03
Similarly the Kowloon Junior School needs more accommodation if it is to meet the growing requirements of the neighbourhood.
B.-ENGLISH-TEACHING GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS (FOR OTHER THAN BRITISH PUPILS).
A comparison of the total roll in May and in December shows how these schools were affected by the troubles that began for the Colony in June.
In May the numbers were 3190 and in December they were 1898.
At the same time it must be remembered that numbers are not necessarily a measure of efficiency.
The sudden fall in numbers chiefly affected the higher classes, and instead of admitting large numbers of younger pupils to the lower classes, it is recognised that the sounder method is to build the school up gradually, allowing it to reconstruct itself by natural stages and avoiding a temptation to emphasise the importance of mere numbers.
C.-GRANT SCHOOLS.
These remained unchanged. Statistics are given in Table II.
D. VERNACULAR SCHOOLS (Tables V & VI).
The number of private urban vernacular schools was 535, being 1 less than in the previous year, and of pupils 23,707. Of these 186 schools with 9,369 pupils received subsidies from the Government.
The rural vernacular schools numbered 193 of which 102 received subsidies.
The chief difficulty is to find good teachers. As one step towards the solution of this problem, it was decided to start a Government Vernacular Normal School at Taipo where selected students from different parts of the Territory could be taught something of the art of teaching in Chinese by improved methods. The formation of this school, including provision of boarding accommodation for distant students, was well in hand at the end of the year.
E.-NORMAL SCHOOLS.
The progress made by the Women's Vernacular Normal School was particularly pleasing.