dangling no195.
12 September 1873
Governor
ств
I's Antru Kennedy, Kemer ers.
to
The Right Ammable
The Paul of Shrin Canley Shimberley.
Earl
No. 21.
4725
11640
عیشت
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
The following Annual Report on the State of the Government Schools in Hongkong for the Year 1872, is published for general information.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 10th February, 1873.
CECIL C. SMITH, Acting Colonial Secretary.
557
鹰
Central School.
Requests
the
additional Englisch
the
appomliment
of
www
Marter for
Provision therefor has been made in the Estimates 1874.
1 Endome
No. 12.
HONGKONG, 3rd February, 1873.
SIR,I have the honour to forward to you the Annual Report on the Government Schools in this Colony and the Blue Book Returns for the year 1872.
2. The Tables which are appended give, in a succinct form, nearly all the information which it is necessary to supply on the state of the schools. Last year's Report contained a résumé of their history for the ten preceding years, and nothing has happened since then to necessitate its reconsideration.
3. Five new schools were added in the course of the year, and one was discontinued. This brings the number of schools now under Government supervision up to thirty. Four of the five obtained the usual grant-in-aid, and the fourth, which promises to be a successful one, was added to the Govern ment Schools properly so called.
4. As regards the number of scholars, the rise for the year was considerable, the increase over the previous year being 188. A more encouraging feature connected with the schools is the increased regularity in the attendance. This, however, must not be judged of solely by the figures which are given, for the school rolls are not, in all cases, kept so carefully as they should be. This does not arise so much from a desire to mis-represent, as from a want of appreciation, on the part of some of the masters, of habits of strict accuracy. Nevertheless, making all due allowance for this fault, there can be no doubt that the regularity with which the children attend the schools is steadily increasing.
5. It is also evident that the people take more real interest in the schools than formerly. They still allow themselves to be too much the prey of needy school-masters, to the injury of the school and of the peace of the village; but it is very seldom that the obstinacy, which used to be carried so far as to make them decline all education if not given on their own terms, is now long persisted in. The practice which has been strictly adhered to for some years of appointing no master until his com- petence has been tested by examination has tended almost entirely to this result. The annual exami nation of each school, too, supplies a criterion of the master's diligence which can be used against any attempt to oust him, simply because the people would prefer a change.
6. Two of the schools gave rise to much annoyance. At Little Hongkong and Yau-má Ti not a month passed without some complaint, cither by the villagers against the master, or by the master against the villagers. In the case of these schools, one of two things will have to be done. Either the grant-in-aid must be withdrawn until harmony is restored, or the schools must be taken entirely away from local control, and be maintained solely at Government expense. The latter is the course which should be taken with them. In any other way, the children will be neglected, and their well-being is of too great importance to be subordinated to the caprices of their parents.
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7. The giving of grants-in-aid to certain schools, which at first gave promise of much good, is not proving so beneficial a measure as was anticipated. Although it would be very difficult to give proper proof for the assertion, there can be no doubt that, in many cases, the grant is the master's sole means of support. And this is not all; for out of this pittance he has to pay rent and other exactions. In one case where these were refused, the villagers approached the master with much cunning. They asked him for a loan of money, which it would require much charity to believe they ever intended to repay.