We are now ready for a fourth. In 1862, from want of school materials, from the inexperience of the teachers, and from other patent causes, the instruction was of the most elementary character, Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic was all that could be attempted. As an indication of the state of things now, the papers set to the boys in the highest class, at the last examination, have been appended to this Report. These papers were not prepared with any view to publication, but simply as the usual test of proficiency in the year's work. A glance at them will show more of the progress that has been made than any amount of explanation which could well be given.
12. The standard which must be reached before a boy is considered to have passed, and to be, therefore, eligible for promotion, is one-third of the total number of marks assigned to the various subjects taught in the class. Judged by this standard, the following is the percentage of those who passed, in the various English classes, on the work of last year:---
First (highest) class .60 per cent. Second class .82 Third class .72 Fourth class .57 per cent. Fifth class .47 Sixth class .56 Preparatory class .8013. Although little else could have been expected, it was very disappointing to find so low a percentage in the highest class, especially when it stood at 87 per cent in the previous year. The class was very unfortunate in some respects. No fewer than 29 out of the 36 boys which it contains got situations, and left at various periods during the course of the year; and their places had to be filled as they became vacant by promotions from the junior classes. In addition to this, nine, or one fourth of the whole class, were absent from the examinations, some for their marriage, and others on account of sickness. With two exceptions, these nine absentees would have held respectable places in the class list, had they been able to be present. In the previous year only one was absent, and the class, as a whole, was much more permanent during the year.
14. Looked at in this light, the school has a great practical difficulty to contend with. If the classes could by any means be made permanent for a year, or even for half a year, there would be no difficulty in passing a very high percentage of the boys; but, when it is considered that no fewer than 134 left school in the course of the year, it will be evident that, if promotions were not made as vacancies occurred, the school would be always half empty by examination time. Not only is this so, but when promotions have to be made during the three last months of the year, those so promoted, while they would have been the first if they had remained in the lower class, are almost sure to fail in the higher one; and this is particularly the case in promotions from the second to the first, where the range of subjects is so much more extensive than can possibly be in any of the junior classes.
15. Looked at in the light of the situations which are obtained and the promotions which are made,--both high prizes in themselves, the result to the scholars is a fortunate one, but it is otherwise to the masters when they come to reckon up the tale, and render an account, of the year's work.
16. Another English master is very much required, not merely for extending the school as to numbers, but for removing, to a great extent, the difficulty alluded to. With his assistance, there can be no doubt that the transition from one class to another would be rendered less abrupt, and the result of the final examinations made more satisfactory. Every effort is made to do this at present, but, with the limited means at our disposal, only partial results can be obtained.
17. It is quite certain that, with another master and additional accommodation, another hundred could be added to the attendance, and the sphere of the school's usefulness thereby enlarged. The school has firmly established itself as one of the permanent institutions of the Colony; and the Chinese, both here and in the adjoining province, regard it with increasing confidence. They now seem to understand its aim and purpose. They do not find in it an attempt to exercise some sinister influence, either religious or political, or both, as was at first more than half suspected. In other parts of China too, and also in Japan, the school is beginning to attract some attention; and, if nothing untoward happens, there is good reason to believe that, before long, the latter country will be more numerously represented at the school than it is at present.
18. Nearly all the nationalities in the Colony have now their representatives in the school, whose doors, it cannot be too well known, are open to all without regard to creed or colour. It is rather surprising still to find, in quarters where one would expect more correct information, grave doubts as to the position which the school holds with regard to religion. There are some who think that we attempt to proselytize. There are others who think that we have a nervous dread of a clergyman entering the place. Both parties could not possibly be more mistaken; but it seems to be the fate of secular education to be distorted and misrepresented. It will not be so always. Ten years will see the superstition exploded; and I hope I shall never again have the humiliation of asserting our honesty in this particular. It is surely too late in the day to assert, on the one hand, that education, whatever protestations are made to the contrary, must be religious; and, on the other, that if it is secular it must be irreligious. Such language is as applicable to the exchange or the counting house as it is to school or college. Science and Language are as distant from dogma as are the details of the Share Market. These are the merest truisms; but theirs is the fault who render the repetition of them a necessity.
19. Of the 134 boys who left during the year, 50 are known to have obtained lucrative employment; 19 left the Colony and returned to their native places; 33 did not return after the New Year and midsummer holidays, and probably did not return to the Colony; 17 had their names removed from the roll, principally for irregularity, but in one or two cases for disobedience; 11 went to Chinese schools; 5 left on account of sickness; and 1 died. Of those who have obtained employment, 33 are known to be in Hongkong, Canton and adjacent places: 2 in Swatow; 1 in Foochow; 1 in Shanghai; 3 in Japan; 1 in San Francisco; 1 in Annam; 1 in Singapore; and 1 in Bombay.
20. The number of those who left during the year was greater by 39 than in 1870. This points to the difficulty already alluded to, against which the school has to contend. Many boys seem to come without any definite idea of what they intend doing. Many parents, too, who, at first, think nothing of the payment of the small fee, in the course of a month or two begin to grudge it and withdraw their boys, frequently themselves also withdrawing from the Colony. By far the greatest number of those who leave before getting employment is accounted for by the shifting character of the population. In addition to all these causes, there is this other one, that many of the Chinese think that the acquirement of English, or of any other barbarian language, is an affair not of years but of months. When they find their mistake, instead of trying to mend it, they cut the knot of the difficulty, and give themselves no further trouble about a matter of so small importance.
21. The problem which the school is working out for itself is whether it is to be one of elementary instruction for the many, or of higher instruction for the few; that is, whether it is ultimately to be for the education of 900 or of 300, for a smaller number than the latter cannot be contemplated. It would be premature, at present, to attempt to solve the problem, and it might be disastrous to adopt, at once, either course, without waiting for, and taking advantage of, the current of events.
22. The only new subject introduced in 1871 was Mathematical Drawing. Not much progress had been made, as the necessary materials did not arrive from England till late in the year. The Music class still progresses, and the Chemistry class has been highly successful.
To the Drawing and Music only one hour a week can be devoted; and this, taken in connection with the constant changes in the classes, prevents great or rapid progress. To the Chemistry class more time is devoted, and there is a corresponding result. The weekly exercises connected with this subject, and the papers written at the last examination by the boys who had been in the class for the whole year showed very clearly what could be done if the classes were more permanent.
23. Before another Report is written, I hope to see an entirely new building in the course of construction. No more progress can be made without increased accommodation, and that cannot well be obtained without a new school, built on recognized principles and, therefore, specially adapted for school purposes, which a great part of the present building never was, and never can be. The expense may be a serious consideration; but if the school is worth retaining, and it has established its title to that, the money required should not be grudged, especially at a time when there are funds available which are not likely to be available long. As, however, this subject is receiving the consideration of the Government, it need not be further discussed here.
24. The school fees amounted during the year to $1,763.75, of which $1,511.25 went into the Treasury, and $252.50 to the salary of the teacher of the Preparatory class.
25. Nothing now remains but to express the thanks of all connected with the school to our Prize-givers. These were His Excellency the GOVERNOR, His Excellency the LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR, the Honourable Chief-Justice SMALE, the Honourable C. C. SMITH, Dr. Dons, Mr. KWOK CHEUNG, Mr. MOORSOM, Mr. RUSSELL, Mr. SAINT, and Mr. WAT KWONG, by whose donations, in addition to the sum on the year's Estimates, prizes to the value of upwards of $300 were awarded at the recent examination.
26. As previously stated, 1871 did not prove a very favourable year to the Village Schools. The number under instruction for the year was less by 40 than in 1870; and this, although there were two additional schools. The attendance, too, became very irregular towards the end of the year; more so than it had been for the previous year. This was attributable to two causes, the high price of rice and the dullness of trade. In all the villages the same answer was given, when enquiries were made as to the causes of the decreased and the irregular attendance.
Whenever it was possible for a child to earn a few cash by grass cutting, firewood gathering, or cake selling, he was taken away from school. In the most favourable years the poverty in our villages is something of which few can have any idea, but in a year, such as the last, when the staff of life is dear, it must be something very serious.
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