CO885-6 — Page 408

Printed for the use of the Colonial Office.

Eastern

No. 81.

EDUCATION IN HONG-KONG.

MEMORANDUM BY SIR C. C. SMITH,

The report of the Committee deals very ex- haustively with the provision for education in the Colony, and the authors of it deserve high commen- dation.

I need say nothing about the proposed school

classes of the Chinese resident in the Colony. They have been approved in principle by the Secretary of State. I venture to think, however, that the Government will have to face many difficulties in regard to the latter institution, seeing that in China

for Europeans, or the one for the so-called upper

there is no recognition in educated matters of any

difference of class.

It may be presumed that both these schools will be under the Inspector of Schools. He, indeed, should, as suggested in paragraph 96 of the report, be responsible for all the schools other than private schools. The salary of the appointment.seems to be sufficient to ensure that the holders of it will remain in office for such a series of years as will avoid (what the Bishop probably deprecates) changes tending to interfere unduly with settled policy. Queen's College is about to he reorganized. It would be well that the opportunity should, if practicable, be taken to place it under the. Inspector of Schools. And in order that the whole of the educational work in the Colony may periodically, come under review, I would suggest that every two years the Inspector of Schools should call together in conference the heads of the teaching staff of each school. The re- port of the Conference would, of course, be sub- mitted to the Governor.

There does not appear to be much, that is radically unsound in the educational system as ex- isting in the Colony. It is right: to aim at the highest state of efficiency that is possible, but it would be unwise to sweep away all that does not come up to that standard. The resources of the Government are very limited; the supply of really competent teachers is very small. Hence the prudent Administrator will do the best he can, with the means at his command. The Committee has over- looked that there are other distinct advantages arising from attendance at school besides the acqui- sition of sound knowledge.

The primary difficulty in Hong-Kong, as else- where in the Eastern Colonies, is to obtain efficient

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