Only 38 hád
31. St. Stephen's Church School had a very unfortunate change of master in the month of Sep- tember. After his appointment, the school fell off in every way. He entirely neglected his duty. The school had 97 scholars during the year, and the average daily attendance was 68. qualified for examination; and although only 10 of these failed yet 17 of the 28, that is, 61 per cent, had to depend on their copy writing to complete the number of subjects in which they had to pass. The failures in the various subjects, were:-in reading, 1; in writing, (from dictation), 15; in repeti- tion, 15; in explanation, 7 out of 16; in composition, 1 out of 3; and, in geography, all who were examined failed. Standard IV was the highest under which scholars were presented, and all who
were examined in it failed.
32. These are most unfortunate results for this school, which gave such promise of better things during the first 18 months of its existence. All that can be done to retrieve the past has been done. The master forfeited his proportion of the grant, and he was dismissed by the Manager at the close of the year.
33. The Baxter Vernacular Girls' Schools in Sai Ying-p'ún, Staunton Street, and T -p'ing Shản, advanced sufficiently in numbers to be taken separately, the average daily attendance for the year being 21, 27 and 32 respectively. From the three 56 came up for examination, and only 10 failed. The Staunton Street school took Standards I to IV inclusive. The other two were examined in the first three. The failures in separate subjects were, for all the schools: in reading 10; in writing 12; in repetition 4; in explanation 10; and in Geography 1.
34. It is unnecessary to add anything to the favourable report given of these schools last year. They are advancing steadily in numbers and efficiency, and they are gaining rapidly in popular
estimation.
35. Subjoined is the percentage of scholars who passed in the Grant-in-aid schools:-
Basel Mission Girls' School,.
Baxter School, (Sai Ying-p’ún),. Baxter School, (Staunton Street),
..88 per cent. ..82
..75
"}
Baxter School, (Tái-p'ing Shán),
.89
99
London Mission School, (Tái-p'ing Shán),
.75
•
19
London Mission School, (Wán-tsai),
.80
11
St. Saviour's Day School,.
..82
"}
St. Stephen's Church School,
.74
11
.83
17
Victoria Boys' School,
This calculation is only useful as regards each school taken by itself. It does not afford a just measure of comparison between the several schools, on account of the different classes in which they are placed, a Standard in one class of schools marking a very different degree of scholarship from the corresponding Standard for schools of another class.
36. The Scheme under which these, nine schools receive grants-in-aid, was published in the Government Gazette on the 26th April, 1873, and carried into effect immediately after. By it deno- minational schools are enabled to receive assistance from the Government without losing their re- ligious character, and the Government can give its assistance to schools of all denominations without interfering in any way with their religious teaching. A grant is not given to a school for general proficiency but for definite results, as ascertained by the individual examination of the scholars. During four hours of each day, the instruction has to be confined to secular subjects; but during the rest of the day, the teaching may be religious, or secular, or both, at the option of the Manager. Before a scholar can be examined he must have attended school on at least 200 days in the year during the four hours a day devoted to unsectarian instruction. On tisfying that con- dition he is examined in the Standard for which his teacher considers him qualified, with this limitation that he can never be examined again in the same or in a lower Standard.
37. The only peculiarity of the scheine as applied to the Colorty is the number of classes of schools which had to be made to suit its peculiar requirements. In other respects it is substantially the same as similar schemes in operation elsewhere. It will be found as an Appendix to this Report.
38. It only remains to be stated that the School Book Committee have now published their Primer and Books I and II of the series which they were appointed to compile. The Third Book is almost ready for the printer, and the whole series will probably be complete in twelve months In the early part of the year the work of the Coinmittee was much retarded by a variety of causes; but, if nothing unforeseen occurs, they will now be able to prosecute their labours uninterruptedly to the end.
from this date.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
The Honorable J. GARDINER AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary,
HONGKONG.
FREDERICK STEWART, Inspector of Schords.