1841-1886
OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS.
335
19
teacher and his class. Nine-tenths of the class are, and will be, Chinese. Translation from English into Chinese and from Chinese into English must therefore be the groundwork of the instruction, and, in the lower classes especially, the principal part of it. The mere reading of an English book will not, without a great waste of time, give the reader a knowledge of the language. The sooner he understands what he reads the better for his progress. For this reason, it is indispensable that every boy at the Central School should learn Chinese. Even an English boy, who understands what he reads, loses a great deal of time. When translation is the work of the class he must sit idle unless he knows Chinese.
12. The school hours are confessedly long, and if it were possible to curtail them it would be done. Practically this is impossible. Two languages have to be learnt, one at least of which is very difficult of acquirement by those to whom it is their mother-tongue. After eight years' experience, and after listening to many objections, I am only the more convinced that shorter hours are not consistent with the efficiency of the school.
13. To those who wish a separate class and class-room, only one thing can be said. The Central School is no place for them. This is not said from any want of sympathy with those who prefer the moral to the mental training of their children. Their objections are well known and felt to be powerful. But the practical conduct of the school is the problem to be solved, and with that, exclusiveness is inconsistent. At the same time, if it were my province to say so, I should not hesitate to say that contact with the Chinese boys at this school would not be productive of half the harm to which children are constantly exposed by being left, as they are, so much in the hands of Chinese servants. This is a subject, however, which cannot be discussed further here.
14. There are now six Indian boys, principally Parsees, in the school. These make no objections to learning Chinese, and some of them acquire it rapidly. One of them carried off the first prize in the fourth class, which numbers thirty-four, although two of the subjects of examination—subjects, too, with the highest marks—were translation. How such boys could advance at all for a few years, without a knowledge of Chinese, it is not possible to imagine.
15. The conclusion to be derived from a consideration of the whole question is this, that unless the school is to be re-organized, to be, in a measure, diverted from the original and important purpose for which it was founded, and to be conducted at many times its present cost, it is impossible to make it acceptable to those who will not take it as it is.
16. The state of the village schools needs this year no special consideration. What they are, and how they are conducted, how they advance and how they fall off, with the reasons for this, as far as they can be assigned, are points which have been too frequently mentioned to require repetition. The system of grants-in-aid, instead of complete support, is slowly advancing. Three such schools were added during the year—the one at Ap-li Chau receiving a free site, and those at Hung-hom and To-kwa Wan the usual allowance of five dollars a month.
I have, &c., (Signed) FREDERICK STEWART, Inspector of Government Schools.
The Honourable J. Gardiner Austin, Colonial Secretary, &c., &c., &c.
Sub-enclosure 2 in No. 2.
Harbour Master's Department, Victoria, Hong Kong, February 21, 1870.
(No. 20.) SIR,
1. I HAVE the honour to forward the following Annual Returns of Shipping and other matters connected with the Department under my control.
Shipping.
2. It is satisfactory to find that the trade of the Colony in 1869 shows an improvement on that of the previous year, and although the difference of grand total of European shipping and of junks is but 23,593 tons, the excess in British ships is 45 vessels measuring 41,615 tons, and in foreign shipping, exclusive of Chinese, is 135 vessels with a capacity of 95,230 tons, or a total of 180 ships and 136,845 tons, the difference being made up by loss on the junk trade.
* These Returns are not printed.
1841-1886
OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS.
335
19
teacher and his class. Nine-tenths of the class are, and will be, Chinese. Translation from English into Chinese and from Chinese into English must therefore be the groundwork of the instruction, and, in the lower classes especially, the principal part of it. The mere reading of an English book' will not, without a great waste of time, give the reader a know- ledge of the language. The sooner he understands what he reads the better for his progress. For this reason, it is indispensable that every boy at the Central School should learn Chinese. Even an English boy, who understands what he reads, loses a great deal of time. When translation is the work of the class he must sit idle unless he knows Chinese..! 12. The school bours are confessedly long, and if it were possible to curtail them it would be done. Practically this is impossible. Two languages have to be learnt, one at least of which is very difficult of acquirement by those to whom it is their mother-tongue. After eight years' experience, and after listening to many objections, I am only the more con- vinced that shorter hours are not consistent with the efficiency of the school.
:
13. To those who wish a separate class and class-room, only one thing can be said. The Central School is no place for them. This is not said from any want of sympathy with those who prefer the moral to the mental training of their children. Their objections are well known and felt to be powerful. But the practical conduct of the school is the problem to be solved, and with that, exclusiveness is inconsistent. At the same time, if it were my province to say so, I should not hesitate to say that contact with the Chinese boys at this school would not be productive of half the harm to which children are constantly exposed by being left, as they are, so much in the hands of Chinese servants. This is a subject, however, which cannot be discussed further here.
14. There are now six Indian boys, principally Parsees, in the school. These make no objections to learning Chinese, and some of them acquire it rapidly. One of them carried off the first prize in the fourth class, which numbers thirty-four, although two of the sub- jects of examination-subjects, too, with the highest marks-were translation. How such boys could advance at all for a few years, without a knowledge of Chinese, it is not possible to imagine.
15. The conclusion to be derived from a consideration of the whole question is this, that unless the school is to be re-organized, to be, in a measure, diverted from the original and important purpose for which it was founded, and to be conducted at many times its present cost, it is impossible to make it acceptable to those who will not take it as it is.
16. The stato of the village schools needs this year no special consideration. What they are, and how they are conducted, how they advance and how they fall off, with the reasons for this, as far as they can be assigned, are points which have been too frequently mentioned to require repetition. The system of grants-in-aid, instead of complete support, is slowly advancing. Three such schools were added during the year,-the one at Ap-li Chau receiving a free site, and those at Hung-hom aud To-kwa Wan the usual allowance of five dollars a month.
I have, &c., (Signed) FREDERICK STEWART,
Inspector of Government Schools.
The Honourable J. Gardiner Austin, Colonial Secretary,
&c...
&c.
&c.
Sub-enclosure 2 în No. 2.
Sub-enclosure
2 in No. 2.
Harbour Master's Department, Victoria, Hong Kong, February 21, 1870.
(No. 20.) SIR,
1. I HAVE the honour to forward the following Annual Returns of Shipping and other matters connected with the Department under my control.*
Shipping.
2. It is satisfactory to find that the trade of the Colony in 1860 shows an improvement on that of the previous year, and although the difference of grand total of European shipping and of junks is but 23,593 tons, the excess in British ships is 45 vessels measuring 41,615 tons, and in foreign shipping, exclusive of Chinese, is 135 vessels with a capacity. of 95,230 tons, or a total of 180 ships and 136,845 tons, the difference being made up by loss on the junk trade.
• Theso Re- turns urq qot printed.
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