Schools.
The average attendance at the day schools is 88 per cent. of the total enrolment. This is a high figure, all things considered, and shows that there is considerable competition for seats.
17. The Government does not operate any purely Vernacular Schools, but assists them in four ways:-(1) by Grants; (2) by Subsidies; (3) by Inspections; (4) by operating Normal Schools for teachers as described below.
18. Grants. --These--except for a very few schools which are specially favoured--vary from $3 to $5 for each unit of average attendance. The schools in receipt of these Grants are all managed by missionary or (latterly) non-Christian charitable bodies. In the first category, there are 26 Mission Schools as compared with 78, twenty years ago. They are now mostly for girls.
19. This falling off in numbers is explained by the superior attractions of the Subsidy system; also, it may be presumed, by the competition of the Confucian and Tung Wa Grant Schools which, with few exceptions, give a free education. All the Grant Schools are bound by the conditions of the Grant Code.
20. Subsidies.-The system of subsidies was first started in the New Territories, and lately adopted in Hongkong. It consists in giving quarterly a lump sum of $5 to $20 to schools which appear to the Director of Education, upon the advice of the Inspectors, to be deserving. In 1920, $20,000 was thus absorbed by schools in the Colony, including $10,000 given to the Confucian Society, and $7,200 by schools in the New Territories. The Inspectors, in forming their opinion, are guided by the absolute value of the schools, judged from a technical stand-point; by their size; by their financial position; and by their usefulness. Thus, a bare-foot school in a poor district might receive a subsidy in preference to one corresponding to a private preparatory school at home.
21. The Subsidy can be withdrawn without notice, wherein lies a distinction between the Grant and Subsidy systems. Another is that the subsidized schools get a lump sum, roughly proportioned to their size, and not a Grant calculated on the exact number of pupils. As the maximum Subsidy is $20 a month, it is not at present possible to apply this system to big schools; but this is a remediable weakness.
22. It is obvious that the system requires inspectors and sub-inspectors of considerable qualifications and experience. At present, the Department is very well served in these respects.
23. Inspections.-In theory, the Correspondents of Grant Schools and the Managers of Subsidized Schools control the teaching and general conduct of their schools. In practice, this is only rarely the case. The teachers look more and more to the Inspectorial Staff for guidance. Under the Grant Code, new teachers have to be approved by the Department, and it follows that the inspections, which take place at irregular intervals throughout the year, do not merely result in reports on existing conditions, but are occasions
Schools.
The average attendance at the day schools is 88 per cent. of the total enrolment. This is a high figure all things considered. and shews that there is considerable competition for seats.
17. The Government does not operate any purely Vernacular Schools, but assists them in four ways:-(1) by Grants; (2) by Subsidies; (3) by Inspections; (4) by operating Normal Schools for teachers as described below.
18. Grants. --These--except for a very few schools which are specially favoured--vary from $3 to $5 for each unit of average attendance. The schools in receipt of these Grants are all managed by missionary or (latterly) non-Christian charitable bodies. In the first category there are 26 Mission Schools as compared with 78, twenty years ago. They are now mostly for girls.
19. This falling off in numbers is explained by the superior attractions of the Subsidy system; also, it may be presumed, by the competition of the Confucian and Tung Wa Grant Schools which with few exceptions give a free education. All the Grant Schools are bound by the conditions of the Grant Code.
20. Subsidies.-The system of subsidies was first started in the New Territories, and lately adopted in Hongkong. It consists in giving quarterly a lump sum of $5 to $20 to schools which appear to the Director of Education upon the advice of the Inspectors to be deserving. In 1920, $20,000 was thus absorbed by schools in the. Colony, including $10,000 given to the Confucian Society, and $7,200 by schools in the New Territories. The Inspectors in for- mning their opinion are guided by the absolute value of the schools. judged from a technical stand-point; by their size; by their Anancial position; and by their usefulness. Thus a bare-foot school in a poor district might receive a subsidy in preference to one corresponding to a private preparatory school at home:
21. The Subsidy can be withdrawn without notice, wherein lies a distinction between the Grant and Subsidy systems. Another is that the subsidized schools get a lump sum, roughly proportioned to their size, and not a Grant calculated on the exact number of pupils. As the maximum Subsidy is $20 a month it is not at present possible to apply this system to big schools; but this is a remediable weakness.
22. It is obvious that the system requires inspectors and sub- inspectors of considerable qualifications and experience. At present the Department is very well served in these respects.
23. Inspections.-In theory the Correspondents of Grant Schools and the Managers of Subsidized Schools control the teaching and general conduct of their schools. In practice this is only rarely the case. The teachers look more and more to the Inspectorial Staff for guidance. Under the Grant Code, new teachers have to be approved by the Department, and it follows that the inspections which take place at irregular intervals throughout the year do not merely result in reports on existing conditions, but are occasions
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