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once, except 8 which had been visited at the end of 1913 and registered soon after. Many had to be visited several times owing to the inaccurate details supplied in the first instance, and 97 new schools had to be visited and classified.
"All Schools were visited also by the sub-inspector, most of them more than twice. Much of his time has been taken up with answering questions as to what is meant by a time table, roll call, etc., and with helping teachers to fill in the forms required."
Subsidised Schools,—(New TERRITORIES)
49. In 1913 there were 260 schools with an average attendance of 3,223. At the end of that year, monthly subsidies of $5 were promised to the teachers of 50 of the least bad of these schools: the object was to develop them at the expense of the rest, and thus obviate the necessity of applying the Ordinance and closing the inefficient schools, a step for which the New Territories are certainly not ripe. The following report by the Inspector of Vernacular Schools shows at any rate that there has been an improvement in the 50 schools selected. They have an average attendance of 852 or rather more than one quarter of the whole. The total subsidy amounts to $3,000 and works out at $3.52 per unit.
50. As funds are available, the scheme is capable of expansion by increasing the number of Subsidised Schools or increasing the subsidies, or in both directions. The system of Subsidies has received some destructive criticism from persons in a position to know; but no alternative suggestion has been made to me; and I still think that it represents the best that can be done in a difficult situation.
51. The following extracts are from the Report of the Inspector of Vernacular Schools:--
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"I personally visited each school at the beginning of the year. A second visit was paid at the end of the year to all of these except 5. Each school was visited by the sub-inspector 3 or 4 times, except in three cases where only 2 visits were paid. It had been arranged that he should go the round of the schools every 3 months: but for the last 2 months of the year, when I wished him to accompany me, this plan had to stand over. He has done what he could in these few visits towards helping on the more old-fashioned schools, especially with Arithmetic and Geography, and has made a satisfactory beginning.
"The teaching in most of these schools is of a very elementary nature, but of the 50 that were chosen for a subsidy this year very few have proved failures. One teacher abandoned both school and subsidy towards the end of the year, and another man returned his money as soon as he found that there were regulations to be observed.
Three schools were struck off the list as not having fulfilled the conditions of the Grant. Of the remainder, 11 barely justify their existence as subsidised schools, but the rest are satisfactory. The schools at Un Long, Ho Chung, Saikung and Kau Pa Kang are exceptionally good, the last named being a model village school. The total number of pupils is 1,132, with an average attendance of 852. 27 of the schools are Hakka, 21 Punti and 2 Mixed.