32. Mr. A. R. Cavalier left for active service on August 31st, and Mr. Y. P. Law has been acting for him since that date.
SUBSIDISED SCHOOLS—NEW TERRITORIES.
33. Of the 47 Subsidised Schools in the New Territories in 1916, 7 were struck off the List at the end of the year. These were at Shan Tsui, Sheung Shui, Chau Tau, Ping Long Wan, San Hui, Yeung Siu Hang, and Tseng Lan Shui. Nine new ones were subsidised at the beginning of 1917, viz., the schools at Ha Wo Tse, Chung Pak Long, Cha Hang, Nam Wai, Un Kong, Ping Shan, Shek Pai Wan, Tai Wan, and Un Long, the last named being a Girls' School. The total number of Subsidised Schools at the beginning of the year stood at 49. The two schools at She Tau and Wun Yiu were shortly afterwards found to be unsatisfactory and their subsidies were withheld since July. A Girls' School at Sheung Shui and a Boys' at Shing Mun were struck off at the end of the year, and the number of Subsidised Schools is now 45.
34. Of the 45 schools, 9 are placed in Class A, 22 in Class B, and 14 in Class C. Those in Class A are schools of which the work is up to a "Ko Tang" standard, and the premises, classification, discipline, and apparatus are good. Class B schools are those where either the work or the premises are not up to the A standard, but the teaching is satisfactory, while Class C are those where the work is of an elementary nature and barely satisfactory, and the premises and organisation are not as good as could be wished.
35. The Girls' School at Sheung Shui having been struck off, there is now only one Subsidised Girls' School (i.e., at Un Long).
36. The teacher at Tsung Am Tong was the only one found absent without permission when the annual inspection was made, and he has had to forfeit his subsidy for the month of November.
37. The number of pupils is 1,186 and the average attendance is 1,007. Among these are 65 girls only—21 at the Un Long Girls' School and the rest divided among 6 other schools.
38. One free scholar was admitted to Taipo English School and one to Un Long from these Vernacular Schools.
39. Each school has been visited at least once by the Inspector and three times by the Sub-Inspector.
NUMBERS OF PUPILS.
40. The total number of pupils at schools in the Colony excluding the Police School and the uncontrolled schools in the New Territories are:—