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III.-LEGISLATION.
Thirteen (13) Ordinances were passed during 1924, of which ten were amendments of previous Ordinances.
IV.-EDUCATION.
The European staff was increased by twelve new appointments from England during the year.
The total number of pupils at schools in the Colony excluding the Police School are:-
English Schools Vernacular Schools Total Number of Pupils Government Schools 41 3,987 4,028 Military Schools 142 - 142 Excluded Private Schools 256 256 Grant Schools 1,076 4,297 5,373 Controlled Private Schools 27,015 5,670 32,685 Controlled Private Schools, New Territories 4,821 31 4,852 Technical Institute 597 597 Total 32,953 14,980 47,933The most important schools, apart from the excluded schools, are Queen's College for Chinese, four District Schools its feeders, and the Belilios Public School for Chinese girls. There is an Indian School of growing importance housed in a building presented to the Colony by the late Sir Ellis Kadoorie. Central School and Quarry Bay, Kowloon Junior and Victoria Schools for children of British parentage have an average attendance of 239. There is also a school for the children of the Peak District with an average attendance of 46. The Diocesan School and Orphanage and St. Joseph's College are important boys' schools in receipt of an annual grant. The Italian, French, and St. Mary's Convents, the Diocesan Girls' School, and the St. Stephen's Girls School are the most important of the English Grant Schools for girls.
The Hongkong Technical Institute affords an opportunity for higher education of students who have left school. Instruction was given in 1923 in Building Construction, Machine Drawing, Mechanics,