CO129-042 - Sir Bonham - 1853 [1-6] — Page 356

5.

4.

past years, concisting of Chinese classics, the Bible, and foreign composed elementary

works. These have been principally

by rote, a

according

learnt

to the usual Chinese

method of rudimental education, but of

late the Committee have

required

the

schoolmasters to give more attention to

the the instruction of the children in signification of all they are taught to recite, and manifect improvement in this particular has already been noticed. in many boys of the Victoria and Wong. nichoong schools.

The Committee have as usual

used their discretion in

of

· fixing

the

amount

remuneration to be awarded to such

masters as have had a smaller number

of scholars than that which entitles them to the full salary fixed, by Govern -

be saved by ment . Any sums that may

this

means

might, in my opinion and

in that of Mr. Odell, the actual supervision

353

on whom so much of

has devolved, be

appropriated with advantage to the

purchase of trifling rewards of merit,

books, maps, &c.,) to

(besides the

be

necessary

be given, after general yearly or half.

yearly

examinations held in the presence

of the Committee, to such scholars as

show themselves worthy of the

may distinction; this would tend to excite an

now so much.

useful spirits of emulation, required as an incentive to exertion; and

if, in addition to this, the Committee_

the masters to

make it incumbent on

adhere to a mow methodical system of

teaching than that

now in

vogue,

ive

believe that speedy improvement in

progress will be the result. I recommend this measure the

more

confidently, in

that the introduction of it by Mr. Odell

into some schools under his own

charge