EUROPEAN EDUCATION IN HONGKONG.
The following letters have been forwarded to us by the Hon. the Colonial Secretary for publication:-
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hongkong, 15th February, 1902.
SIR, I have the honour to draw your attention to a matter of great importance connected with the British Kowloon School, recently built at your expense. In past years the Government of Hongkong has held that in schools maintained or assisted by the tax-payers no distinction of race or creed could legitimately be drawn. Lately, however, the Government has been induced to regard the question in another light and has arrived at the conclusion that an education given in schools attended indiscriminately by the children of various races and languages is not efficient, and that the best interests of the inhabitants of the Colony will be served by the establishment of separate schools in which the children of each race will obtain the education which is specially suited to their needs.
2. This being so, the Government views with some embarrassment the position created by the terms on which the British Kowloon School has been established. The position may be briefly stated as follows. You, Sir, made the generous offer of a large sum of money for the erection of a public school at Kowloon open to all races, and the Government gratefully accepted that offer. But in the two years that have since elapsed the views of the Government have developed and at the very time when the principle of separate schools has become established, it finds itself in the position of having to open a new mixed school.
3. Under the circumstances, there is but one course to pursue, however ungracious it may appear to be. Happily the Government is emboldened by the confidence that you had no motive in your liberal action beyond the welfare of the Colony, and it has therefore the less reluctance in requesting you to reconsider the condition which you attached to your gift, that the building should be devoted to a mixed school. The Government is convinced that a mixed school is not likely to prove a success and will certainly fail to benefit the European section of the Kowloon community, whose wants were beyond doubt the immediate objects of solicitude when the scheme was evolved. On the other hand, the present wants of the Chinese are well provided for by the Government school at Yaumati. The Government has already recognised the desirability of securing proper quarters for this school, and a large site in a central position has been reserved and plans have been prepared for a school to accommodate 100 pupils.
If the educational system of the Kowloon Peninsula is to fall into line with that of the rest of the Colony, there should be at least two separate schools there, one for Europeans and one for Chinese. The latter school is already in existence, and the Government undertakes to provide it with proper quarters without delay. The Government therefore desires formally to request you to waive the condition that the school erected at your expense should be for Europeans and Asiatics alike and to agree to its being maintained exclusively for children of European parentage. In so doing, the Government feels that it is asking you to supplement a very handsome gift by removing a difficult condition, and one which is believed, by those best qualified to judge, to be prejudicial to the best interests of the Colony.-I have, etc.,
(Sd.). J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,
Colonial Secretary.
Ho TUNG, Esq.
Hongkong 17th February, 1902.
SIR. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th inst requesting me to reconsider the condition attaching to my gift of the Kowloon School on the ground that Government have come to the conclusion to provide instruction, in future, to children of different nationalities in separate schools.
2. It is hardly within my competence, speaking from the point of view of the educationist, to enter into any discussion on this latest decision of Government. But I cannot refrain from an expression of very sincere regret for so radical a change of policy on the part of Government, and one that is so much opposed to the spirit which prompted my offer of the school to the Colony. To recall previous correspondence and interviews, it will be remembered that I attached most importance to the stipulation that no distinction should be drawn as regards either the nationality or creed of any scholar applying for admission to the Kowloon School.
3. I was actuated to lay special stress on this particular point by the consideration that all colonial public institutions (to the maintenance whereof public funds were to be applied) in order to be successful and prosperous, broadly speaking, must be open to one and all alike. It is in the strict adherence to this vital principle that I had contemplated the prosperity and success of the new school on the other side of the harbour.
4. On the other hand, I have no desire that my gift should be hedged in by conditions not capable of reasonable modification, as my sole object is to benefit education. I am prepared, therefore, though with very much reluctance, to yield to the request of Government to waive my original condition to the extent desired. I do so, however, on the definite understanding that Government, on their part, undertake to appoint for the new Yaumati School for Chinese mentioned in the third paragraph of your letter under reply at least one properly qualified English master and to maintain the standard of education there on the same level as that in the Kowloon School for European children. Until such provisions are made, in addition to those contemplated, I beg respectfully to differ with the opinion that the educational wants of the Chinese in the dependency of Yaumati are well provided for. I have, etc.,
(Sd.) Ho TUNG.
The Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,
C.M.G., Colonial Secretary,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 18th February, 1902.
SIR, I have the honour, by direction of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th instant relating to the proposed change in the character of the British Kowloon School, and to express to you the thanks of the Government for the readiness with which you have allowed your private wishes to give way to what the Government believes to be best in the interests of public education.
2. As regards the two conditions mentioned in your letter under reply (a) that the Anglo-Chinese School at Yaumati be put under a properly qualified English master and (b) that the course of instruction pursued there be raised to the same level as that at the British Kowloon School, the Government is prepared, subject to the approval of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, to accept those conditions.
3. The Government does not propose at present to discuss the propriety of the policy of providing separate schools for the various classes of the community, as that question will be fully discussed in the report of the committee appointed to enquire into education which will be published shortly.-I have, etc.,
(Sd) J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,
Colonial Secretary.
Ho TUNG, Esq.
Page 105
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į
EUROPEAN EDUCATION IN
HONGKONG.
The following letters have been forwarded to us by the Hon. the Colonial Secretary for publication:-
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hongkong, 15th February, 1902. SIR, I haro the honour to draw your atten- tion to a matter of great importance connected with the British Kowloon School, recently built at your expense. In past years the Go- vernment of Hongkong has held that in schools maintained or assisted by the tax-payers no distinction of race or creed conld legitimately
be drawn. Lately, however, the Government has been induced to regard the question in another light and has arrived at the conclusion that an education given in schools attended in- discrimately by the children of various races and languagos is not efficient, and that the bost interests of the inhabitants of the Colony will
be served by the establishment of separate schools in which the children of each raco wau obtain the education which is specially suited to their needs.
2. This being so, the Government views with some embarrassment the position created by the terms on which the British Kowloon School į has been established. The position may be briefly stated as follows. You, Sir, made the generous offer of a large sum of money for the erection of a public school at Kowloon open to all races, and the Government gratefully accepted that offer. But in the two years that have since elapsed the views of the Government have developed and at the very time when the principle of separate schoole has become establish. edit buds itself in the position of having to open a new mixed school.
course
3. Under the circumstances, there is but Que
to pursue, however ungracious it may appear to be. Happily the Goreca- ment is emboldened by the confidence that you had no motive in your liberal netion beyoud the welfare of the Colony, and it has therefore the less reluctance in requesting you to re-coosidor the condition which you attached to your gift, that the building should be devoted to a mixed school. The Government is convinced that a mixed school is not likely to prove a success and will certainly fail to benefit the European section of the Kowloon community, whose wants were be- yond doubt the immediate objects of solicitude when the sobere was evolved. On the other hand the present wants of the Chinese are well provided for by the Government school at Yaumati, The Government has already recognised the desir- ability of securing proper quarters for this school, and a largo site in a central position has been reserved and plans have been prepared for a school to accommodate 100 pupils.
If the educational system of the Kowloon Peninsula is to fall into line with that of the rest of the Colony there should be at least two separate schools there, one for Europeans and one for Chinese. The latter school is already in existence, and the Government undertakes to provide it with proper quarters without delay. The Government therefore
desire formally to request you to waive the condition that the school erected at your expense should be for Europeans and Asiatics alike and to agree to its being maintained exclusively for children of European parentage. In so doing the Government feels that it is asking you to supplement a very handsome gift by removing a dificult condition, and one which is believed, by those best qualified to judge, to be prejudicial to the best interests of the Colony.-I have, etc..
(Sd.). J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,
Colonial Secretary.
Ho TUNG, Esq.
Hongkong 17th February, 192. SIR.I have the bdaour-topknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th inst request- ing me to reconsider the condition attaching to my gift of the Kowloon School on the ground that Goverument have come to the conclusion to provide instruction, in future, to children of different nationalities in separate schools.
2. It is hardly within my competence, speak ing from the point of view of the educationist, to enter into any discussion on this latest deci- sion of Government. But I cannot refrain from an expression of very sincere regret for s1) radical a change of policy on the part of Govern- ment, and one that is so much opposed to the spirit which prompted my offer of the school to the Colony. To recall previons correspondence and interviews, it will be remembered that I attached most importance to the stipulation that no distinction should be drawn as regards either the nationality or creed of any scholar applying for admission to the Kowloon School. 3. I was actuated to lay special stress on this particular point by the consideration that all colonial public institutions (to the maintenance whoreof public funds were to be applied) in order to be successful and prosperous, broadly speaking, must be open to one and all alike. It is in the strict to this vital principle that I had contemplated the prosperity and success of the new school on the other side of the harbour.
I
4. On the other hand, I have no desire that my gift should be hedged in by conditions not capable of reasonable modification, as my sole object is to benefit education. I am prepared, therefore, though with very much reluctance, to yield to the request of Government to waive wy original condition to the extent desired. do so, however, on the definite understanding that Government, on their part, undertake to appoint for the new Yaumati School for Chi- nese mentioned in the third paragraph of your letter under reply at least one properly qualified English master and to maintain the standard of education there on the same level as that in the Kowloon School for European children. Until such provisions are made, in addition to those contemplated, I beg respectfully to differ with the opinion that the educational wants of the Chinese in the dependency of Yaumati are well provided for. I have, etc.,
(5) Ho TUNG. The Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,
C.M.G., Colonial Secretary,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 18th February, 1902. SIE-I have the honour, by direction of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th instant relating to the pro- posed change in the character of the British Kowloon School, and to express to you the thanks of the Government for the readiness with which you have allowed your private wishes to give way to what the Government believes to be best in the interests of public education.
2. As regards the two conditions mentioned in your letter under reply (a) that the Auglo- Chinese School at Yaumati be put under a properly qualified English master and (b) that the course of instruction pursued there be raised to the same level as that at the British Kowloon School, the Government is prepared, subject to the approval of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, to accept those conditions. 3. The Government does not propose at present to discuss the propriety of the policy of providing separate schools for the various classes of the community, as that question will be fully discussed in the report of the committee appointed to enquire into education which will be published shortly--I have, etc.,
(Sd) J. F. STEWART LOCKHART, Colonial Secretary.
Ho Tuxe, Esq.
105
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