CO129-315 - Public Offices & Others - 1902 — Page 212

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British subjects, was giving cheap education for the benefit

of China, and moreover this system was most unpopular with

the middle class Chinese who desired their children to

learn English more than Chinese. Owing to the system,

attendance in the College was small, some six or seven

hundred boys being the maximum number, Sir William

Robinson reversed the system and the College devoted more

time to the teaching of English. The result was an over-

flow of scholars, a thousand to eleven hundred commenced

to attend the college, fees were raised and the College was

very nearly self-supporting.

I understand it is now in contemplation to revert to

the old practice of giving more time to Chinese than

English. Most strongly do I deprecate such a change,

because it will result in no advantage whatsoever to the

Colony, but will, on the other hand, result in pecuniary

I strongly recommend that this prospective lcss

and the loss which will follow an attempt to establish a

loss.

School for European Children exclusively, should be avoided

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