424
88
SIR,
Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
PAPERS · RELATING TO
Hong Kong, February 5, 1876. I HAVE the honour to forward to you the Blue Book Returns and the Annual Report on Education for 1875.
2. The number of scholars attending schools subject to Government supervision was 2,606. This is an advance over 1874, but as it amounts only to about 2 per cent, it is not so marked as in some previous years. This is partly accounted for by the fact that no addition was made to the number of schools.
There was also a falling off, amounting to 3 per cent., in the native schools which are supported by Government. The causes of this will appear when the state of certain of these is taken into consideration. In all other cases there was an increase; and the total deficiency, taking all the Government schools together, amounts to only four scholars, that is, 1,927 as against 1,931.
3. Any deficiency in actual numbers was more than compensated for by the regularity of the attendance, the minimum in this respect being much higher than in previous years. The tables appended to this Report give the fullest particulars under this heading, and a reference to them will prevent the necessity of entering on a series of tedious details. They have been compiled with the view of supplying all the information about the schools which was thought likely to be desired.
4. The native schools supported by Government are 16 in number, and were attended by 1,016 scholars, being a decrease of 38 as compared with the previous year. This was owing to a change of four of the masters, one being dismissed, one permitted to resign, and two having to retire on account of bad health. To supply three of the vacancies, a public examination of candidates was held early in the year. Upwards of 30 masters presented themselves, and the three best got the appointments.
5. The one who was appointed to Tang-lung Chau failed to attract scholars to the school. It was, in fact, almost deserted, there being sometimes only half a dozen present. This was not owing to any fault of the master's, but simply because the people in the neighbourhood had their own ideas as to his qualifications for teaching their children. This is a feature in connection with these schools which often manifests itself. All the trouble taken to get a good master is often labour in vain; and the more ignorant the people are, the more unwavering is their faith in their own competence to decide on the new man's fitness or unfitness. In the present case, the master's health failed towards the end of the year, and he had to resign. His successor, although considerably his inferior, is yet doing what he failed to do. He is attracting scholars to the school, and there will soon be as many as could be expected in this once populous but now very sparsely inhabited locality.
6. Twelve years ago, the two schools at this place were very flourishing, but event after event occurred to withdraw the people elsewhere. Two large fires dealt the first blow. Then, the boat people were relegated to Causeway Bay; and now the houses in
424
88
SIR,
Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
PAPERS · RELATING TO
Hong Kong, February 5, 1876. I HAVE the honour to forward to you the Blue Book Returns and the Annual Report on Education for 1875.
2. The number of scholars attending schools subject to Govern- ment supervision was 2,606. This is an advance over 1874, but as it amounts, only to about 2 per cent, it is not so marked as in some previous years. This is partly accounted for by the fact that no addition was made to the number of schools.
There was also a falling off, amounting to 3 per cent., in the native schools which are supported by Government. The causes of this will appear when the state of certain of these is taken into considera- tion. In all other cases there was an increase; and the total deficiency, taking all the Government schools together, amounts to only four scholars, that is, 1,927 as against 1,931.
*
3. Any deficiency in actual numbers was more than compen- sated for by the regularity of the attendance, the mininum in this respect being much higher than in previous years. The tables appended to this Report give the fullest particulars under this heading, and a reference to them will prevent the necessity of entering on a series of tedious details. They have been compiled with the view of supplying all the information about the schools which was thought likely to be desired.
4. The native schools supported by Government are 16 in number, and were attended by 1,016 scholars, being a decrease of 38 as compared with the previous years. This was owing to a change of four of the masters, one being dismissed, one permitted to resign, and two having to retire on account of bad health. To supply three of the vacancies, a public examination of candidates was held early in the year. Upwards of 30 masters presented themselves, and the three best got the appointments.
5. The one who was appointed to Tang-lung Chau failed to attract scholars to the school. It was, in fact, almost deserted, there being sometimes only half a dozen present. This was not owing to any fault of the master's, but simply because the people in the neighbourhood had their own ideas as to his qualifications for teaching their children. This is a feature in connexion with these schools which often manifests itself. All the trouble taken to get a good master is often labour in vain; and the more ignorant the people are, the more unwavering is their faith in their own competence to decide on the new man's fitness or unfituess. In the present case, the master's health failed towards the end of the year, and he had to resign. His. successor, although considerably his inferior, is yet doing what he failed to do. He is attracting scholars to the school, and there will soon be as many as could be expected in this once populous but now very sparsely inhabited locality.
6. Twelve years ago, the two schools at this place were very flourishing, but event after event occurred to withdraw the people elsewhere. Two large fires dealt the first blow. Then, the boat people were relegated to Causeway Bay; and now the houses in
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