on
odure
95
the Chinese Community in aid of Vernacular Education, but the
appointment of the Board has no legal sanction behind it (copy of
the Notification constituting it is enclosed), and the members have
consequently no power of entrée into any of the schools they are
asked to supervise nor any control over the teachers or methods
of instruction employed therein.
After a careful study of the subject it appear-
-ed to me that the Board was not in a position to fulfil the
worthy objects for which Sir F. Lugard appointed it.
4.
The Board, or rather the Director of Education
on its behalf with the assistance of the District Officers in the
New Territories, and of the Police Department generally, has made
a useful census of all the schools in the Colony with the follow-
-ing result:-
A. Hongkong.
With English Without Total.
Staff.
(1) Government Schools...
77
English Staff.
2
9
(2) Private Schools receiving a
Government Grant...
9
41
50
(3) Other Private Schools.....
329
334
B. Now Territories.
(1) Government Schools...
0
3
3
(2) Private Schools receiving a
Government Grant... (3) Other Private Schools...
0
2
2
...
ワワワ
Fotote
222
Total
21
599
620.
}
On consideration of these statistics the Board decided in July last that it would not embark on a scheme of controlling private schools and that with the exception of a few schools it was un- -desirable to institute a grant system on a large scale. They accordingly made grants absorbing a moiety of the Government Grant of 84,100 to certain schools and with the other moiety they have established 2 free schools of 60 scholars each in Victoria.
5.
Apart from the consideration of the efficiency of the Board for the object in view, other considerations have arisen pointing to the necessity for control by Government of education in the Colony. There is at present, as I have said, no
power to inspect any private school not earning a Grant-in-aid