428
92
Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
PAPERS RELATING TO
of the school. Were there but one language to be taught, half the time would be ample, but with two, the case is different. The aim is to put both languages, English and Chinese, on a footing of perfect equality, as far as that is possible, and not sacrifice the one to the other. At first, the Chinese would have been glad to throw their own language overboard, but this could not be listened to. The result would have tended to denationalization and the production of a tribe of smatterers utterly useless for interpretation, or, for that matter, for anything else. It took much persistence for many years to overcome this reluctance to learning Chinese, but such a thing is never heard of now. Every scholar in the school, one or two of the youngest excepted, has his four hours a day at English and four at Chinese.
22. One very important matter calls for special attention, and that is the separation of the offices of Head Master and Inspector of Schools. It has become impossible for one man to discharge efficiently the duties of both. The Head Master of a school of upwards of 400 boys has quite enough to occupy his time and attention within his own domain. The present plan of conjoining the offices tells especially against the school towards the close of the year, when every master should be occupied with the work of revision, in preparation for the forthcoming examinations. Last year, the Head Master did not teach an hour during the month of December, from having then to attend to his other duties as Inspector of Schools. In this other sphere, also, there is now ample scope for one man's energies. We have reached a period when the dogged conservatism of the past is melting away. The masters show a disposition to follow where they are led; but this implies the devotion of much time and attention on the part of their leader.
23. There is, it is to be hoped, no necessity for re-stating the case against the suitability of the present building. All that can be said on this point has been said already, and the increased attendance now reported on gives no excuse for modifying a single expression made use of last year; but, since then, the first instalment of the cost has been placed on the Estimates, which implies that it will not be necessary to refer to the matter much longer.
24. The grant-in-aid schools are still nine in number. The manager of the Baxter schools opened a new one in T'ái-p'ing Shán, but the average attendance not reaching the required point, it and the Sai Ying-p'ún school were grouped together and examined accordingly.
25. The Basel Mission Girls' School did more than sustain its previous reputation. Forty-five scholars were examined, and although eight of these failed, it has to be remembered that all the six standards were taken, and consequently a greater range of subjects was included. In reading, writing (from dictation), geography, and history remarkable proficiency was displayed. Arithmetic was weak, as compared with these; but when one