1860 — Page 113

[220]

No. 33.

111

·

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION,

The following Report of the Board of Education for 1860, is published for general information.

W. T. MERCER, Colonial Secretary,

By Order,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Victoria, Hongkong, 2nd April, 1861.

In fowarding to His Excellency the Governor a Report of the Government Schools for the past year, the Board of Education has to commence with expressing its regret that it cannot be so full and thorough as might be rendered under more favourable circumstances.

The Inspector having resigned his situation in the month of June, the Board was not able to exercise so careful a super- vision of the Schools, particularly the more distant ones, as he had done.

Pending the appointment of a successor to Mr. Lobscheid, or the adoption of a new system of management which the Board submitted to His Excellency in September, the Revd. Mr. Irwin undertook to look after the Schools from Webster's Bazaar Eastward as far as Sai-wan; the Revd. Dr. Legge to look after those in the Middle and Upper Bazaars; and the Revd. Mr. Beach to look after the other Schools in Victoria and at West Point. These Gentlemen have endeavoured to discharge the duty so undertaken as efficiently as their other engagements would admit.

The larger Schools, those namely in the Middle and Upper Bazaars, Tai-ping-shan, Tang-lung-chow and Bowrington, have been carried on with a good degree of success. There were complaints indeed about the School at Bowrington in the first part of the year, but they were obviated by a change which the Board made in regard to the Teachers.

Mr. Irwin reports favourably of the school in Wong-nei-chung, the Hakka schools at Tang-lung-chow and Show-ke-wan, and of the school at Sai-wan.

At the beginning of the year two Teachers were appointed to several of the schools, but the benefit has not equalled expectation. The Board is of opinion that excepting in the very largest schools, it will be advisable to encourage a monitorial system in preference, in the arrangements for next year.

The attendance has been in general good, as is shown by the Tabular Statement which accompanies this Report. It fluctuates, however, and in all the schools it gradually diminishes towards the end of the year. This is an evil, which is un. avoidable in the village schools, where the children are drawn off to assist in agricultural labours, and where the fishing population is large. But the Board is of opinion that it may be combatted to some extent even in those cases, and more in the schools in Victoria, and other benefits also be secured, by the institution of a judicious system of rewards for good attendance, good behaviour and proficiency.

The Board cannot speak very favourably of the English classes. The Teachers, indeed, are willing and attentive, but they need the counsel, and countenance also, of an Inspector. Still the Board does not recommend any considerable change in the arrangements of this department, for the coming year. Education in English should in its opinion enter more largely into the conduct of the principal schools than it has yet done. Some at least of the young men now employed may be ound useful assistants, in the new plan of management which the Board has submitted to His Excellency.

In conclusion, while the Board of Education cannot rejoice in the Government Schools as being all which could be desired, it is some matter of satisfaction that they are more efficient than they formerly were. It looks forward to a time when they will become not only a great benefit to this Colony, but exercise an important influence on the system of Education pursued in the schools of China itself.

Victoria, Hongkong, 13th February, 1801,

On behalf of the Board,

W. F. C. ROBINSON, Honorary Secretury.

RETURN OF THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS.

NAME OF THE PARISE, AND IN WHAT COUNTY OR DISTRICT.

PUBLIC OR F SCHOOL, AND WHERE SITUATED, AND WHETHER SUNDAY OR

WEEK-DAY.

NAME OF THE SCHOOLMAFTER OR SCHOOLMISTRESS, AND SALANT.

Numash or

SCHOLARS.

Female.

MODE OF IXSTRUO

SUPOST-

KD BY

TION.

Tai-ping-shan West Point

Bheung-was

Chung-wan

Webster's Bazaar

Chan-yun-kwong

salary £32 10 0

LI-king-chau

30 0 0

Ho-yuk-trun

35 0 0 97

P

Wong-ss-ping

85 0 0 109

B

Cheung-ku-ying

И

25 0 0 31

Bowrington

Wong-nel-chung

Taul-kwan-aik

25 0 0 67

n

Chan-team-fan

25 0 0 31

44

***

Tang-lung-chow

Bhow-ke-wan

Bal-wan Shik-an

Tal-tam-tak

Kanley

Leung-shik-hing

32 10 0 103

107

"

Government Free Schools.

Tang-show-chun Wong-yun-ko Chan-hin-lan

25 0 0 45

"

#

20 0 0 21. ...

•

80 0 0 39...

Yip-chong-kau

"

17 10 0 11 ...

Chiu-yau-tsau

+4

25 0 0 28

Heongkong

Aberdeen

Mahomedan Mosque

Su-ping-un

"

Tang-lung-chow

Girls Sch., Sheung-Wan

West End Bhow-to-win

Tam-tsok-pan Yip-cheung-sin

Chow-ping-kwong

Lenng-king-ham Wong-tak-fung Leung-tax-shang

雠

W

25 0 0 97

97 10 0

40

22 10 0 32

2500 49...

40 0 0 ...

0 0 29

"

| 70701| 285882=5*58=8==8##82

▲ general Chinese Education with the New

Testament.

Government.

EXPINAL OF

ZACH

SCHOOL

£100 7 6+

19

114 19 9 +

355 +

41 8 44

38 39

47 7 1

999

39 13 4

90.

29 16

90 49

39 18 4

25 $ 4

34 19 2

25 7 6-4

44 10 3

60 14 0

95 14 7

2400 28

*

&& butil School.

86 13 4

1