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of Europeans and others, now a numerous class, must soon share with the Chinese in the annual grants made by Go- vernment for public instruction."
Lu the Report for 1866 Mr. Stewart dwells, almost all through the Report, on the Central school, leaving a few lines only for speaking of the Village Schools,
He is satisfied with the Central School. The Exami- nations were a success.
He had not succeeded yet in forming any good assistant as he had hoped.
His Excellency the Governor has signified his inten- tion of extending the course of study by introduction of Lectures on the simple Elements of Science, Chemistry, Electricity. Mr. Stewart does not expect any great success from it.
A third English Master is recommended.
"I am glad, says Mr. Stewart, that it has at last been decided that the school is to be no longer exclusively con- fiued to the Chinese, as this will be the first step to a more general extension of education to other and equally deserving portions of the Community." Mr. Stewart expects to have a very large number of scholars not Chinese, and is glad at the step having been taken. It will not be without difficulties, perhaps serious oues, but these must be encountered for the sake of the reputation of the Government whose duty as well as interest it is to dispense its gifis with perfect impartiality: and for the sake of the many chil- dren in the Colouy who are without the means of instruc- tion.
The payment of fees amounted to $1,291, 97. Of the Village Schools nothing new is said. The number of scholars enrolled in the Government School was 623 and the maximum attendant 572.
The Report for 1867 dwells a good deal on the Villago Schools Mr. Stewart complains very much of the law moral standard of the Masters who were great impos- tors and extremely idle. The pupils at the Chinese School learn little and only by memory without underatan- ding what they read. However Mr. Stewart is of opi- nion very rightly that were the large number of unedu- cated children in Hongkong to be forced to frequent even those schools benefit will be derived to them. The most gratifying circumstance is the increasing interest, that is now taken in female education. English is carefully excluded from girls schools. To the melancholy results,
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says Mr. Stowart, which in nearly every instance have fol- lowed from teaching Chinese girls English I need not more particularly aliude. Its effect on the character of the boys is not, I am sorry to find, what one could wish but on the character of the girls it has proved to be fatal." Speaking afterwards of the Central School, Mr. Stew. art says allusion has already been made to the main source of the apparent popularity of the school, the means of money making, which are derived from a knowledge of English.
In another respect, I was sorry to be told lately by one who has opportunities of knowing that those Chiese who have no sons at the school look upon the boys in anything but a favourable light. By giving themselves air, by affecting a superiority they do not possess, by form ing clubs, to the exclusion of those who do not know En- glish, where all sort of dissipation exists, the boys do not place the charactor of the school in that light which those whose time and energy are spent in their behalf have per- haps a right to expect.'
The number of the enrolled was up to 700 and the total number of uneducated children in Hongkong was 10,800, according to Mr. Stewart's statistics.
In the report for the year 1868, we read that with re- gard to the Central School the year has been characterised by much greater attention to certain subjects, which were before, gone though mechanically under a sort of tacit pro- test, the haste for getting employments having been stop- pod, and because of certain regulations published for admis- sion into the customs service, so eagerly looked for by Chi- nese youth. Mr. Stewart endeavours to prove that no dis- advantage comes from the Chinese, educated in Hongkong out of the money paid by the community of the Colony, getting situation, out of the Island and concludes by saying that the Government has a higher object in view than sim- ply getting a monetary equivalent for the instruction, which it is the medium of imparting.
The examination of the boys is greatly appreciated by the boys and there is reason, says Mr. Stewart, to believe. that it is regarded with same interest by their relatives, Mr. Stewart complains that rather severe criticism had lately been passed upon the schools, criticism based not on experience but on a priori reasoning. I regvetted continues Mr. Stewart, last year, and the feeling still re- mains undiminished, that the conduct of the elder boys when out of the school was not what one could wish to see.
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