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MATERIALS FOR A HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN HONGKONG,
Mr. Stanton. Forty English children (23) boys and girls, received here a purely English education, at an expense of 8657. During the same year the R. C. Society de Propaganda Fide organized a School for English children, commencing with 7 scho- lars, taught by Mr. Cane, at an expense of $169. The Anglo-Chinese School of the Mor- rison Education Society, taught during this year by Mr. Brawn assisted by Mr. Bonner and a Chinese Master, had this year (since 10 March, 1845) brought as many as 30 boys (all boarders) under instruction, at an ex- pense of $2812. Mr. Donald Matheson an- dertook the treasurership, the popular Pulice Magistrate Mr. C. B. Hillier acted as cur- responding secretary. But, although Sir John Davis, the new Governor, also lent his influence to the Society by becoming its Patron, the auuual grant from the Superin- tendency of Trade (under direction of the Foreign Office) was discontinued at the close of the year 1840, and the ardour of the friends of this Society was considerably damped by a conspicuous falling off of loost public subscriptions, ascribed to the de- pression of trade which set in about this time. The School, however, continued to make good progress and was examined month by month by a standing Committee appointed for the purpose. In the absence of Dr. Legge, the London Mission Society's Anglo-Chinese College was taught during this year by the Rev. W. Oillespie, assisted by a Chinese Master, and cost the Mission in 3845 the sum of $2025. In addition to these English and Anglo-Chinese Schools, 9 Chinese Schools were reported as at work in Hongkong, with a total of 149 Chinese boys in average attendance. Three of these native Confucian Sebools were reported as located in the Western District (Sheungwan and Saipingpan) of Victoria and one School in each of the following villages, viz. Aber- deen, Little Hongkong, Stanley, Taitamtuk, Sookonpoo and Wongnaichung. As to the future St. Paul's College, the Rev. V. Stan- too was informed by the Colonial Secretary
(8 April, 1815) that a site would be allotted for the College he intended to build, im- mediately behind the Harbour Master's Hill and between the part occupied by Lieut. Pedder's house, which had been set aside for the Church, and the upper road leading from the Government offices across the ravine to the western part of the town. and that the Surveyor General would be directed to mark off the boundaries as Su as Mr. Stanton's plans were sufficiently in progress to enable him to state distinctly how much ground he required for his establishment.
1846. Under the tuition of the Rev. S. B. Brown, assisted by a new teacher oh- tained from Amerion, Mr. G. Maey, who took Mr. Bonney's place, the Morrison Education Society's School, now attended by 22 Chinese boys, was favourably reported upon by the monthly examiners. The expenses of the School amounted in 1846 to 92812. The Anglo-Chinese College, under the R-v. W. Gillespie, added during this year a Girls Selwol to its establishment and had 19 boya and 7 girls on its roll, costing the Mission the sum of $2025. Mr. Stanton's Children's School was throughout this year under the tuition of Mr. F. Drake and Mrs. Bright, with an average attend- ance of 18 boys and 15 girls, who received an English education at a cost of $661. The other English School in the Colony, that of the R. C. Propaganda, was likewise continued with a change of teachers, Dr. A. Baltachi having undertaker the fuition of the School which was attended by 21 Europesa and Chinese pupils and cost the R. C. Mission $675. As to the elementary Chinese Schools, 12 Schools were at work during this year in the same localities as during the preceding year and included an average attendance of 181 Chinese boys.
1847. During this year, Mr. Stanton's English Children's School, under the tuition of Mr. F. Druke and Mrs. Lambert, and attended by 24 boys and 24 girls, continued to Ayurish. The cost of the Schual amocuted
MATERIALS FOR A HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN HONGKONG.
to $900. The R. C. Mission discontinued its English School but continued their Seminary preparing Chinese and others for the Roman Catholic priesthood and giving to 20 boys, under the tuition of Mr. Theo, Turby and one of the priests, an coclesiastical European education in the Chinese language with Latin in addition. The expenses of this Seminary, which has been continued ever since down to the present day, amounted in 1847 to 8787. This School eventually succeeded in training a native clergy. As to the Anglo-Chinese School of the Morrison Education Society, the Rev. C. B. Brown left Hongkong for the United States (4 Jan. 1817) taking with him 3 sabalars to complete their studies in America and was succeeded by Mr. W. Maey who continued to give to 23 Chinese boys efficient instruction. But the funds of
the Society, whose expenses rose in 1817 to $2,646, were now in such a state that prave apprehensions were entertained as to the stability of the institution. The Anglo- Chinese College, supported by the Londut Mission, continued its previous course under the direction of the Rev. J. T. Cleland, with an attendance of 19 boys and 8 girls, and at an expenditure of $873 As to the cle- mentary Chinese Schools, there appears to have been a slight talling off in the number of Schools during this year, as only 9 Schools appear to have been at work with 175 boys in average attendance.
But the close of this year has become historically noteworthy for the establish- ment by the Government of a Grant- in-Aid System, which has come down to the present day, though with in- portant modifications. On 6 November, 1847, the Governor, Sir John Davis, ap- pointed Mr. C. B. Hilier (Chief Magistrate), the Rev. V. Stanton (Colonial Chaplain) and Mr. A. L.. Inglis (Registrar General) a Committee for inquiring into the present state of the Chinese Schools at Victoria, Stanley and Aberdeen, with the view to measures being taken to encourage une
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Chinese School at each of the three afore- mentioned places under Government super- vision.' The Committes were at the same time informed of the intention of the Go- vernment to grant a contribution of $10 a month for each School and requested 'to report upon the method which, in the opinion of the Committee, may be must beneficial for the appropriation of the said grant,'
As the principal educationist on this Committee, Mr. Stanton, was known to be in favour of no other but religious educa- tion, and as the chairman, Mr. Hillier, was understood to hold the same views, the Government added to their instructions the following vague cantion: Care must be taken to impress upon the minds of the parents of the students that no interformce is to be permitted with their religious pre- judices, such being the terms on which the contribution (of $10 a mouth for each School) is to be made." The Committee were foally reminuled that the two points to be ascertained by them were, first the most worthy objects for the contribution or grant, and second the most certain means of pre- venting an abuse of fands.
The issue of this remarkable document, signed by Colonel W. Caine, who was then Colonial Secretary, and addressed to Mr. Hilier, constitutes an important taraing point in the history of local education. The action of the Government, in resolving to establish a system of Grants-in-àid and in assuming this peculiarly lenient attitude towards religious education, merely guard ing its secular position in relation to the Chinese by an undefined esution in place of a distinct conscience clause, must be read in the light of what transpired in the Imperial Parliament during this same year. For it was in the year 1847, when the annual educa- tional vote, which Lord Melbourne's admi- nistration had, in 1839, placed under the dis- pensation of the Educational Committee of the Privy Council, came before the House of Commons, that the question of religious education in Schools receiving a Government
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