1866 — Page 151

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference —

TELEC.O. 133

23

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHI-NUT TO

BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON|

No. 25.

141

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

*

The following Annual Report on the State of the Government Schools in Hongkong for the Year 1866, is published for general information.

By Order,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 6th February, 1867.

W. T. MERCER,

Colonial Secretary.

Honarono, 4th February, 1887.

Sra,—I have the honour of presenting to you my second Annual Report on the Government Schools in this Colony, Following the plan adopted last year I shall divide my Report into two parts, the first having special reference to the Central School, and the second to the Village Schools. These will be followed by a series of Tables giving in a condensed form an estimate of the extent to which the Chinese community hare availed themselves of the Government Scheme of educa- tion during the five years of my connexion with the schools.

THE CENTRAL SCHOOL.

From the peculiar position which I occupy with respect to this school I am unable to enter with minuteness isto, or to speak with impartiality of, its merits, defects, discipline, in short, all that is connected with the system which has been adopted and the mode in which it is carried out. I must therefore confine myself to a few particulars isure in the form of statistics than in that of an opinion as to the actual state of the school

The subjects taught are substantially the same as they were last year. The Irish National School Books and the Trans- lation into English of portions of the Chinese Classics form, with the ordinary branches of all National Schemes of education,

the sum and substance of the work. Nothing higher las, as yet, been attempted for two very obvious reasons. In the first place, the boys are, ipso facto, dependent on the English Masters for all their instruction. The Chinese Assistants are not competent, even under the closest supervision, to do more than teach the most elementary of the subjects. Reading, Translation, Composition, Geography, and all beyond the simplest rules of Arithmetic if not attended tu personally by the English Masters had much better not be attempted at all. When it is considered that last year the scholars in the Upper School numbered eighty six and in the Lower School ninoty six it becomes very evident that there is little time left for going on to the more advanced subjects of History, Algebra, and Geometry, Tho great aim hitherto has been to push on the more intelligent of the boys only as far as shall not be inconsistent with all, except the incorrigible, obtaining a fair average amount of instruction, in other words, not to neglect the many for the benefit of the few; and, until the services of another English Master hars been obtained, I see little hope of much more being done. Then, in the second place, when the boys reach that stage in their progress when they would be capable of appreciating, and profiting by, a more advanced course of instruction they leave - school for situations in which they can turn their knowledge of English to practical account. They have not yet learned to consider education an aim in itself. It is, at present, but a means to a particular end, and the minimum amount that can serve their purpose is all that they seek for.

As the year drew to a close I began to fear that the increased size of the classes would be found to have operated preju» dicially on the general efficiency of the school. The results, however, of the examinations which have just been held have to

a certain extent proved that these fears were groundless. Of the total value of the papers set to the first class only two failed to reach the minimum of one third which may be allowed as a fair standard for passing. Two failed in the second class and four in the third. Thus, of the sixty uine examined in the Upper School eight would have failed had the examinations been held for any other purpose beyond that of testing how far master and scholar had succeeded, the one in imparting, the other in receiving, the instruction given during the year. Nearly equal results were obtained in the Lower School where it may be * question whether written examinations are not too severe a test considering the age of the boys and the short time they have been at school.

In my last Report I stated that I entertained the hope of being soon able to overcome many difficulties connected with the school by training Chinese Assistants for their work. I then anticipated that I should always be able to retain two of the more advanced boys for a period of at least four years, after which they might, if they chose, find employment elsewhere and be succeeded by the two who stood next to them. This project has all but failed. The demand for the services of the more- intelligent of the boys is so great that it is, in the meantime, hopeless to expect them to remain for any length of time. The wwe in whose case the experiment was tried have both left many months ago. Their place has been filled by others, but these will doubtless leave also, just when they are beginning to be of real service to the scliool. I shall not, however, abandon the scheme. Out of several it may be possible to retain some; and, as the knowledge of English becomes mura general and situations therefore more difficult to be obtained, the greater will be the probability that these Assistants will remain until, at least, others are fully qualified to take their place.