26.
remarks.
We have re.
St R. F. Cosbold, M. A. Cambridge.
Thomas D. Pearce
Examiners.
to the How: A. M. Thomson,
Hon : Secy. Governing Body.
Queen's Colle
College.
Enclosure 7.
The Daily Press.
HONGKONG, FEBRUARY 7TH, 1896.
PRIZE DISTRIBUTION AT QUEEN'S
COLLEGE.
IMPORTANT SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR.
At noon yesterday His Excellency the Gover- nor presided at the prize distribution at Queen's College. The spacious ball of the college was filled with scholars and their friends, andamongst those on the platform, in addition to many ladies, were-Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockbart (Colonial Secretary), for. F. A. Cooper (Director of Public Works), Hon. E. R. Beliliom, Hon. Ho Kal, the Right Kev. Bishop Burdon, and De. 6. II. Bateson Wright (Head Master).
The HEAD MASTER read his annual report. which we publish below, after which he said-I have now to relieve my mind of a heavy inenbus -a debi-a debt of gratitude incurred by myself, the masters, and the boys, first of all for the presence of your Excellency on this occasion, secondly, for the many valuable prizes so lavishly bestowed by per. sons of all nationalties, and thirdly, for the presence of so many kind friends here. It was rightly remarked at a recont prize distribu- tion that a heary task is imposed upon your Excellency in expecting you to make speeches year after year at so many schools in the colony. but it is very evident that if the task is heavy your Excellency succeeds in making_everyone believe.it is a pleasure. (Applause). In a lesser degree a similar remark applies to those of our guests who are not parents of the boys. To many of them there must be a certain amount of self- denial in coming here to cheer the boys and masters by publicly showing their interest ju the welfare of this Government Institution. (Applause),
His EXCELLENCY then distributed the prizes, after which he said-My Lord Bishop. ladies and gentlemen, and members of the Gorbrning Boty, this is the fourth occasion upon which I have distributed the prizes from this platform, and the duty has I confess, been a somewhat difficult oue, because I cannot say that I am fully satistted with the results which accrue to the Goverument and to the public generally from this institution. Nevertheless it has given mo the greatest possible pleasure to come here this morning to give away so many valuable prizes to so many boys who deserve the prizes they have received. (Applause). Now your popular head master, Dr. Wright-applause) knows very well that I am not quite satisfied with the results of this institution, and therefore it is very kiud of him to ask me to come here year after year to give away the prizes. It shows that although he holds vory strong opinions himself he is perfectly ready to hear adverse opinions, and to weigh them fairly (applause) and though I may, metaphorically speaking, have oc- sionally trodden upon his toes, yet he realised that "to err is human, to forgive divine." I hope, therefore, that Dr. Wright will forgive me if I say anything this morning which way displease him. I know that his heart is in his work, I know that his work is very hard and continuous; yet as an honest man, I must speak to-day what I conceive to be the truth. You have hourd Dr. Wright's report read. I do not intend to make any comment upon it Tomorrow you will see it in print, and you will also see in print the report of the Examiners of this College. That report soems to me to be a very able and lucid document. (Applaus. It reached me on Tuesday evening last, so that the remarks I intend to make this morning are perfectly independent of it, as they I were written out on Sunday and Monday last.
J
C. O.
7905
RESP (Recf 15 APR 36,
I will now proceed to give you a brief summary of the Examiners' Report. They are of opinion that, although there were many cases of con- spicuons success in the recent examinations, there was a lamentable amount of weak and in- accurate work. They state that the teaching of colloquial English by means of conversation seems quite neglected. That there were several perfect papers in classes IV, VII, and VIII. That thore were 2 or 3 excel-
lent essays from class 1A. That in History and Geography there had been evident. cramming. That in Latin only one boy came anywhere near the standard. That in arith- métio a few hoys did well, but the average was poor. That Euclid was disappointing. That freehand drawing gave evidence of sound and careful touching. That in many caso Algebra had been fairly taught. They are of opinion that the boys are pushed on too rapidly. They suggest that more attention, much more, should be given to English, and that the energy and ability of the European staff should be directed more to the Chinese boys. That Chinese masters should not be allowed to teach English, and they are against the separa tion of Chinese boys from the non-Chinese boys. In conclusion, they bear favourable testimony to the ability of the masters and to the discipline and orderly behaviour of the boys. (Applause). Upon that I wish to most sincere- ly congratulate the boys. (Applause). Now 1 have to point out that this Governing Body · was only appointed by me a year ago, and thero. fore it was impossible for thou to make my cbangos in the directions they advocate until they had held the first examination of all the boys. As I said two years ago, I am not an educa- tionist, and I really am very glad of it, but I believe I possess some practical common sense, and I want to tell you this afternoon what this College was established for, and to ask you whether it is fulfilling its object. As I told you before, my remarks are absolutely inde- pendent; they were written before I received either the report of Dr. Wright or the report of the Examiners. Now whon this College was opened by Sir George Bowen, who as you know was one of the most eminent scholars ever sent out from Oxford, he made the following remarks I hope that Victoria College, to be developed at some future dato into Victoria University, may endure throughout, the great future of China, aud may be a source whence will flow the streams of education and know. ledge to generations yet unborn,” He wlded-... Many of the leading statesmen of England trust with me that a long succession of our Chinese students, after completing their educa. tion in England, may have the honour of introducing into their native land the results of the humane and enlightened jurisprudence and of the improved medical science of modern Europe, or may as Surveyors or engineers help to cover the vast Empiro of China with a network of railways and telegraphs." A year later he averred that Victoria College would render an important service to the neighbouring Empice of China, and would prove a powerful and honourable method of extending British in- fluence. Have these expectations, ladies and gentlemen, been in any way realized, or are they in course of realisation? In February 1892, when quite a stranger here, after giving away the prizes I stated that one of the things which struck me most forcibly WAS that the efforts of the Government to pro- mote the spread of the English language had resulted in a complete failure in making any impression of the Chinese speaking residents of the Colony. I added that we had been more than fifty years in possession of Hongkong, and yet what was known as an English education. was the luxury of the few. Under the then ex- tisting system, as under the present, many boys attended school for only a short time, and then they leave sobool unable to speak English or understand English colloquially, or written English properly. Dr. Wright himself has ocu- firmed this, for in his report for 1892, he said Į
"In
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