PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :---
REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
TICO. 133/26 ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
3/2
9. It may not be out of place in this Report to allude to the admission into the school of boys other than Chinese. When the school was first made open to all, of whatever nationality, a few availed themselves of the privilege. They remained but a short time. They were evidently disappointed. Their expectations and objections will be referred to presently. I am aware that many are anxious for admission, but they hold back until the terms they dictate be acceded to.
10. By opening the school to all-comers, it was apparently expected that a special class would be formed for such as do not wish to learn Chinese. Others, who do not object to learning Chinese, object to the school-hours. They say that eight hours a-day is too hard a task on the energies of the boys. Others, again, are exclusive, and wish their children to be kept entirely separate from the Chinese.
11. For a boy to come to the school and not to learn Chinese, it is simply a waste of time. There must be some common langunge as a medium of intercommunication between the 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 ground-work of the instruction, and, in the lower classes especially, the principal part of it. The inere 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 leamt, 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 con- sistent 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, whieli 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.
What they are,
16. The state of the Village Schools needs, this year, no special consideration. 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-hòm and Tu-kwa Wan the usual allowance of five dollars a month. For all other information I refer the following Tables.
The Honourable J. GARDINER AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary,
&c.,
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
you to
1. Aberdeen,..
* 3. Ap-li Chau,
3. Bowrington, 4. Central School, 6. Girls' School,
3/3.
158
TABLE I.
NUMBER of SCHOLARS taught in the Government Bekoola during 1869, and Expense of each School.
BOTS
GIRLS.
TOTAL
EXPANOL.
8 c.
4
24
124.00
9
30
88
372.00
300
390
0,097.53
52
607.00
20
45.00
24
63.00
20
60.00
23
64.00
20
121.00
34
321.00
125.00
36
149.00
19
27.41
43
324.00
35
257.00
68
247.00
247.00
21
123.00
83:
103
912
$12,189.94
NOTE.-H. Hak-ka. P.Pun-ti.
*These Schools receive Grants-is-aid,
+ Free site.
* 8. Hung-bòm Trung * 7. Little Hongkong, * 8. Ma-t'au Ta'ün,.......... *9. Mong-kok Ta'ün,.
10. Sbau-ki Win, 11. Stanley,
12. Tang-lung Chau, (H.), 13. Tang-lung Chau, (P.), *14. T6-kwa Win,
15. Webster's Crescent,
16. West End,
17. West Point, (II.),
18. West Point, (P.),
10, Wong-nai Chung
Outlay for 1860,
8-38-83888888288855 |
TABLE II.
Deduct Fees from Sebolars at Central School,
$12,180.94 1,541.95
Total,
$10,647.99
2,
22
3,
27
>>
**
2
">
1, Average Expense of each Scholar at the Government Schools,
Central School,....... Village Schools,..
$11.30
£23.33
.8 6.12
NOTE. Item 2 simuld perhaps be fico dollars less, tad item 3 one dollar snore. The Head Master of the Central School being also Inspevize of
Schools, part of his Balary should be charged against the Village Schools.
1. Aberdeen,
" Ap-li Chat.
3. Bowrington,
4. Central School,
TABLE III.
AVERAGE ENROLMENT and Attendance at the Government Schools for 1800.
Your most obedient Servant,
FREDERICK STEWART, Inspector of Government Schools.
5. Girls' School,
6. Hung hôm Tsun
7. Little Hongkong,
18. Ma cao Tram,
19. Mong-kok Te'ün,
10, Shan-1 Wan,
11. Stanley,
12. Tang-lung Chau, (II.),
13. Tang-lung Chau,
¡lt. Tó-kwa Wan,..
5. Webster's Crescent,
16. West End,
17. West Point, (H.),
18. West Point, (P.),
1. Wong nai Chung
Average
Average Enrolment Attendance.
748
**28*888*888288982 2
*
9
61
218
88
14
10
21
16
12
24
17
24
15
28
21
$7
48
14
610
Page 165Page 166
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.