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hours a day respectively and the balance left from a six hours school day is given to subjects in which the medium of instruction is Chinese. Then in the Upper School (Classes 3 to 1), as at the boys' schools, Chinese will be mainly confined to translation work.
40. Thus, at the girls' school the preliminary Vernacular knowledge is acquired in the school itself, and the transition from Vernacular to English studies is gradual. Moreover since the Vernacular School gives a good elementary knowledge of Arithmetic, Geography, Hygiene, etc., the short time spent at first in the acquisition of English can be applied whole-heartedly to that end, and not shared with other educational subjects.
41. Owing to lack of space, it has been decided, pending additions to the building, to house the three lowest Vernacular Standards outside the school premises.
The following
42. The work of the school is quite satisfactory extracts are from the report of the acting Head Mistress, Miss Bateman, whose recent resignation is a loss to the school :-
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Headmistress' Report.
"English. The Special Prizes for English Composition so kindly presented each year by Mr. R. E. Belilios were competed for in July, and awarded to the successful candidates. Three papers were marked "very good" by the Director of Education. These prizes have certainly done good in improving English Composition among the pupils.
Domestic Economy-At our 1909 Prize-giving His Excellency made some remarks about the teaching of Domestic Economy, and expressed a wish that we should take up the subject. As a matter of fact it had already been taught, though not under that name, in the school. This year Classes 3 and 4 have had a course of instruction in this subject, and the Chinese girls of Class 4 seemed to find it very interesting. Prizes were given to the first and second in this subject by His Excellency in accordance with the promise he had made last year.
Hygiene-Class 4, composed of Chinese girls who have been in the school from 3 to 4 years, entered for the Hygiene examination and were successful in winning the Shiel. This is the first girls' school to win it; and the fact that Chinese girls, after 3 or 4 years' education in English, could come first in an examination in which English girls compete, ought to have some influence in encouraging them to join the Classes of the English Side.
Kindergarten.-Three of the Junior Assistant Teachers have been attending the Technical Institute Kindergarten Class. Although the pupils of this school are too old for Kindergarten work, there is very much in the course of instruction that should prove valuable to the teachers in this work.
Physical Drill.-Classes in Physical Drill were started in September, the exercises being taken from the Board of Education Manual. The Drill seemed to do good, as an improvement in carriage was noticeable, and among the Chinese girls there were fewer rounded shoulders and narrow chests.
Drawing-Drawing has been introduced as a class subject. Some progress has been made. Many of the pupils now draw their own embroidery patterns, instead of depending on the embroidery mistress as formerly.