O 13
TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
80. The Technical Institute, to which I have referred in paragraph 57, was instituted many years ago on the initiative of Sir Matthew Nathan, then Governor of Hong Kong. It started its career as "Evening Continuation Classes" and these have ever since played a very useful part in the education system of the colony. Some time after the classes had been going the name was changed to "Technical Institute". It will be seen from the Director's report in Chapter V that the subjects now being taken by those in attendance are for the most part commercial or general or concerned with teaching. While I wish to emphasise the very great value of the work being done by the Technical Institute, it is clear that for the most part it cannot properly be styled technical.
81. The Salesian Industrial School is the chief example of organised technical education in the colony. A few classes in technical subjects are being conducted under the auspices of the Technical Institute: there are a few type-writing and shorthand schools which are rather commercial than technical: there are carpentry classes at a few schools.
82. In October, 1930, a committee was appointed by His Excellency the Governor to report on the possibility of increasing facilities for practical technical education and the feasibility of establishing a trade school. This committee reported in June 1931. Among other recommendations which do not seem to be immediately relevant to the purposes of this report, the committee recommended as an experimental measure the establishment of a Junior Technical School. The school which it is hoped to open in 1932 is to be under the Director of Education. The Principal will not only be responsible to the Director of Education for the institution, but also his general adviser in all matters connected with the education of industrial workers.
EXAMINATIONS.
83. A table showing the results of the Matriculation and Local examinations conducted in 1931 by the University of Hong Kong is given below. As was the case last year, the schools for girls show a higher percentage of passes than those for boys.