Part II.
Chapter I.
EVENTS OF THE YEAR.
23. The foundation stone of the new Maryknoll Convent School was laid in June, the foundation stone of the Hip Yan School (being an amalgamation of the Victoria Home and Orphanage and Fairlea School) in September, by H.E. the Governor.
24. The new Central British School was opened in September by His Excellency.
His Excellency also presided in November at the celebrations in honour of the completion of the re-building of St. Mary's School, Kowloon.
25. The new Trade School building was completed in August.
26. In September the first step in the conversion of the Un Long Government rural school from an English to a Higher Primary Vernacular School was taken, new entrants forming a Ko Siu Standard I.
27. The department was represented at the educational conference in Honolulu in July/August by Mr. Kay, headmaster of King's College.
28. The Maryknoll Convent School was admitted to the English Grant-in-aid List.
29. Owing to severe financial stringency the department was called upon to limit its activities and reduce its expenditure in a number of ways including "inter alia" a reduction of approximately 50% in the approved expenditure on personnel and equipment of the Trade School; and a 10% reduction, effective as from January 1937, in the Capitation Grants for the English Grant-in-aid Schools.
30. In order to give effect to certain recommendations made by Mr. E. Burney, one of H.M.'s Inspectors of Schools, who reported on the educational System in 1935, a School Certificate Examination to be taken at Class 2 has been arranged under the control of the Education department and will, after an overlap of one year, replace the present School Certificate Examination at Class 1 conducted by the Hong Kong University.