CO129-260 - Governor Sir Robinson Acting Governor O-Brien - 1893 [9-12] — Page 104

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All AI Reviewed

The whole system is wrong.

To induce a master to sign in London an agreement that he will study for years the Chinese written language, of the difficulties of which he cannot possibly judge, is unfair. To compel a man to continue studying a language for which he is found to have neither taste nor ability is a useless torture. To order a man to give a lesson for which he feels himself incompetent or not fully competent, is an injury to both master and pupils, as destructive to right relations between them.

There is also a needless waste of money in connection with the employment of Chinese teachers to assist in translation lessons and to instruct English Masters who daily meet in the same locality. And finally, I think the compulsory periodical appearances of the English Masters of this college before the Board of Examiners involve both a loss of dignity—a most important factor of a teacher's usefulness—and a positive injustice: the former, because occasionally masters are examined by the Board in the same room with present or former scholars; the latter because some of the masters have been allowed, before completing the fixed term, to shake off this yoke under which some are still groaning.

I do not discuss here the remedies required.

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The whole system is wrong. To induce a master to sign in London an agreement that he will study for years the Chinese written language, of the difficulties of which he cannot possibly judge, is unfair. To compel a man to continue studying a language for which he is found to have neither taste nor ability is a useless torture. To order a man to give a lesson for which he feels himself incompetent or not fully competent, is an injury to both master and pupils, as destructive to right relations between them. There is also a needless waste of money in connection with the employment of Chinese teachers to assist in translation lessons and to instruct English Masters who daily meet in the same locality. And finally, I think the compulsory periodical appearances of the English Masters of this college before the Board of Examiners involve both a loss of dignity—a most important factor of a teacher's usefulness—and a positive injustice: the former, because occasionally masters are examined by the Board in the same room with present or former scholars; the latter because some of the masters have been allowed, before completing the fixed term, to shake off this yoke under which some are still groaning. I do not discuss here the remedies required.
Baseline (Original)
the whole system is wrong To induce a master to sign in London an agreement that he will study for years the hinese written language, of the difficulties of which he cannot possibly judge, To comfiel a is unfair. To to continue studying a language for which he is found to have neither taste nor aman ability is a useless torture. To order a man to a lesson for give. which he feels himself incompetent or not fully competent, is an injury to both master and pupils as destructive to right relations between them. There is also a needless waste of inmey in connection with the employ- ment of 8 Chinese teacher's to assist in translation lessons and to instructs & English Masters who who daily meet in the same. 103 or can meet locality. And finally I think the compulsory periodical appearances of the English Masters of this college before the Board of Examiners involve both a loss of dignity - a most important factor of a teacher: usefulness - and a positive injustice : the former, be- occasionally master. are examined by the Board cause occa in the same room with presents or former scholars, the latter because the steadi master and one of the masters have been allowed, before completing the fixed term, to shake of this yoke of you under which some are still groaning. Thee not disclies here the remedies required.
2026-05-27 03:58:17 · Baseline
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the whole system is wrong

To induce a master to sign in London an agreement that he will study for years the

hinese written language, of the difficulties of which he cannot possibly judge,

To comfiel a is unfair. To to continue studying a language for which he is found to

have neither taste nor

aman

ability

is a useless torture. To order

a man to

a lesson for give. which he feels himself incompetent or not fully competent, is an injury to both master and pupils

as destructive to right relations between them. There is also a needless waste of inmey in connection with the employ- ment of 8 Chinese teacher's to assist in translation lessons

and to instructs & English Masters

who

who

daily

meet

in the same.

103

or can meet

locality. And finally I think the compulsory periodical appearances

of the English Masters of this college before the Board of Examiners involve both a loss of dignity - a most important factor of a teacher: usefulness - and a positive injustice : the former, be-

occasionally master. are examined by the Board

cause occa

in the same room with

presents or former scholars, the latter because the steadi

master and one

of the masters have been allowed,

before completing the fixed term, to shake of this yoke of you

under which some

are still groaning. Thee

not disclies here the remedies

required.

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