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Of 66 boys on the roll at the time of the annual examination 13 were absent and 7 were not examined, as they had ouly just joined. Of the 16 boys examined 39 or 85% passed. Arithmetic was satisfactory in Classes 5 and 7. English Composition of an elementary nature was satisfactory in all classes, though the examinees displayed a fault which is not absent from more important Chinese schools: the boys seemed reluctant to compose original sentences and relied upon memory for the reproduction of phrases which they had read or written before. În Class 8A 6 boys out of 16 failed in Chinese and only three in English. More attention will have to be paid to the vernacular classes. 8B was a promising Class. In the New Territory Map the railway, motor road and coast-line were all correctly marked. Sums were neatly worked and the writing was satisfactory in all classes. The Classes were 5, 7, 8A and SB. There was no Class 6.
Cheung Chan School.-The Maximum Eurolment was 61 (33 in 1922).
The Average Attendance was 49 (25 in 1922).
Under the new Head Master the school has shown marked improvement. The Manuscript style of writing has been success- fully adopted.
At the Annual Examination in November 43 boys passed out of 49.
Results were good, especially in Classes 5 and 6. In 8B some boys failed in Chinese. The Head Master attributed this to the extreme youth of the children who find it difficult at first to study English and Chinese together. However in the long run more can be done with our Chinese boys if they come to us quite young, and a second year in Class 8 will be good for them.
GRANT SCHOOLS.
All the English Grant Schools, now numbering eleven, were visited and inspected during the year.
At all visits Classes were seen at work, and exercises written during the year as well as those written for the Inspectors were examined. Good work is being done in most of the Schools, but it was found necessary in two Schools to reduce the usual Grant. It cannot be too strongly urged upon Heads of Schools that efficiency cannot be attained if promotion to higher Classes is made easy; it is proposed to reduce Grants very materially in future where there is evidence of undue promotion.
In all Schools, increased attention to English-spoken and written-is necessary,