b.I.
· Report
1. H.K.
Copy lo Letrary,
The Report
10.2.41.
2
TS TRANSFERRED TO
This report wasThErCatIBRARY arriving, but
it contains, I think, rather more detail than in
Shares & Mrs Baker previous years.
The following seem to be the more interesting new developments in 1939:-
(1) The influx of population into the Colony caused by war conditions in South China continued, and resulted in a record maximum enrolment in all classes of schools.
(2) The Teachers' Training College was opened in September. The report as it deals with 1939 merely mentions that the new buildings for the College were expected to be ready by September 1940, and this in fact was the case. The opening of the College led to the cessation of the formation of normal classes at the Vernacular Normal and Kiddle School and the Vernacular Middle School for Women, both schools being converted into ordinary Vernacular Schools.
(3) The new set of regulations based on Mr. Burney's report and dealing with sanitation and hygiene standards and minimum qualifications for teachers of English was introduced.
(4) The new grant code which has since been approved by the S. of S. was under consideration by the Board of Education during the year.
(5) "English" Schools/rearrangement of classes between primary and secondary divisions was begun, and entrance examinations for Chinese pupils were made uniform and included as an experiment a test in intelligence. In the two lowest classes the experiment was also made of using Cantonese as the medium of instruction for subjects other than English. Improvements were also reported in the standard of English speech of the teachers. The experiment of using films in some of the aided schools was considered satisfactory. In rural districts an attempt was made to encourage school gardens, and in this connection the New Territories Agricultural Association fostered a small school of students for the training of vegetable and fruit farmers for the local markets. This is in accord with the work of the Agricultural Department which has been paying attention to the possibility of extending Hong Kong's own agricultural production. It is useful work, although, of course, the agricultural arrangements in
the Colony are in no way large enough to meet the demands of the local market in full.
(6) Vocational Education. The teaching of English was reorganised in the Government Junior Technical School and improvements in standards have been reported The Government Trade School, which was opened in April 1928, continued to expand, and in addition to its normal work provided courses for British soldiers in the garrison.
(7) The Teachers' Training Course at the University has been reorganised so that students will complete a 4-year academic course to be followed by 1-year's educational study in place of the previous system of combining professional training with the degree course throughout four years.
(8) The number of Girls' Schools increased, and the
number