BELILIOS PUBLIC SCHOOL
History.
In 1890 the Girls' Central School, Hollywood Road, was opened. A new school, built and furnished by the Hou Mr. E. R. Belilios, was erected on the site of the Government Central School, and was formally presented to the Government in December 1893. A steady increase in the number of girls necessitated additional classrooms, and an annexe known as the New Building was opened in December 1913.
Further alterations and extensions were carried out in 1921 to meet the growing demand for accommodation. At the present time, (1927), there are 25 classrooms in the school with accommodation for 600 pupils.
The Head Mistress in 1890 was Miss Mann: Miss Ward succeeded her in September 1890. Mrs. Bateman was Head Mistress from 1891 to 1906, when she retired. She was succeeded by Mrs. Tutcher, 1906-1918 Miss Clarke was Head Mistress from 1918 to 1924. The present Head Mistress is Miss Skinner.
Organisation.
Prior to 1908, the Belilios Public School consisted of two distinct schools, the English Side being under the supervision of the Head Mistress, and the Vernacular side under a Vernacular Head Master. By slow degrees the teaching of English as a language subject was in- troduced into the Lower School while the Chinese girls in the Upper School learnt Chinese for an hour a day. In 1913 the dual control of the school was abolished, Mrs. Tatcher, as Head Mistress, being placed in charge of the whole school. The present system is that Class Subjects are taught in the Chinese language for the first five years of school life, (i.e. in Standards I, II, III, Classes 8, 7) and English is taken as a language subject. In the transition Classes English and Chinese are taken in the ratio of six to three. In Classes 6-1 English is the medium of instruction, and Chinese is studied by the Chinese girls three to four hours each week.
Class I prepares for the Matriculation and Senior Local Examination of the Hong Kong University and Class 2 for the Junior Local.
The whole school is examined twice a year, by the Senior Staff in English and by the Vernacular Staff in Chinese, and is inspected by the Inspector of English Schools.
[ ]