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# Chapter IV.
## REPORT BY THE INSPECTORS OF VERNACULAR SCHOOLS.
The last 15 years or so has been a transition period of Vernacular Education in the Colony, and it may not be out of place to preface this report with a brief review of the changes that have taken place during that period. The Education Ordinance came into force at a time when strong measures were taken by the Kwang Tung Government to bring about its educational reforms, and Hong Kong has since been a dumping ground for teachers whose learning is too antiquated to be tolerated in Canton. The usual type of Boys Vernacular School which existed 15 years ago was run by a single teacher who took in pupils of any standard and of various ages ranging from 5 up to 18 or 19, and who never believed in such things as class-teaching, a definite syllabus and time-table, and the teaching of the simple Readers. The sole object of such schools was to impart as profound a knowledge of the Chinese written language as possible, but a general education was never contemplated.
Our measures of reform are less drastic than those in the interior of China and what we have tried to do is to make the best of the materials available, introducing by degrees more modern ideas of teaching and school management. This policy of introducing new methods into the teaching of Vernacular Studies, though a comparatively conservative policy, was not always understood or well received—it was, in fact, this misunderstanding that gave rise to the clamour in 1925 and 1926 against the Vernacular Education in the Colony, but that is by the way. Meanwhile, educational reforms have been going on in all parts of China, and Hong Kong appears to have become the most congenial centre for the older element, and at the same time we have a new type of teacher whose knowledge of the classics is less profound but whose general education is somewhat better.
The result of all this is that even the old scholars are now making an effort to run their schools on modern lines and the old type of schools where nothing but Reading and Writing was taught is being evolved into, or replaced by schools of the modern type: Chinese parents, too, have come to realize the advantages of a modern school and have less prejudice against the new system.
It should, however, be observed that it has never been our policy to discard all the old learning, but rather we have given every encouragement to the study, if it is taught at the right stage. It is said that though students of Hong Kong had some 20 years ago to be sent back to China for their Chinese education, the position is now reversed.
O 23
Chapter IV.
REPORT BY THE INSPECTORS OF VERNACULAR SCHOOLS.
The last 15 years or so has been a transition period of Vernacular Education in the Colony, and it may not be out of place to preface this report with a briet review of the changes that have taken place during that period. The Education Ordmance came into force at a time when strong measures were taken by the Kwong Tung Government to bring about its educational reforms, and Hong Kong has since been a dumping ground for teachers whose learning is too antiquated to be tolerated in Canton. The usual
The usual type of Boys Vernacular School which existed 15 years ago was run by a single teacher who took in pupils of any standard and of various ages ranging from 5 up to 18 or 19, and who never believed in such things as class-teaching, a definite syllabus and time-table, and the teaching of the simple Readers. The sole object of such schools was to impart as profound a knowledge of the Chinese written language as possible, but a general education was never con- templated. Our measures of reform are less drastic than those in the interior of China and what we have tried to do is to make the best of the materials available, introducing by degrees more modern ideas of teaching and school management. This policy of introducing new methods into the teaching of Vernacular Studies, though a comparatively conservative policy, was not always understood or well received-it was, in fact, this misunderstanding that gave rise to the clamour in 1925 and 1926 against the Vernacular Education in the Colony, but that is by the way. Meanwhile, educational reforms have been go- ing on in all parts of China, and Hong Kong appears to have become the most congenial centre for the older element, and at the same time we have a new type of teacher whose know- ledge of the classics is less profound but whose general education is somewhat better. The result of all this is that even the old scholars are now making an effort to run their schools on modern lines and the old type of schools where nothing but Reading and Writing was taught is being evolved into, or re- placed by schools of the modern type: Chinese parents, too, have come to realize the advantages of a modern school and have less prejudice against the new system.
It should, however, be observed that it has never been our policy to discard all the old learning, but rather we have given every encouragement to the study, if it is taught at the right stage. It is said that though students of Hong Kong had some 20 years ago to be sent back to China for their Chinese education, the position is now reversed.
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