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Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
oF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS.
Pún-ti school at Sai-ying P'ún. The last had been a Government schoolmaster for upwards of 10 years, and had always a very good school. There was one dismissal, that of the master at Shau-ki Wán, the predecessor of the one that died. This has always been a wretched school as regards attendance. It was thought advisable, as the Hak-kas showed so little appreciation of it, to allow the Pún-tis a chance; but last year's experience does not inspire much confidence as to the benefit of the change. The schools at Aberdeen and Wong-nai Ch'ung are continual sources of disappointment, but they are good schools when compared with the one at Sháu-ki Wan.
24. The Pún-ti school at Tang-lung Chau, after being for many years at the head of the Village Schools, has lately been very unfortunate. For situation, the healthiest, apparently, of all the schools, no fewer than three masters have died within the short period since the new school was opened. Other masters of the school have had long periods of serious illness, and several of the scholars have died. As death after death occurs, the superstitious fears of the children are increased, and the withdrawals become more and more numerous. There is no apparent remedy for this, but a change for the better is greatly desiderated.
25. The schools in receipt of grants in aid are now 11 in number. Five were added during the year. These are the schools at Shek Shán, Hok Ün, Yau-ma Ti, Ma-t'au Ch'ung, and the Hak-ka school at T'o-kwa Wán. The whole may be arranged in the following order :-
I. Ap-li Chau.
2. Ma-t'au Ts'ün.
3. T'o-kwa Wán (Hak-ka).
4. Little Hong Kong.
5. Ma-tau Chung.
6. Mong Kok.
7. Yau-ma Ti.
8. Hok Ün.
9. Hung Hom. 10. T'o-kwa Wán. 11. Shek Shán.
26. Ap-li Chau, which in 1869 had simply a free site, received last year a grant in aid, the site being abandoned. This is by far the best of these schools, and if classified with the whole of the village schools, without regard to grant or otherwise, would stand ninth in order. The highest number of scholars on the roll was 41, and the lowest 30. The regular attendance averaged 31.
27. These schools differ from the ordinary village schools simply in this, that the villagers provide the school-house and select the master, who gets, or is supposed to get, one half of his salary in kind from the parents of his scholars, and the other half, amounting to 60 dollars a year, from Government.
28. It was thought, at the commencement, that this system of grants in aid would meet many difficulties, and might probably be extended in time to all the village schools. It enables the villagers to choose their own schoolmaster, a privilege which they consider peculiarly their own, and which they very reluctantly resign. It was thought, also, that by having to provide one-half the master's salary, they would be more anxious to have their children taught by way of a return for the expense incurred, and that they would be a check on
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