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LENGTH OF TERM.
16. Last year the classes met the first week in October and closed the last week in May, and a month's holiday was given at China New Year. It appears to be generally admitted that the holidays should be curtailed by a month and we recommend therefore that the spring term should not close before the end of June. A complaint has been made by both teachers and students in the French and German classes that the holidays at China New Year are too long, but we do not recommend any change at present.
LENGTH OF COURSE OF STUDY.
17. The length of the course that should be given has been a subject of very grave consideration. The students will naturally want to see some end to their studies, the Government wishes to see some limits to the prospective expenditure, on the other hand the students cannot be expected to devote a very large number of hours a week to evening work after they have finished their ordinary day's work, and no diploma should be issued unless it can be truthfully said that the student has obtained a good grasp of his subject. It is even yet premature to lay down the time to be spent on each course, but on the whole we are inclined to think that in any one of the three branches of engineering it should be possible to grant a diploma after three years. In languages certificates of a pass after two years and a pass with honours after three should be granted. In Book-keeping a certificate should be earned in two years and in type-writing in one term. In short-hand the instruction should be completed in two years. In Chemistry we believe that a satisfactory course cannot be given under three years.
18.
NUMBER OF HOURS A WEEK FOR EACH SUBJECT.
We consider the subjoined time-table allots as much time as can be spared to each subject. Too much cannot be
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