輔翼中館之法
學以使貧家子弟有進初學之機更當大度畧裁規條而用學某歎課領某欸賞之法以獎賞圖港∃館大館所有各書塾最妙莫如效埃蘭國於一千八百七十八年右家義學之法使彼實有公平之基卽使凡有國家義學成如現在國家察理之各義學之列時所助者只教華文之義學兹則推廣規條不但中館卽大館書院均可准有初學一語删除尤爲切要因自立輔翼義学規條直至聖保羅書院初入輔與義院意見如此删改輔翼義學之規條實爲大路進步之階所云大路者卽改香港國領獎賞且如此推廣規條之意自應增益各欸獎賞之費此亦理所當然者按監書教徒一事較爲方便且與國家不涉聖會事宜之定法亦無滯礙將規條内
值無多而教師修金貴故彼工人所入難供子弟就學之費惟在香港五然但以英官而教華文或兼教英文華文者則大異按在英國備工人殺獲
最後更欲陳明一事倘思若何修改香港教法一端所最要者勿開香港教申者
法之事一事國家似亦無庸關涉蓋華人自是以華人之道理教法爲者此須至環之間傭工者獲值似亦不賤况華文書塾修金頗康故於教習華文一官教英文者則無不合故教英文乃國家在本港所可備與居民者此固宜精微要之此語爲英官在極多華民之藩地欲教華文似爲未合而爲英一如英國無異論及英國教法事可云用物若未足品評是物之
#secular instruction" there has been substituted the phrase instruction in the subjects of the standards." which alteration, whilst removing
conscientious scruples of denominational Educa-tionists, did not affect the vital principle of the
Grant-in-aid System, viz.. payment for results in specified subjects. It gives, moreover, greater freedom to the Managers in the selection of books without compromising the attitude of the Covern-ment as regards the principle of non-interference
in religious matters. The elimination from the Schedule of the word "elementary "is a matter of the highest importance. The Grant-in-aid Scheme. hitherto or rather until the time when St. Paul's College first came under the Grant-in-aid System, was confined to aid native elementary education. Now, however, it is open to further development in the direction of admitting not only intermediate but high class educational in-stitutions to the benefits of the Grant-in-aid
system and by making this alteration in the scope of the scheme the necessity of enlarging the value
of the passes is involved as a natural consequence.
I see in this alteration of the Grant-in-aid Scheme
a step in the right direction towards placing the
Educational Policy of the Colonial Government
on a thoroughly sound and equitable basis, viz., the aim to contine all direct teaching, such as is now given in schools kept at the entire expense
and under the exclusive control of the Govern-ment, to the Elementary English education of the poor classes, but to give increased aid with fewer
restrictions on the principle of payment by results in specified subjects to the middle schools and high class schools of the Colony, more or less in the manner indicated by the Intermediate Edu-cation Act (Ireland) of 1878.
i.
8. In conclusion I beg to point out that in considering the Educational Problem of this Co-lony, it is all important to refrain from assuming an identity of the radical features of the problem as it presents itself here and in England. In England it may be said regarding inatters of education that the consumer is not a competent judge of the commodity." but this principle does not apply to the purely Chinese education at-tempted by an English Government of a Colony the overwhelming majority of which is made up by Chinese; though this principle does indeed apply to the teaching of English, and hence it follows that English education is one of those things in Hongkong which it is admissible in principle that a Government should provide for the people. As regards purely Chinese teaching or Chinese teaching combined with English the case is entirely different. Whilst in England the common wages of unskilled labour are too low and the cost of teaching too high to enable an dinary unskilled labourer to pay the whole cost of elementary instruction for his children, the wages of unskilled labour are comparatively so high here in town and the cost of Chinese teaching so low, that Government interference in the matter of Chinese teaching is entirely uncall-
for, especially as the Chinese place an extre
inely high esteem on their own system and method of erlucation. I have the honour to be, Sir, your inost obedient Servant,
5
E. J. EITEL,
Inspector of Schools.
輔右中
使申
司
馬陳