M 10
Ping Shan School shews far more vitality than the other rural schools of its class. The Master has taken pains to keep up his knowledge of English, and is enthusiastic. Sanction has been obtained for the engagement of a Vernacular Master in 1910.
Of Tai Po and Cheung Chau Schools little good can be said. The attendance has fallen off by 40 per cent. at each of them. The Masters are out of touch with educational affairs and what knowledge they once had of method and English has deteriorated. This applies particularly to the Master of Tai Po. Aberdeen School was closed during the year on similar considerations.
The root of the trouble with these schools lies in the lack of supervision. The Masters are quite unfit to go uncontrolled and unwatched for months at a time.
BRITISH SCHOOLS.
Kowloon School (Girls).—This school continues to fill a useful purpose. The number in average attendance is 53. The cost per unit has fallen to $115 from $143 last year.
Experience has shown the limitations which are set to the usefulness of Kowloon School. It provides schooling in a healthy and bright atmosphere for a number of children, but the very short average of attendance of the pupils makes it impossible to follow out any comprehensive school course. Half the girls in the top Class are foreigners.
The
Victoria School (Boys).—On resuming charge of the Department in April, I found this school in an unsatisfactory condition. Headmaster went on leave shortly after, and the elder boys were taught for the rest of the year partly by Mr. James of Kowloon School and partly by Mr. Curwen of Yaumati. There was an improvement by the end of the year.
The Upper School consists at present of 11 boys, most of whom are the sons of Government servants. They are backward, and do not seem to have been well grounded; but they are making progress. Most of them are now being prepared for the Oxford Local Preliminary. This Class promises to be of much value to the Colony.
The attendance has fallen off very considerably. The Headmistress was transferred elsewhere early in the year; but still the cost per unit reaches the altogether preposterous figure of $220 per unit ($124 in 1907 and $166 in 1908).
The numbers are not likely to increase materially in the near future. They were 27 for the year as against 41 for 1908.
The following extract is from the report of the Acting Headmaster :-
"The Cadet Corps.—There is a uniformed corps, attached to the Hongkong Volunteer Corps, drawn from Victoria, St. Joseph's, Diocesan and Garrison Schools. All the boys at this school who are big enough belong to it, but I do not remember seeing more than four strange boys present. Occasionally, when enough names offered I took a party of my own pupils down to the range
M 10
Ping Shan School shews far more vitality than the other rural schools of its class. The Master has taken pains to keep up his know- ledge of English, and is enthusiastic. Sanction has been obtained for the engagement of a Vernacular Master in 1910.
Of Tai Po and Cheung Chau Schools little good can be said. The attendance has fallen off by 40 per cent. at each of them. The Masters are out of touch with educational affairs and what knowledge they once had of method and English has deteriorated. This applies particularly to the Master of Tai Po. Aberdeen School was closed during the year on similar considerations.
The root of the trouble with these schools lies in the lack of supervision. The Masters are quite unfit to go uncontrolled and unwatched for months at a time.
BRITISH SCHOOLS.
Kowloon School (Girls).—This school continues to fill a useful purpose. The number in average attendance is 53. The cost per unit has fallen to $115 from $143 last year.
Experience has shown the limitations which are set to the use- fulness of Kowloon School. It provides schooling in a healthy and bright atmosphere for a number of children, but the very short average of attendance of the pupils makes it impossible to follow out any comprehensive school course. Half the girls in the top Class are foreigners.
The
Victoria School (Boys).-On resuming charge of the Department in April, I found this school in an unsatisfactory condition. Headmaster went on leave shortly after, and the elder boys were taught for the rest of the year partly by Mr. James of Kowloon School and partly by Mr. Curwen of Yaumati. There was an im- provement by the end of the year.
The Upper School consists at present of 11 boys, most of whom are the sons of Government servants. They are backward, and do not seem to have been well grounded; but they are making progress. Most of them are now being prepared for the Oxford Local Prelim- inary. This Class promises to be of much value to the Colony.
The attendance has fallen off very considerably. The Head- mistress was transferred elsewhere early in the year; but still the cost per unit reaches the altogether preposterous figure of $220 per unit ($124 in 1907 and $166 in 1908).
The numbers are not likely to increase materially in the near future. They were 27 for the year as against 41 for 1908.
The following extract is from the report of the Acting Head-
master :-
"The Cadet Corps.-There is a uniformed corps, attached to the Hongkong Volunteer Corps, drawn from Victoria, St. Joseph's, Diocesan and Garrison Schools. All the boys at this school who are big enough belong to it, but I do not remember seeing more than four strange boys present. Occasionally, when enough names offered I took a party of my own pupils down to the range
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