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10.
passages, and pensionable on retirement, could be satisfactorily
replaced by Chinese. It is the considered opinion of the
Commissioners that a very considerable portion of the work
now undertaken by highly paid European officers could be done
by Chinese; but, and here is the important qualification, the transition cannot be immediate, as the training at present
offered to Chinese is not altogether satisfactory.
principle methods of training are :-
(a) A course at the Technical Institute.
(b)
(c)
The
A course of training at the University under the aegis
of a Professor of Education and an Educational officer
who performs the part-time duties of a Master of Method,
and
A course at the Vernacular Normal Schools.
(a)
At the Technical Institute night classes are
held in a number of subjects. The instructors are in most
cases those members of the Education Department who are willing
to accept the remuneration of $5 per hour. Into these classes
are admitted, regardless of previous education, students at
all stages of learning and with widely differing knowledge of
English. They are taught together and left to imbibe what
they can of the teacher's wisdom. Examinations at the end
of the course qualify the student for a Technical Institute
Certificate. This method of training is neither thorough nor
valuable. In particular it fails to provide any system for the
practice of teaching under guidance. The majority of students
are at work during the day, and during the course are not
graded according to their knowledge of English.
(b) The course of training at the University is for
four years, and the method of recruitment of Chinese University
graduate masters for Government schools under this system is,
in the opinion of the Commissioners, both wasteful and