CO129-167 - Sir Kennedy - 1874 [1-8] — Page 49

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

uetio-Hung Kam-sking, matbematical instru. ments, by an old resident; Arithmetic Lenog Kwok-ki, watch, by Third Master; Regularity, &c.-Ch'an Chia-tung, book, by Mr. Ch'an Yiu; Beet English Speaker -Fang A-ahni, book, by Ch'an Yiu,

ORDINARY PRIZES.

1ST CLASS,-1, Ch'an Fak-hing, wateh, by Mr. Kwok A-cbung; 2, Ch'an Sbü fan, watoli, by Mr. Kwok A-chang; 3, J. Sampson, gold pen, by a friend of the school,

2ND CLASS-1, Luo Pak-mi, watch, by Go- verament; 2, Mok Man-tat, guld peneil, by Mr. Rowano; 3, M. de Souza, gold pencil, by Mr. Romane.

SRD CLASS-1, Wat Ying-pan, watch, by Go- vernment; 2, Lo A-tat, writing case, by Mr. J. J. dos Remedios; 3, E. Stainfield, book, by Mr. Romano.

4TH CLASS-1, Lo Sik-ling, watch, by Go- vernment; 2, Taung Kam-chin, two globes, by Mr. F. Remedios; 3, Lo Taun-tsoi, gold pencil, by Mr. Romano: 4, H. Sampson, book, by Mr.

Romano

5TH CLASS.- Ting-fan, field glass, by Go- vernment; 2, Ch'an Shing, writing case, by My, Hyndman.

6TH CLASS.-1, Tse Yun-tak, gold pencil, by Government; 2. Bo A-tung, writing case, hy Mr. J. J. dos Kemedios; 3, Moosa, writing case, by Mr. J. J. dos Bemedios.

7TH CLASS-1, Lau Yat, gold poncil, by Go vernment; 2, Leung Apo, ink stand, by Mr. J. J. dus Remedios.

STH CLASS-1, Ob'au Tsai-cheung, silver pencil, by Government; 2, Wong Lun-su, ink' stand, by Mr. J. J. dos Remedios; 3, Ching Chung-san, dictionary, by Government.

CHINESE CLASSES. FORTNIGHTLY EXAMINATIO? 8. 1ST CLASS.-Ch'an Lai, gold pencil, by the Head Muster.

ND CLASS.-Ho Kwong-ming, dictionary, by Government.

ORDINARY PRIZES.

1ST CLASS-1, Kwok Hang-kwai, watch, by Mr. Wong Tso-leung; 2, Iam-su, dictionary, by Government.

2ND CLASS.-1, Lung Chin-sbang, watch, by Governmeut; 2, Ch'an Ngai hin, dictionary, by Government.

3RD CLASS-1, Cheung Wai, silver pe cil, by Government; 2, Leung Tai-sham, dictionary, by Goverument.

4TH CLASS-1, Shek A-fan, silver pencil, by Mr. Gerrard; 2, Tam Sz-chin, silver pencil, by Government; 3, Yenug Hiu-taing, dictionary, by Government-

CHINESE CLASS FOR EUROPEANS, &c. 1ST DIVISION.-1, E. Pereira, watch, by Go- vernment; 2. A. Hyndman, book, by Mr. Ro-

mano.

2ND DIVISION.-1, E. Robarts, gold pencil, by Government; 2, Sheik Akbar, ink staud, by a friend of the school.

Number who sat at examination, 316.

His Excellency the Governor said: It is a whole year since 1 bad the pleasure of address- ing you. A great many of you I am afraid won't understand what I say, but speaking to those who can I have only to congratulate you on the coming round of another year, for your attendance; and I hope that the year past has been very profitable to yourselves, and that it will have been a satisfaction to your parents. During the last year an important change has ! taken place both in this and other schools, by the Government paying for results instead of giving grants. The Council of the Colony has hitherto been very liberal, and I am certain that they would be inclined to be still more beral if they found that toe new system works well. You all know pretty well, at least those of you who can speak English will understand what paying for results meaus. It means pay- ing for work done. All of you, I am su e, koow very well that shams are very bad things, and a sham school is, I think, in the eyes of all thinking people, the very worst of bad things. It wastes valuable time that never

dan be recalled; it leads parents to suppose their children are being educated and taught, when they are not being taught at all; it leads the children themselves into habits of idleuces, and leads them to suppose that simply sitting for a certain number of hours without applying their minds to what they have got to do is either profitable or creditable; that wretched delusion, that sham is not dispelled unforta- nately till after life, then they find out, and then they regret the time that bas been wasted; and I think likewise that they have some right

ain

aure

to blame those who allow such a faulty system to be maintained for a single day. I myself am very unwilling to make any change in the schools. I am not fond of pulling things up, like the boys do the flowers in the garden, to see whether they are growing, but I wish to see what this school and the other schools are doing, and, according to the best information I can get, I am led to suppose that the systeu of paying by results is the best, that it has answered well elsewhere, and I con. I hope sider it will answer equally well here. and believe that it has been so far, and will The re- continue to be, faithfully carried on. ports I get of the school are very satisfactory; and everybody, and every scholar of whatever denomination, gete fair play and a fair chance. The new system is not only advan- tageous to the boys, but is a great encourage- ment to the masters. On the old system the masters were simply to receive their stipend, and not to receive any very great credit for the proficiency their boys made, and this afforded very little inducement and very little encourage. ment to them to bestow their time and energy on the work they bad taken in hand. The present system removes that difficulty, aud I hope and believe that the schools in the Colony will profit immensely by the

I in system. [ change

it will not be distasteful to any, but that it will be beneficial to all. To the boys themselves it i will be satisfactory to know what classes they are in. It will be satisfactory to know what progress they buve made, and that, in itself, is à great inducement. Every boy knows pretty well the extent of the capacity of the one who sits next him. You are all very good judges of each other, and with the system of paying by results you know who is who, and are able to discriminate between those who have been industrious and those who have been idle. This is a great matter. The prizes in actual life do not always fall to men strictly according to merit, but when boys know that they get into a bigher class, that their merits are discrimin-; ated and pointed out to their fellows, there is among all boys, as among all men, something to induce them to rise to distinction and de- serve it, I bave not much t say on the sub- jeet of conduct. I have heard no complaints, and believe the conduct of the boys generally ia very good. It cannot be but a great satin- faction to myself, and the Conncil of the Colony who find the fands for maintaining the school, that we have apparently gained the good- will and the confidence of the Chinese por. tion of the population. They are bere treated with great impartiality; and what we are endeavouring to do is not only to teach them but to set them an example of tolerance and forbearance, and to show them that we have no desire to interfere with their | consciences in any way. We simply offer them! useful, practical education, which they will all find, and I am happy to believe which many have! found, of great use and to their advantage. I believe that if we had room, and if the means of the Colony would afford it, we could get a great many more. It is quite impossible to please all parties; it is impossible to please every denomination of religion; to attempt to do so is a hopeless matter. It bas been tried in many places I know of. I have seen it tried, and have tried it myself, and it always resulted in signal failure. What boys learn here will induce them not to stop at that but go farther and enquire for themselves. When boys can read, and judge for themselves, and discriminate, I think it is sufficient time 10 enter upon difficult and abstruse subjects; and I am not prepared to think that children deriva any good from receiving mental food which they are incapable of digesting. I believe you get all here that is good for you. Possibly I might wish you to get more than you do get but I don't see my way to that, and I am quite content to leave things as they are, and to let well alone. I hope you will all remember that it is to the British Government you are indebted for the liberty and the blessings you enjoy, and for the freedom of conscience which you al bave, and which your parents desire you to exercise. We have no desire whatever to ja- : terfere with that. We wish to teach you as much as you plea e to learn, and for the rest you must educate yourselves. You are instructed bere, your education must be finished elsewhere, or by yourselves. I have now to wish you a very happy holiday, and I hope you! will return to your work with that attention, i steadiness and desire to improve which I un derstand you have manifested during the past year. (Applanse.)

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