6
I have very few comments to make on this interesting Report which gives much information including such subjects as curriculum, grants, use of record cards, leave and pension conditions, which don't usually appear in education reports, but which are very useful when we receive enquiries.
2. As Mr. Fisher will shortly be investigating Hong Kong's expenditure on education we may have later more precise information about the "very large amount" spent by private sources which is mentioned in the footnote on page 19.
J.
3. It will be a pity if the School Medical Service cannot have its ull effect owing to ina equate follow-up machinery (paragraph 59) and the discontinuance of the issue of milk and biscuits is unfortunate (paragraph 107); yet Hong Kong appears to be fortunate in the health of its pupis in primary schools which maintain a very high average attendance. (Paragraph 149).
4.
Hong Kong is more fortunate in its voluntary Yoush health organizations than, e.g. Mauritius, where
the absence of public transport after 6 p.m. handi- caps such efforts.
to be Warned
'x'
5. It is of some consolation to learn that whilst the troubles in China have caused a considerable deterioration in the educational position in Hong Kong they have also enabled well qualified teachers to replace those with lower qualifications.
6.
There are two serious statements in paragraphs 132 and 134; one shows the serious handicap to secondary education caused by lack of accommodation and the other mentions that there is no Department of Education in the University. I am afraid I cannot understand the Director when he says in paragraph 134 that teachers in the Training Colleges are trained at too high a level. I should not have thought that this would be possible unless such a training makes its products despise teaching in primary schools. Surely the Director does not intend his students to be just a page ahead of their future pupils.
to
7. It would be interesting to learn the reason why in King George V School it is the exception rather than the rule for a pupil to work his way through the whole school course when this is evidently not the practice in most of the other schools (paragraph 177).
8. Mr. Rowell refers in paragraph 200 to the encouragement which inspectors can give to teachers but he spoils the picture by stating that inspectors of schools have been tied to their desks and have not been able to pay more than one brief annual visit to any school. It is to be hoped that the measures outlined in paragraph 201 will bring about an improvement in the efficiency of teachers.
9. I am interested in the statement in paragraph 309 that Civics has been introduced as an examin- ations subject. I am sure that candidates will do well in their papers but I am very doubtful whether such examination knowledge will create "an unself- ish interest in any form of social welfare" or arouse the great majority of inhabitants from their
/apathy