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LEGISLATION.
Forty Ordinances were passed during the year of which ten were for the Naturalisation Chinese.
The Crown Lands Resumption Ordinance was amended so as to enable resumption for "public purpose."
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I.C.-Private Schools in which an English education is given.-The number of these schools not be very correctly stated, especially as it is difficult to say what number of scholars constitutes school in these circumstances. They also fluctuate a great deal, sometimes being opened till the ntorer finds a more lucrative occupation. It appears, however, that there are seven that may be aate houses, generally of some of the native masters of Queen's College. These seven are doubtless operly called schools. Some of these should come more under the head of Evening Classes held in tended by those who cannot (on account of distance or want of place) get into any of the above Three had special reference to the New Territory. One was to exempt the Territory from med four Government Schools—or who are crowded out of Queen's College, or cannot afford to operation of certain Ordinances not considered applicable to it. A second was to give power
e fees of that institution. The education given in some of these is of a very varied nature, an attempt divide the New Territory into Districts and Sub-districts, to appoint Committees of Districts and Sabing made to meet the special requirements of nearly every individual. The grent object of boys districts, make rules for the good order, health and general good government of the Territory, for thonding these schools seems to be to get a smattering of linglish to enable them to get employments Constitution of Local Tribunals in Districts and Sub-districts, for the hearing and deciding of pet shroffs, copying clerks, office boys, compositors, &c., and thus, it is feared, they must not be con- civil and criminal cases, and the levying of contributions on the inhabitants where extra crime require dered Liducational institutions from a proper point of view. the provision of extra Police.
The local tribunals under this Ordinance have not been established.
pay
II.4.-Of the Government schools which give an education in Chinese only, there are now 7 ree having been closed at the end of 1898) having an average daily attendance of 249-9, Some ars ago, when a boy was obliged to reach a certain standard in Chinese before he could enter the The third Ordinance gives power to make rules for the farming out for revenue purposes of thvernment Central School (alias Victoria College, now Queen's College) to study English, it would right to sell or otherwise deal in any commodity and for the collection of rent and taxes. Opium
Spear that these schools were greater in number and attended by a larger number of scholars, e.g., in the only commodity that has been dealt with under this Ordinance.
179 there were 27 Chinese Government Schools with an attendance of 1,231 scholars for the year, hereas in the four English Schools there was an attendance of only 222 scholars for the An important sanitary measure was passed in the Insanitary Properties Ordinance which has fen the desire for an English education has greatly grown, and the Government now requires that year. Since its object the improvement of light and ventilation in existing domestic buildings, and of open spanglish shall be taught in all new schools that are opened. In 1879 as above stated there were only in rear of them, and the provision of larger open spaces in rear of new buildings, and the sanitar scholars in the four schools in which English was taught, but in 1899 in the five schools-i maintenance of private streets and lanes.
Beluding the Belilios Public School for Girls-there were 886 scholars of which 255 are girls. Again, 1879 there were 27 Chinese Government Schools with 1,231 scholars in attendance, and in 1899 lows somewhat on the lines of that given in an ordinary native school as far as the books used are ere were 7 schools with a yearly attendance of 558 scholars. The education in these Chinese schools
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The provisions of the Ordinance still fall short of similar requirements in England, but are exacting as perhaps could be imposed without involving questions of compensation for loss of space a City where land is extraordinarily valuable. Ordinances were passed to consolidate and amend th Law relating to Criminal Procedure, Merchant Shipping, and Prisons, and an important amenduecerned, but with a healthy leavening of a Western system. of the Protection of Women and Girls Ordinance was passed giving larger powers of dealing wi brothels and disorderly houses, and making it penal to permit a woman suffering from contagion disease to remain in a brothel.
The provisions of this Ordinance have already had a salutary effect.
EDUCATION.
Primary Education in Hongkong may be divided into two great divisions.
I. Schools in which an English education is given.
II.
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Each division may again be divided into three sub-divisions.
II.B.-There are 73 Grant-in-aid Schools having an attendance of 3,811 scholars for the year, of on 1,806 are boys and 2.005 girls. The books in use for these schools include some of the smaller hinese classics, but being, like all the Grant-in-aid Schools, under the control of some religious eet, books, compiled under the guidance of these various sects and of a religious character, are, subject
the approval of the Inspector of Schools, substituted for ordinary Chinese books.
Under this heading must be reckoned the Portuguese Schools in which the Portuguese language taught with a hope of substituting, in time, the pure language for the patois which now prevails. There are five of these schools with an attendance of 11 boys and 143 girls for the year.
A.-Government Schools, that is, entirely supported by the Government. B.-Grant-in-aid Schools, receiving a yearly grant from the Government based on the umbersome as this system doubtless is, it is believed in even by some highly educated Chinese.
results of Examination.
II.C-Private schools in which a Chinese education is given.-Considering the facilities offered oth by the Government and the Grant-in-aid system for a free education in Chinese, it seems hardly edible that Private schools could exist and be made to pay, but it is evident that they both exist ad pay sufficiently for many ventures to be made, for they number 100 with an attendance of 2,195 cholars, one of them being a girls school. This number includes the seven schools mentioned above which an English education is given. These are doubtless attended by the children of those rents whose faith is pinned to an ordinary Chinese education, under the ordinary Chinese system. some of these schools the fees are paid partly in money and partly in kind, which in some instances C.--Private Schools, that is, schools that do not come under Government inspection, and sa
gans a bare existence for the teacher. Many of the wealthier Chinese have their sons, perhaps with receive no grant.
ose of some near friend or neighbour, taught in their own homes by an accomplished teacher cording to Chinese ideas. Comparing the number of scholars with the schools it will be seen that IA.-There are four Government Schools, outside Queen's College, which give an education &ere is only an average of 22 boys to each school. English. These are under the charge of Native Teachers who are capable of teaching at least to the Fourth Standard. A competitive examination is held each year of boys from these for schools, of whom four are selected for Free Scholarships tenable at Queen's College. The educati at these schools is free and by far the greater majority of the scholars are Chinese and Eurasians, b there are a few Indians. The number attending these four schools is 631. There is also one schoo As it is still an unsettled point in England where a Primary Education ceases and a Secondary (Belilios Public School for girls) where an English education is given to girls and a few very youre begins, it will be still more difficult to draw a line of demarcation in Hongkong where there is boys who are too young to enter Queen's College, but eventually go there. The number of scholaone institution that pretends to give a Secondary Education only. The four principal English attending this school is 255, and the five schools together have an average daily attendance of 4847 cools, viz., Queen's College, Diocesan School, St. Joseph's College School, and the Victoria English chool prepare candidates for the Senior Oxford Local Examinations, and so may be said to give a I.B.--Of the Grant-in-aid Schools giving an English education there are 18, having an aver condary Education to a certain, but very limited, extent; but in all these institutions by far the daily attendance of 1,320. Nearly all these schools are attached to, and under the guidance of soority of the boys receive only a Primary Education. religious body; and with the exception of three, viz., The Diocesan School, St. Joseph's Colleg School, and Victoria English School, give quite a primary education only. These three will mentioned again among the schools giving a secondary education.
SECONDARY EDUCATION.
Queen's College, which is a Government institution, has a staff qualified to give a Secondary ducation, but the time is not yet ripe for it to be turned into a Secondary Educational Institution
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