M 16
The next Table shews the average place taken by each competing school during the past 5 years. The District Schools send in teams from Classes IV & V; the other schools from Classes III & IV; the former are thus somewhat heavily handicapped. Saiyingpun has thus done very well. The Diocesan Boys' School is an easy first. Having regard to their numbers and the nature of the schools the Anglo-Portuguese School and the Belilios Public School have done very creditably.
Average Place in Hygiene Competition 1905-1909.
School. Average Place. Remarks. 1. Diocesan Boys' School, 2.6 Compete with full team each year. 2. Anglo-Portuguese, 3.6 3. Belilios Public School, 4.2 Compete 4 years. 4. Italian Convent, 4.7 Compete full 4 years. 4. Saiyingpun District School, 4.7 Compete 4 years. 6. Ellis Kadoorie School, 5.0 Compete each year. 6. St. Joseph's College, 5.0 Compete 3 years. 8. Queen's College, 5.6 Compete each year. 9. Diocesan Girls', 7.0 Compete 4 years. 10. Wantsai District School, 8.2 Compete 1 year. 11. Yaumati District School, 9.0 Compete 1 year. 12. Hollywood Road, 10.0 Compete reduced 3 years. 13. French Convent, 12.5 Compete 2 years. 13. St. Mary's, 12.5 Compete 2 years.An advanced paper was also set by Dr. Pearse in December and done by the various schools. His criticisms are given below. They are probably rather more severe than those of a schoolmaster would be who is more used to the defects common to the written work of immature persons.
His conclusion is that "a course of elementary instruction in natural science is always required before Hygiene can be studied intelligently, and that the pupils have not had this is very evident". Both the dictum and the deduction are true. The subject, Hygiene, has been forced untimely into the curriculum of schools, because it was considered politically desirable that all pupils, even those leaving early, should have some knowledge of certain facts closely related to the health of the community. The subject is admittedly crammed, and does not harmonise with the other courses of study. I am endeavouring to obtain a consensus of opinion as to whether any remedy can be found.
Report on the Hygiene Examination by Dr. Pearse.
"Elementary Papers.
The results were on the whole fair and some papers were quite good. The questions set were such as could easily be answered if the text book only had been carefully read, and no great tax was imposed on the students' ability