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British subjects, was giving cheap education for the benefit
of China, and moreover this system was most unpopular with
the middle class Chinese who desired their children to
learn English more than Chinese. Owing to the system,
attendance in the College was small, some six or seven
hundred boys being the maximum number, Sir William
Robinson reversed the system and the College devoted more
time to the teaching of English. The result was an over-
flow of scholars, a thousand to eleven hundred commenced
to attend the college, fees were raised and the College was
very nearly self-supporting.
I understand it is now in contemplation to revert to
the old practice of giving more time to Chinese than
English. Most strongly do I deprecate such a change,
because it will result in no advantage whatsoever to the
Colony, but will, on the other hand, result in pecuniary
I strongly recommend that this prospective lcss
and the loss which will follow an attempt to establish a
loss.
School for European Children exclusively, should be avoided
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