in these villages
out of 1/15 scholars
in average attendance, 470 are averagely
poor people are children,
but among
These 470 students there are only 32 girls. It
was evident that the principal offenders, as to non-attendance in school, are the boat girls.
The question is, what keeps the girls of the boat population from attending school? I am certain, whatever the reason
may be in each
case,
may be the want of schools is not what
keeps boat girls away. Poverty, the
care
of little children, fishing occu-
pation,
are the
principal reasons
in
addition to the wide-
spread
underlying
lack of appreciation
of the value of school education. At Shankuvan, the Roman
Catholic
sister's invite boat girls to attend
school by offering a free
meal between
school hours and even cloth-
ing to
teachers
in addition to free teaching,
but without
much effect. All the schools in the
above-mentioned places
are
capable
of expansion and all are situated within
a
few yards from the waters. I have heard it stated that-
a headache if attending
school. Boat girls get
used to
ordinary
open air. But boat
people whom I questioned
on this point
denied
it. The weather
is open all the
year through all hours. The stuffiness of
European school atmosphere is happily unknown factor in
Hongkong. But if it should be found that there is
any objection on
that score,
the Grant-in-Aid schools can
easily arrange,
as
airy
classrooms
near the waterside
and
easily
school
can be desired.