CO129-334 - Governor Nathan - 1906 [5-7] — Page 469

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sufficiently dealt with in paragraphs 16 to 18, 13 to 15,

28, 19 and 20, and 32 respectively of Mr. Irving's report.

6.

There are no matters of special interest to

bring to notice in connection with the Grant Schools. The

Ellis Kadoorie School which is secular and mainly support-

ed by the Chinese is becoming the most important of these

schools.

7.

I think there is no doubt that here as in

China Western education is tending rapidly to take the

place, in the estimation of parents, of instruction based on

the Chinese classics, which formerly alone found favour

with them. One branch of what is considered Western educa-

tion is also becoming increasingly popular among boys viz:-

physical training and military drill. Many private and

some grant schools here, following the example of schools

in Canton, provided themselves with European uniform and

dummy weapons and combined to go through military exercises

in some cases employing Japanese instructors. As the boys

taking part in this training were not British subjects and

as it was with no idea of the defence of the Colony that

these exercises were carried out I considered it advisable

to bring the matter before the Executive Council and on

their recommendation to issue instructions to put a stop to

the practice which the Attorney General advised was illegal.

The

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