CO129-248 - Public Offices & Others - 1890 — Page 878

Three of our boys obtained places among the five.

Successful candidates

Victoria College 1. Way Fan

Victoria College 2. Hyndman Fell, P.

3.

Victoria College 5. Fredericks, M.

Elldal

A little did I value the result of this "scratch" exam that I abstained from alluding to our success in my Annual Report, Jan 1889.

In December 1888 the subjects were (as far as my memory serves me) restricted to 1. Composition 2. Geography 3. History 4. Arithmetic

None of our best boys cared to enter, as it is not surprising that Chinese boys feel unwilling to compete with English and Portuguese boys in an exam where half the subjects amount to an exam in English Composition - the special difficulty of Chinese, as of all other Oriental, boys.

Confident that this alteration in the scheme of exam was introduced to preclude the success of Chinese boys, I endeavoured to dissuade the half dozen boys, who offered themselves, from entering.

I do not think that we shall compete any more in the future.

His Lordship has been pleased, for two years running, to express in despatches his satisfaction with the progress of education in Victoria College. I should therefore feel that I had cause for deep regret, if His Lordship should remain under the impression that the boys of Victoria College had failed to acquit themselves creditably in an examination of any real value.

I have the honour to be,

Your most obedient servant,

Nathan Wright

Headmaster,

Victoria College, Hongkong.