361
The jettisoning
of the old
system in
fkvour of
modern critical methods.
A modern scholar as hend
of the Chinese Department of the Faculty of Arts.
Lecturers in
Chinese.
Facilities for post-graduate
work in Chinese
. advocated.
Fourth Year: Chinese Philosophy, Chinese History, Chinese Language and Litera-
ture, Translation and Comparison, History or Jurisprudence.
57. These are merely suggestions. We think that the new groups to be organized and the details of the courses that are to be included in any new groups that may be evolved should be left to be settled by the academic bodies of the University concerned, or in other words by the Board of the Faculty of Arts and the Senate. But we regard it as vital that all courses in Chinese should be so formulated as to follow directly on the general work in that subject that is being done in the highest classes in Anglo-Vernacular schools and that the re- quirements of the University courses in Chinese should be of such a standard as can be reached by a Chinese boy or girl of average intelligence and ability in four years.
What we in fact regard as essential is that such a boy or
girl should be able to take a degree in the Faculty of Arts with Chinese as one of the subjects for that degree.
IX.
The Staff required for teaching Chinese in the Faculty of Arts.
58. In the course of the interview with His Excellency the Governor, to which we have already referred, Sir Reginald Johnston observed that the younger Chinese in Peiping and elsewhere were jettisoning the old system of teaching and learning Chinese and that modern critical methods of study were being generally adopted in the Universities of China. Sir Reginald therefore recommended that the teaching of Chinese in Hong Kong schools should be so arranged as to lead to the production, through the University, of Chinese scholars of the modern type and that the old traditional type of teaching should be replaced by modern methods. We endorse this view.
59. After considering the question of the staff which will be required to teach such Chinese courses in the Faculty of Arts as it has in view the Committee recorded the opinion that the first concern of the University should be the appoint- ment of a modern Chinese scholar. Such a scholar should be head of the Chinese Department of the Faculty of Arts with the status of a Reader, his duty being to build up the Department and to direct its teaching. A graded salary not exceeding that of a Reader was suggested as suitable, provided that a properly qualified person could be obtained.
60. It was further estimated that the addition to the curriculum of the Faculty of Arts of such a group of English and Chinese courses as have been out- lined for the suggested Group 6 would involve the employment of two lecturers
a lecturer in Chinese classics who would also lecture on the Chinese language and a lecturer in Chinese history who would also lecture on Chinese literature-and a Chinese translator in addition to the Reader, The adoption, in addition, of such a group of studies as has been outlined for the suggested Group 7 would involve the appointment in addition to the above of an extra lecturer in Chinese literature and Chinese Philosophy. As a suitable rate of remuneration for lecturers a salary of $400 a month without quarters or an allowance in lieu thereof has been sug- gested, but the Committee is not in a position to give definite advice on the point.
61. If these rates be accepted by the University Council and Finance Committee as suitable we arrive at the following as a statement of the staff likely to be required for the teaching of Chinese in the Faculty of Arts on the lines which we have suggested :-
Pay according to existing scale with free quarters or a house allowance in licu thereof.
A Reader:
A Lecturer:
A Lecturer: $400 a month.
$400 a month.
A Translator: $400 a month.
A Lecturer, if a second additional group of studies be required:
$400 a month.
62. The Committee is of the opinion that the average Chinese student at the age at which he should take his B.A. degree should have succeeded in acquiring a sufficient knowledge of Chinese Language and Literature to justify the University in giving him an Arts degree on the basis of a course in which Chinese has been throughout a substantial factor. If further specialisation in Chinese Classics be desired and can be arranged, this should be done by providing facilities in the University for post-graduate work in Chinese.
12
63. The Committee would be glad if the University could see its way to take steps to encourage post-graduate work in Chinese. The Committee can- not, however, refrain from observing that if such steps were taken, the Chinese Deparment would be occupying much more favourable position than any other Department of the University. Having regard to the urgent needs of the other Departments of the University, the Committee feels that it would not be reason- able to do more than commend the development by the University of facilities for post graduate work in Chinese to the generosity and public spirit of those who are specially interested and who would wish to see the University of Hong Kong become a really effective centre of Chinese scholarship. We commend to such patrons of Chinese scholarship the provision of the additional funds which the teaching and direction of post-graduate work in Chinese would require and, in addition, the institution of special prizes and research fellowships.
X.
Conclusions,
In conclusion the recommendations of the Committee 64. summarised as follows:-
may
be
(1) That the right policy for the University to adopt is to confine its teaching of Chinese to those students who have passed the Matriculation examination and that the basis of such teaching should be suitable and adequate courses of Chinese to be prescribed by the Board of the Faculty of Arts and the Senate to form part of that Faculty's groups of studies, leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts.
(2) That the School of Chinese Studies as at present constituted should be dis- continued, due provision being made for students at present in the School.
(3) That in pursuance of the above recommendations the Board of the Faculty
of Arts and the Senate should be asked to consider
(a) the institution of a new group of Chinese studies on the lines suggested for a possible Group 6, to be added to the groups of studies already provided in the Faculty of Arts, and
(b) the possible institution of a further additional group on the lines
suggested in paragraph 56 of this report.
(4) That the Board of the Faculty of Arts and the Senate of the University should be asked to consider favourably the adoption of a modified matriculation test on the lines advocated for those Chinese students who wish to take up such new groups of studies which may be prescribed in the Faculty of Arts as involve a special and continuous study of Chinese, it being clearly specified that such students will not be eligible to enter any other group of studies in the Faculty, but that a candidate who had passed the normal matriculation shall not be debarred from taking the special Chinese course,
(5) That
the provision in the Faculty of Arts of opportunities for the post-graduate study of Chinese and of special prizes for the encouragement of higher Chinese study by under-graduates should be recognized as desirable.
(6) That the ultimate aim of the University should be to adopt Kwok Yu as the medium of such ifstruction for Chinese studies at the University as has to be given in Chinese and that the Government of Hong Kong should be asked to take such steps as will encourage the study of Kwok Yu in the educational institutions of the Colony.
(7) That the University authoritics should decide what staff will be required to teach such Chinese courses in the Faculty of Arts as those authorities may decide to provide and that in considering this matter the recommendations contained in the body of this report should be duly examined.
65. We regret the delay which the occurred in the preparation of this report. It would not have been satisfactory had the Committee initiated its in- quiry during the University long vacation when some of the University repre- sentatives were away and the Vice-Chancellor had to pay monthly visits to Nanking. In September the Vice-Chancellor had to go away to recover from an illness and he did not get back to Hong Kong until the beginning of November.
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Special prizes and research fellowships.
362