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26. Ap-li Chau which, in 1869 had simply a free site, received last year a grant-in-aid, the site being abandoned. This is by far the best of these schools and if classified with the whole of the Village Schools, without regard to grant or otherwise, would stand ninth in order. The highest number of scholars on the roll was 1 and the lowest 30. The regular attendance averaged 31.
27. These schools differ from the ordinary Village Schools simply in this, that the villagers provide the school-house and selcet the master, who gets, or is supposed to get, one half of his salary, in kind, from the parents of his scholars and the other half, amounting to sixty dollars a year, from Government.
28. It was thought, at the commencement, that this system of grants-in-aid would meet many difficulties, and might probably be extended in time to all the Village Schools. It enables the villagers to choose their own school-master, a privilege which they consider peculiarly their own and which they very reluctantly resign. It was thought, also, that by having to provide one half the master's salary they would be more anxious to have their children taught by way of a return for the expense incurred, and that they would be a check on the inaster,--a safeguard, not so unnecessary as it might be.
am sorry to say,
29. These hopes are a long way from their realization. Application for a grant-in-aid in too many cases means simply a source of revenue to the village. Government is a fair object for plunder. The want of a school is first discerned by a needy and place-less school-master. The next step is a circuit of the village, full of promises of many good things to come. by himself, but purporting to be from the villagers, setting forth the poverty of the village as extreine, The next is a petition, composel the ignorance of the children as appalling and the merits of the aspiring school-master as unparalleled. The last step is a deputation for the presentation of the petition. All this is, outwardly, as it should be; but, behind so much fair seeming, there has been no lack of chicanery,—a hard driven bargain ca the part of the villagers for so much hard cash for the privilege of teaching their children, but proba- bly taking the form of so much rent for the school-house, albeit the petition distinctly states that the village provides the school-house free.
30. When the master is appointed, everything goes well for several months, perhaps for the whole year, but, by that time, envy has done its work. Another candidate appears and larger pro- mises are made or exacted. The petition is now to the effect that the master is as bad as he was formerly good, and that the new candidate is the only man who can repair the injury done to the school. When any reluctance is shown to comply with the request, it is pretty plainly intimated that if the new man is not accepted there will be no children at school next year.
31. Something of this nature is now going on at Little Hongkong. The master there was the people's choice some years ago, It so happens that the Ti-po of the village has a son who aspires to the office of school-master. Towards the end of the year, the Ti-po headed a deputation from the village and presented Д petition against the present school-master and in favour of the aspiring one. The catalogue of the former's demerits was long, but not longer than that of the latter's merits. An attempt was made to convince the deputation that they were greatly to blame for not making the charges at the time the faults were alleged to have occurred, thus giving an opportunity of enquiring into them. They had no time to come and do so was all their answer.
32. The school-master was informed of what had been done and probably taxed the villagers with their deceit, for they soon returned with a complete change of argument. had enjoyed the salary for many years and it was now time that another should have his turn of it. The present master This was not to be listened to and the deputation was plainly told so. Shortly after, the Ti-po returned alone and wanted to know definitely whether the new master would be accepted or not. When told that he certainly would not, the old man retorted so impudently that there should then be no scholars that nothing but his gray hairs saved him from forcible extrusion. A scheme of a similar sort is understood to be maturing at Ma-t'au Ts'ün. As has been often said, the Government is the obliged party when the villagers condescend to let their children learn to read.
33. Attention is, as usual, called in Table VI to the number of uneducated children in the Colony. This is done simply because it is well to have such a fact fairly presented and fairly looked at. If blame is attachable to any one, it is to the parents, because they have only to show the slightest willingness to have their children taught to secure attention to their case. It will probably be suff- ciently evident from what has already been said that if left to themselves the parents, in the majority of instances, have no great desire for the instruction of their children. If education were made obligatory one point would certainly be gained, but only one. The extreme poverty of many of the people in the villages and in boats would throw on the Government the onus of clothing and feeding, well as as educating, if any compulsory scheme were enacted.
34. To find an exact parallel to the state of things here we must go back a century or two in the history of our own country. Education there has not had its present extensive diffusion by any fat. It has been a gradual and a very gradual process. We have the whole of that gradual process to go through in Hongkong, although there is a tendency in most of us to forget or ignore that fact, and to imagine that the nineteenth century in England means the nineteenth century in Hongkong, or, which comes to the same thing, that there is no reason why what is done in England should not have
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its exact counterpart here. It is argued, moreover, that education is universal in China and that the poorest 'coolie' can read and write. This is one of the many fallacies which prevail on the subject of China and its people. It is only after a certain stage of material comfort has been reached that people can turn their thoughts to anything which is not material; and, until we have many more people among the poorer classes in Hongkong who have not to go and earn a meal before they can eat it, it is almost folly to discuss comprehensive schemes of education for their benefit. Those who have been in the way of visiting the villages on the mainland say that the state of Hongkong is not peculiar. Every village has its school, but only a fraction of the village children attend it. As the Chinese Governinent affords them no assistance, those who wish their children taught must take the whole burden of the school-master's salary on themselves. This, in such poverty-stricken places, excludes the very poor, who are by far the majority; and if poor parents, by dint of much self-denial, should be able to send one of the family to school, it is all that they can possibly. accomplish. The result is that, while ten or twelve may be found in the school, scores of children are to be seen on the hill-sides tending the cattle.
35. Perhaps the greatest educational want in Hongkong is that of a school, or schools, for European and American children of both sexes, In spite of the facilities afforded by St. Saviour's College and the Convent, many residents must have inch difficulty in knowing how to get their children taught. The school red not be a free one.
n
After the preliminary expenses of Site and Building, with which Government might fairly charge itself, the fees would go far to make the school self-supporting. It has been often suggested that the Colonial Chaplain might have such a school under his immediate care, but subject to Goverment supervision. Under whatever regula- tions it might ultimately be placed, such a selmod is very much wanted, and it is matter of astonish- ment that parents have not long ago male a strenuous movement in this direction.
36. I have only, in conclusion, to add that I should be very glad if the state of the Village Schools were such as to enable me to pay them fewer than monthly visits. As the Central School advances my time is more and more required in it. As each additional master has been added more work has been rendered possible, and as long as the possible is not actual, a school is not in the state in which it ought to be.
I have the honour to remain,
The Honourable J. GARDINER AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary, Ft..
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
FREDERICK STEWART, Juspector of Goerrament Schools.
TABLE I.
NUMBER of SCHOLARS taught in the Government Schools during 1870, and Expense of each School.
1. Aberdeen,
2. An đi Châu
3. Lowrington,
4. Central School,
5. Girls' School,
6. Ilok Un,....
7. Hong Hom,
8. Little Hongkong,
9. Ma-tàu Chung.
10. Ma-t'au Ts'io,
11. Mong Kok,-
12. Stau-ki Who,.
13: Sick Shin,..
14. Stanley,
15. Tang-lung Chau, (Hak-ka),
17. To-kwa Win, (Hak-ka}, ..
16. Tinglung Chau, (Pún-ti),
18. To-kwa Win, (Hok-b),
19. Webster's Crescent,
20. West End,
21. West Point, (Hak-ka), .........................
22. West Point, (Pän-ti),
23 Hong-nai Chàng
24. Yau-ma Ti,
Bots,
GIRLS.
34
52
3 1
68
24
18
14
20
3839--8238=8=8====337:
:::
coma::
TOTAL.
83858=18665=853-6893ska%
21
49
1,191
111
1,302
EXPENSE.
ge.
123.00
40.00
374.00
10,607.17
576.50
51.25
81.50
64.00
48.71
63.00
63.60
11438
70.00
$24.00
126.00
184.50
61.25
09.00
958.00
239,00
219.00
285.00
122.00
51.25
14,292.01