Discipline are excellently maintained, if any school in the Colony can show me a better example I should be delighted to visit it and study its methods.
13. Tutorial relations. Two or more masters are unsympathetic. Sympathy is a natural endowment. No amount of training will produce it, nor the strictest regulations. The Inspector considers sympathy the exception, my opinion from daily observation is the reverse.
My experience in the direction of "Certificated Teachers" has been long impelling me to recommend the appointment of University men who have had experience in Grammar Schools. I have not found the necessary qualities of patience and tact in most of the trained masters sent out. In the future, it will be wiser to get men personally known to some authority chosen in England.
As regards Chinese Assistants, they are articled in this College for three years, as far as our means will admit of. There are no others such available in the Colony. They are not on a level with the English Masters, but it is my duty to see that they are not oppressed by the latter.
14. In conclusion, I have no hesitation in characterising the Inspector's Report as probably the most remarkable in the history of Education.
(1) There is the astonishing absence of all reference to the examination of boys, which he was required to hold annually by order of the Secretary of State, which he admits in par. 56 of his self-imposed scheme of 9th August 1892. There is no statement as to the results of Reading or any other subject of examination for the accepted papers worked by the boys at these in place of his proposed written exam.
(2) Dr. Eitel's confession that he learned more in the fortnight this July than during the 16 years previous, is candid; but it does not occur to him that the Head Masters, after daily observation for 10 years (out of 11½), may possibly know more about the merits and demerits of each master than can be acquired by two weeks. Nor does he allow for the fact that some masters would be on their mettle to show off their best style of teaching in his presence, which is unfortunately not sustained by them throughout the year.
(3) Dr. Eitel's assertions on the following are observations (out of many) unsupported and seriously inaccurate, and can be viewed as reckless and wanton aspersion of a well-regulated institution.
2. Regulated by examines as Head of Education Dept., not as Inspector of Schools.
3. Exam held in July by Headmaster.
4. Conditions of Building, Latrines.
5. Elementary English and Chinese unsatisfactory. Manifest failure of present system. High pressure of work. Class I. C. formed in 1891.
6. Emulation excited in Chinese and non-Chinese boys.
7.
Page 138
23
...