CO129-181 - Governor Hennessy - 1878 [1-8] — Page 184

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Extracts from

the Daily Press

'and "China thail

of the Proceedings at the Legislative Council

the 19th February 1870

held

132

EDUCATIONAL..

The COLONIAL SECRETARY-The next is a vote of $500 for grants-in-aid and $230 for Go- vernment Schools.

His EXCELLENCY--Gentlemen, there are two votes we have to move in the Education De. partment, one for $500 for grants-in-aid and the other $230, which Mr. Stewart asked for, and which is for what we call the Government Schools-the small schools. There appear to be about 17 of those schools in the Colony. I published in the Gazette Mr. Stewart's application for this additional sum, also a minute of mine in which I asked for additional information as to how many of the teachers could speak English and teach English and how many scholars could speak English, and I caused Mr. Stewart's minute in reply to be printed with some correspondence on the subject. Mr. Stewart said-Before the establishment of the Central School, English was taught in a few of the schools by visiting masters, who attended for that purpose a few hours a week. This, the Board of Education found to be highly unsatis- factory. Accordingly, when the Central School was established, the teaching of English was abolished in all the other schools. The only ex- ception now is the Aberdeen School, which is, and has been, in such a backward state that I almost despair of the success of the experiment, and often think we should revert, in this school, to the teaching of Chinese pare and simple." Then he tells us that of the pupils there none cal speak English. What I then discovered and sub- ́ sequent inquiries Iwadeat the Central School con- vinced me that something more ought to be done in the way of teaching English in this Colony. Wo have to face the fact that there are Govern. mont schools, entirely supported by the English Government in this Colony, in which not one word of English is taught. On mentioning that fact the other day to some of my officers, and making the remark that I did not think there were schools entirely supported by the British Go- vernment in any Colony in the Empire where Eng- lish was not tangut, it was suggested that perhaps it was so in the Singapore schools. Since then I have looked at the last report in my possession that for 1875--which gives a list of the English schools and of vernacular schools, and I find that in the Straits Settlements there were attending the English schools 787 Europeans and Eurasiaus, 1,091 Chinese, 138 Malays, and 274 Indians and others; so that in the English Governmont Schools in the Straits Settlements there were, at the date of the inspoctor's visit, 2.293 children on the books. Now in the vernacular schools there were 5 Europeans and Eurasians, 6 Chinese, 1,648 · Malaya, and 179 Indians-1,838 altogether. In other words, there is a system of making English schools the place where Chinese are educated. They have the advantage of a thoroughly good edusation, and the consequoveo is that in the Straita we meet with a great numbor of Chinese who speak English. A very interesting instance. was afforded to the Council to-day in what ver curred about the Jury List. Wo had a list of jurors including fourteen Chinese names. Of ihoes fourteen Chinese six have been allowed by · the Council to serve on juries. There were eight - others who have been struck off because they had sent in eifidavits declaring that they did not know English sufficiently well to serve on the jury. Now, with respect to the education of these men, I find that of the whole fourteen, two were educated in the Central School; the rest were educated, some of them in the Straits Settlements, some in America, and a few were educated by Dr. Legge, Two were eduented in the Ceutral School, and I find among those who sent in affi- · davits that they did not know English those two are included, so that all those who have been

voted to serve ou the jury are men educated in the Straits, by Dr. Legge, or in the United States of America.

I am very anxions we should arrive at some definite conclusion as to what should be done ou the subject of teaching English. If it mosts with the views of the Council I should be glad to ask the unofficial members of the Council to meet with two or three of the members of my Execu- tive Council, myself, Mr. Stewart, and Dr. Eitel, and I think perhaps such a body of gentlemen would be able to arrive at some definite conclusion as to what amount of English should ho taught in the Government Schools of this Colony. I should ask such a body to consider, for instance, whether it might not be made the rale that in every school supported by the Government of this Colony English should be taught. It is also a matter to be considered whether the present system of having English in the Central School put in the same rank as Chinese should be main- tained, or whether wo might not devote to the teaching of English a far larger proportion of the time and a larger proportion of the

• staff. These are two questions which I think, if I can get two or three of the nuofficial members of the Council to meet the gentle. men I have mentioned, might be considered. I need not tell you how much it affects the commercial and political interests of the Colony that something should be done. I should be very glad if these votes would elicit from the unofficial members some opinion on this subject, because to the opinions of the unofficial members on a subject so intimately connected with the commercial future of the Colony I certainly should be prepared to pay the utmost i deference.

The COLONIAL SECRETARY proposed that the votes be passed.

Agreed to.

THE CENTRAL SCHOOL.

His Excellency proposed asking a vote at the next meeting to enable Mr Stewart to receive his fall four months pay, and for an honararlam to be given to Dr. Eitel for acting as Inspector of Schools during Mr Stewart's absenca. His Excel- lency expressed a high opinion of both gentlemen.

Mr Lowcock expressed the approval of the unofficial members in regard to the scure His Excellency intended to pursue in regard to the teaching of English and of the appointment of Dr. Eitel as acting In spector of Schools.