M 2
attendance at Government Schools and of these 1,207 were in the Upper Grade and 133 in the Lower Grade. The Upper Grade shows an increase of 16.5% and the Lower Grade an increase of 13.67%.
8. The cost of each pupil to Government ranges from $5.24 at Belilios Public School Vernacular Side to $166.00 at Victoria British School. At the three District Upper Grade Schools the cost per pupil is $18.66 as compared with $43.46 at Queen's College. There are now two European masters at both Yaumati and Saiyingpun District Schools.
9. The Uen-Long Lower Grade District School was closed early in the year owing to its lack of patronage. Tanglungchau School was absorbed by Wantsai District School in August, when the extensions to the buildings begun early in the year were completed, and a new lower grade school was opened as a temporary measure at Cheung Chau Island in response to repeated and largely signed petitions from the inhabitants. This school has maintained an average attendance of 28-17 since it was opened in June and in consequence the Government has agreed to keep the school open for another year, at the end of which time it will be possible to gauge whether it should be permanently retained or not.
10. Kowloon British School.-The attendance is slightly lower than in 1907 being 46-28 as compared with 47 in 1907. The average cost per pupil is $143.15 as compared with $115.58 in 1907. An outbreak of measles reduced the attendance early in the year and the general trade depression and the consequent withdrawal of children whose parents could no longer find employment in the Colony kept the numbers down throughout the remainder of the year. A much needed playground has been temporarily secured thanks to the Vestry of St. Andrew's Church which has placed the portion of land between the school and the Church at the disposal of the school authorities for one year.
11. Victoria British School.-As at Kowloon British School and for almost identical reasons the average attendance at this school dropped from 44 in 1907 to 41 last year.
The cost per pupil has in consequence risen to $166 as compared with $124 in 1907.
One candidate for the Preliminary Oxford Local Examination was presented in July, 1908, but failed. The results for the past 3 years are :—
1906, 1907, 1908,
Entries. 1 4 1
Passes. 1 4 0
The school buildings have been improved during the year by the addition of a storey to the headmaster's quarters. A new playground has also been made below the school. No cases of Malaria have been reported during the year. The Cadet Corps numbered 28 in 1908 as compared with 16 in 1907. Boys from other schools are now eligible for admission, and there are at present Cadets representing the Garrison School and St. Joseph's College. The Cadets attended camp in November and spent a week of strenuous useful work at Stonecutters' Island.
12. Belilios Public School, Anglo-Chinese Side.—The re-arrangement of the classes has proved a marked success and has led to very much better results in the school work. The average attendance is 106 as compared with 108 in 1907. The free scholars have done very good work as a whole. Unfortunately a number of the more promising ones have been withdrawn as they were required in their homes.
13. The three Upper Grade schools are Yaumati, Saiyingpun and Wantsai District Schools. They are intended as preparatory schools for Queen's College and as such have no upper school. The classes are numbered IV to VIII. Promotion from Class IV is made to Class III at Queen's College and all boys who obtain 50% of marks at the annual examination are entitled to admission to Queen's College where the ordinary admission is now by competitive examination. The average attendance at all these schools has increased as the following figures show :-
Average Attendance. 1907. 1908. Yaumati, 185 225 Saiyingpun, 204 297 Wantsai, 210 249The fees also show an increase of $3,957 for the three schools to which Saiyingpun School alone contributed $2,208.