No. 41.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
The following Annual Report on the state of the Government Schools in Hongkong for the Year 1875, is published for general information.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 9th February, 1876.
[No. 10.]
J. GARDINER AUSTIN, Colonial Secretary.
HONGKONG, 5th February, 1876.
SIR-I have the honour to forward to you the Blue Book Returns and the Annual Report on Education for 1875.
2. The number of scholars attending schools subject to Government supervision was 2,606. This s an advance over 1874, but as it amounts only to about two per cent, it is not so marked as in some previous years. This is partly accounted for by the fact that no addition was made to the number of schools. There was also a falling off, amounting to three and a half per cent, in the native schools which are supported by Government. The causes of this will appear when the state of certain of these is taken into consideration. In all other cases there was an increase; and the total deficiency, taking all the Government Schools together, amounts to only four scholars, that is, 1,927 as against 1,931.
3. Any deficiency in actual numbers was more than compensated for by the regularity of the attendance, the minimum in this respect being much higher than in previous years. The Tables append- led to this Report give the fullest particulars under this heading, and a reference to then will prevent the necessity of entering on a series of tedious details. They have been compiled with the view of
applying all the information about the schools which was thought likely to be desired.
4. The Native Schools supported by Government are sixteen in number, and were attended by 1,016 scholars, being a decrease of 38 as compared with the previous years. This was owing to a change of four of the masters, one being dismissed, one permitted to resign, and two having to retire jon account of bad health. To supply three of the vacancies, a public examination of candidates was held early in the year. Upwards of thirty masters presented themselves, and the three best got the Appointments.
5. The one who was appointed to Tang-lung Chau failed to attract scholars to the school. It was, in fact, almost deserted, there being sometimes only half a dozen present. This was not owing to any fault of the master's, but simply because the people in the neighbourhood had their own ideas as to his qualifications for teaching their children. This is a feature in connexion with these schools which often manifests itself. All the trouble taken to get a good master is often labour in vain; and the more ignorant the people are, the more unwavering is their faith in their own competence to decide on the new man's fitness or unfitness. In the present case, the master's health failed towards the end bf the year, and he had to resign. His successor, although considerably his inferior, is yet doing what he failed to do. He is attracting scholars to the school, and there will soon be as many as could be expected in this once populous but now very sparsely inhabited locality.
6. Twelve years ago, the two schools at this place were very flourishing, but event after event occurred to withdraw the people elsewhere. Two large fires dealt the first blow. Then, the boat people were relegated to Causeway Bay; and now the houses in the Bazaar are nearly all untenanted. The school children come principally from the various clusters of houses which lic scattered between Wan-tsai Gap and the Temple at Tang-lung Chan. The boat people have never forgiven their being sent from their former rendezvous, and they show their resentment by depriving us of the opportunity of educating their children. Incredible as it sounds, inany of the people think they are conferring a favour on the Government by allowing their children to attend the schools.
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7. In the case of Tai Wong Kung, the master who was dismissed contrived to elicit a good deal sympathy from the parents of the scholars, another remarkable feature, for the man was guilty of the grossest misconduct, and nobody dreamt of saying otherwise. Still, he was a good master, they aid, and they wanted him continued. This could not be thought of, and the result is that they too tre displaying a little resentiment; but, in this case, it is likely to be short lived, as the superiority of ́
present master is beyond all cavil.
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