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No 139.
Sir,
CO
203
12356
CECR
Brat 3 MP 12
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONGKONG, 12th. April, 1912.
I have the honour to inform you that in last January this Government received a representation from cerain residents in Hongkong on the subject of the disabilities under which they were placed in the matter of education by the operation of the age limit, namely 13, fixed for girls attending the Victoria School for children of British parents in Hongkong.
2.
It is a fact that no provision is at present
made in Hongkong for the education of British girls of 13 years and over, although such provision is made at Kowloon British School. Only 3 girls of 13 years or over resident in Hongkong, however, attend that school, the reasons being the expense of crossing from Hongkong to Kowloon (at least 85 a month), the weather, more especially in the typhoon season, and the distance.
3.
If the rule with regard to Victoria School were relaxed, the effect would not be to create a "mixed school" for the girls of 13 and over could be taught separately, the premises being capable of adaptation to such an arrangement and there is no reason why they should not arrive a quarter of an hour after the boys had begun work, have recess at different hours and be dismissed a
quarter of an hour sooner than the boys. I may mention that similar
arrangements are in operation in the Raffles Boys and Girls schools at Singapore.
it.
RIGHT HONOURABLE
LEWIS HARCOURT, M.P.,
& L
&c...