CO129-254 - Governor Sir Robinson - 1892 [1-4] — Page 369

365

2.

sphere of dementary education.

The particular point. which the secretary of

State

on

called

for a further report is - defined in paragraph 4 of despatch Ah 198. of 14 September 1891 in the "following words, " I observe that

D. feitel recon unends that the No Government should gradually

کر کے

all buf

and i and ins

withdraw its aid from Komentary education, paragraph of the secretary of State, with reference to this supposed) recommendation of mine, states that it appears to hoir at presint

retrograde step."

a

II subjoin a cutting fromm

siuinal Report for 1890, my paragraph 7. This cutting contains the paragraph to which the secretary of State's observations refer.

64

The Grant-in-Aid system of Hongkong, essentially differing

in some points from the scheme in force in England, commends itself, by the smoothness, cheapness and effectiveness of its working, more and more, from year to year. In view of the annual increase (by immigration from the mainland) of our population, and the consequent annual increase of our educational needs and expenditure, a definite policy concerning educational expenditure is an absolute necessity. I am decidedly of opinion, and I have continuously urged it upon the Govern- ment during the last eight years, that we ought to follow in Hongkong the leading principles adopted in 1883 by the Indian Government, which, declaring the elementary education of the mass of the people the principal object of the Education Department, offered to hand over any of its Colleges or Schools (devoted to secondary education) in suitable cases to bodies of local educationists willing to undertake their management under the provisions of the Grant-in-Aid system. The Royal Commis- sion on Indian Education (1883), made the following suggestions, clearly applicable to Hongkong. Secondary education in any district should be left to the Grant-in-Aid system" (Report, p. 414). "No direct departmental effort should be made in the field of secondary education" (Report, p. 415). "The discontinuance of any general system of education, entirely provided by Government (that is by Government Seltools) is anticipated with the gradual advance of the system of Grants-in-Aid, but the progress of education is not to be checked in the slightest degree by the abandonment of a single school! to probable decay." (Indian Education Dispatch, 1854, quoted in Report, p. 28.) All Directors of Public Instruction should aim at the gradual transfer to local (native) management of Government Schools giving secondary instruction," (Report, p. 596). The fact that any (Government) School giving secondary education raises more than 60 per cent, of its entire expenditure from fees, should be taken as affording a presumption that the transfer of such school to local management can be safely effected." (Report, p. 467.) "A periodically increasing provision should be made in the educational budget for the expansion of Aided Institutions." (Report, p. 583.)

4.

I vey

to solicit attention

to the fact that neither in the

foregoing paragrape,

chher

tor or i

recasions have Iover to

commanded mat me Government

shoud gradi

gradually

from any form

withdraw itsaid

or class of edu.

cation whatever. Such a measure

wada windeed be a

retrograde step and amichilate most of the educational institutions of the Colony. There has evidently

misunderstande

crstanding,

ore

have. I

The