who were passed by the Government Examiner annually was, so far as I remember, between 40 and 50, The school was, on all the occasions on which it was examined, most highly commended by the Inspector. Such a school was favourably circumstanced for testing the applicability of the Grant-in-Aid Scheme to other than ordinary Chinese Schools. What was the result, so far as grant was concerned ? All that I received from Government, for work of a far higher character than in Chinese Schools and confessedly well done, was, for the first year, $105; the second, $340; the third, $270, towards my expenditure of between two and three thousand Dollars for each year. Such grants, in cases where there are large expenses, have exactly the opposite effect to that produced by the grants given to Chinese Schools. They discourage, instead of encouraging progress, and, where private means cannot be found, they lead to such schools being closed altogether.
8.—But the case is one of even greater hardship when, as in the Hongkong Public School, the boys are entirely European. The placing of such a school under the present Grant-in-Aid Scheme is, as Your Excellency must feel when you look at the amount of our grant, almost a farce. Nearly every feature of the Scheme is inapplicable to such a school, and some modification seems absolutely necessary, if an English School is to be helped by Government at all.
1st.—Numbers are wanting. Numbers are so essential a feature of the present Scheme, and very naturally so in consideration of the teeming Chinese population of the Colony. But English residents are necessarily few, and instead of an attendance of fifty pupils, which might be easily increased if more Masters and accommodation could be provided, we cannot for the first two or three years expect more than twenty five.
2nd.—A school of 25 European lads will hardly be able to present more than 15, if so many, at the end of the year to the Examiner, as having completed 200 attendances. This climate is trying to the European constitution, and English children, born and brought up here to a certain age, are apt to be delicate. During a great part of the year it is dangerous for any of us, young or old, to be exposed to the sun. Many residents feel compelled to remove during the summer to the Peak, and they take their children with them. All these things militate greatly against a large number of attendances during the year. Out of 21 boys whose names were on the books during the last year, only 11 (some of them with great difficulty) managed to complete the requisite number of attendances.
3rd.—The four hours required to make up an attendance press heavily on young English boys. Our school must necessarily consist of young boys chiefly. All English parents who can possibly afford it send, and will continue to send, their children to England for their education at latest at the age of 12 years. Many send them away much earlier. The children then on whom we can calculate will vary from 7 years to 12 years of age. Boys of 7, 8, or 9 years of age find it hard to keep at work at school for four hours consecutively, and the climate for the greater part of the year makes it difficult to divide the period.
4th.—The rates given for a pass, though higher in a European School than in a Chinese School, cannot in such a small school as ours, attended mainly by boys in the lower standards, produce a sum that will give any real assistance. Under the most favourable circumstances possible I doubt if a Government grant to such a school given according to the present scheme could ever amount to $200, less than a tenth of what we shall probably need in ordinary years to carry on the school.
9—I think Your Excellency will agree with me that these are real, and not sentimental difficulties, and that they are likely, if allowed to continue, to operate most unfavourably on schools where they exist. Our school has been established by a generous Public Subscription, but it is not safe to calculate on large subscriptions being long continued if we cannot obtain a Government Grant suited to our need.
10—It may be asked, Is there sufficient cause why the Government should revise and alter its present Grant-in-Aid Scheme on behalf of the class of schools mentioned ? So far as schools for teaching English to Chinese boys are concerned, I think I can safely leave this question in the hands of Your Excellency. You have on many public occasions spoken of the importance to the Colony of such schools. An English School properly so called, that is, one consisting entirely of English boys taught by an English Master, stands perhaps on a somewhat different footing, and, with its small attendance, may be thought too insignificant to be helped. Its small numbers, it may be said, do not entitle it to the special consideration asked for, and, moreover, the parents are in many cases wealthy enough to provide the means of education for themselves.
11—My reply to this is, that the children, be they few or many, are English children placed in circumstances of peculiar difficulty as regards their education. Their parents are not poor, it is true, some of them are wealthy, all are tolerably well off. If they were in England their children would all be educated without the help of Government. But in Hongkong the ordinary means of education for their children are out of their reach, only one or two can afford to provide their families with tutors or governesses. It would be manifestly impossible for those who cannot so afford, to unite to procure one or more teachers for their children and to provide all the necessary paraphernalia of a school. And yet there ought to be a school for such children. Their education, from an Englishman's point of view, is more important than that of any other class in the Colony, although we would be far from depreciating
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who were passed by the Government Examiner annually was, so far as I remember, between 40 and 50, The school was, on all the occasions on which it was examined, most bighly commended by the Inspector. Such a school was favourably circumstanced for testing the applicability of the Grant-in-Aid Scheme to other than ordinary Chinese Schools. What was the result, so far as grant was concerned ? All that I received from Government, for work of a far higher character than in Chinese Schools and confessedly well done, was, for the first year, $105; the second, $340; the third, $270, towards my expenditure of between two and three thousand Dollars for each year. Such grants, in cases where there are large expenses, have exactly the opposite effect to that produced by the grants given to Chinese Schools. They discourage, instead of encouraging progress, and, where private means cannot be found, they lead to such schools being closed altogether.
8.—But the case is one of even greator hardship when, as in the Hongkong Public School, the boys are entirely European. The placing of such a school under the present Grant-in-Aid Scheme is, as Your Excellency must fool when you look at the amount of our grant, almost a farce. Nearly every feature of the Scheme is inapplicable to such a school, and some modification seems absolutely necessary, if an English School is to be helped by Government at all.
1st.-Numbers are wanting. Numbers are so essential feature of the present Scheme, and very naturally so in consideration of the teeming Chinese population of the Colony. But English residents are necessarily few, and instead of an attendance of fifty papils, which might be easily increased if more Masters and accommodation could be pro- vided, we cannot for the first two or three years expect more than twenty fire.
2nd.--A school of 25 European lads will hardly be able to present more than 15, if so many, at the end of the year to the Examiner, as having completed 200 attendances. This climate is trying to the European constitution, and English children, born and brought up here to a certain age, aro apt to be delicate. During a great part of the year it is dangor- ous for any of us, young or old, to be exposed to the sun. Many residents feel compelled to remove daring the summer to the Peak, and they take their children with them. All these things militate greatly against a large number of attendances during the year. Out of 21 boys whose names were on the books during the last year, only 11 (some of them with great difficulty) managed to complete the requisite namber of attendances.
Srd.-The four hours required to make up an attendance press heavily on young English boys. Our school must necessarily consist of young boys chiefly. All English parents who can possibly afford it send, and will continue to send, their children to England for their education at latest at the age of 12 years. Many send them away much earlier. The children then on whom we can calculate will vary from 7 years to 12 years of age. Boys of 7, 8, or 9 years of age find it hard to keep at work at school for four hours consecutively, and the climate for the greater part of the year makes it difficult to divide the period.
4th.-The rates given for a pass, though higher in a European School than in a Chinese School, cannot in such a sinall school as ours, attended mainly by boys in the lower standards, produce a sum that will give any real assistance. Under the most favourable cir- cumstances possible I doubt if a Government grant to such a school given according to the present scheme could ever amount to $200, less than a tenth of what we shall probably need in ordinary years to carry on the school.
9-I think Your Excellency will agree with me that these are real, and not sentimental diG- culties, and that they are likely, if allowed to continue, to operate most unfavourably on schools where they exist. Our school has been established by a generous Public Subscription, but it is not safe to calculate on large subscriptions being long continued if we cannot obtain a Government Grant suited to our need.
10-It may be asked, Is there sufficient cause why the Government should revise and alter its present Grant-in-Aid Scheme on behalf of the class of schools mentioned ? So far as schools for teaching English to Chinese boys are concerned, I think I can safely leave this question in the hands of Your Excellency. You have on many public occasions spoken of the importance to the Colony of such schools, Au English School properly so called, that is, ous consisting entirely of English boys taught by an English Master, stands perhaps on a somewhat different footing, and, with its small attendance, may be thought too insignificant to be helped. Its small numbers, it may be said, do not entitle it to the special consideration asked for, and, moreover, the parents are in many cases wealthy enough to provide the means of education for themselves.
11.My reply to this is, that the children, be they few or many, are English children placed in circumstances of peculiar difficulty as regards their education. Their paronts are not poor, it is trne, some of them are wealthy, all are tolerably well off. If they were in Eugland their children would all be educated without the belp of Government. But in Hongkong the ordinary means of education for their children are out of their roach, only one or two can afford to provide their families with tutors or governesses. It would be manifestly impossible for those who cannot so afford, to anite to procure one or more teachers for their children and to provide all the necessary paraphernalia of a school. And yet there ought to be a school for such children. Their education, from au Englishman's point of view, is more important than that of any other class in the Colony, although we would be far from depreciating
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