Jinra
464
sufficiently dealt with in paragraphs 16 to 18, 13 to 15,
28, 19 and 20, and 32 respectively of Mr. Irving's report.
6.
There are no matters of special interest to
bring to notice in connection with the Grant Schools. The
Ellis Kadoorie School which is secular and mainly support-
ed by the Chinese is becoming the most important of these
schools.
7.
I think there is no doubt that here as in
China Western education is tending rapidly to take the
place, in the estimation of parents, of instruction based on
the Chinese classics, which formerly alone found favour
with them. One branch of what is considered Western educa-
tion is also becoming increasingly popular among boys viz:-
physical training and military drill. Many private and
some grant schools here, following the example of schools
in Canton, provided themselves with European uniform and
dummy weapons and combined to go through military exercises
in some cases employing Japanese instructors. As the boys
taking part in this training were not British subjects and
as it was with no idea of the defence of the Colony that
these exercises were carried out I considered it advisable
to bring the matter before the Executive Council and on
their recommendation to issue instructions to put a stop to
the practice which the Attorney General advised was illegal.
The
i