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It is our opinion that the University of Hongkong suffers in comparison with certain Sub-Univer- other higher educational institutions in China from the absence of a junior prepara- lucation. tory department where the stricter discipline necessary in a boarding school could be enforced as part of an educational system carefully graduated so as to lead students up to the highest degree attainable. It is not the British method to place the whole course of a boy's education under the one management. But to our knowledge several students have been lost to the colony and the University by this wise provision. In our developed school we should endeavour to supply what is lacking in this respect to the educational system of the Colony. On our present site we are limited, and moreover the requisite discipline and supervision of a boarding school cannot be enforced. This a very serious handicap in the eyes of many Chinese parents, with whom the moral aspect of education looms so large. We therefore seek a site accessible to the day boys for whom we cater, but sufficiently removed from the temptations of the town, and of such an area, that we can safeguard the boarders and provide within our boundaries for all the activities of the scholars during their school days.
School.
The provision of a good boarding school, run as nearly as may be on English public Boarding school lines, would, we believe supply & felt need of Chinese parents abroad; it would add to the educational prestige of the Colony, and would increase the supply of well- prepared entrants to the University. And we claim that St. Stephen's College possesses special advantages, particularly through the fact that it is connected with the Church ssionary Society while controlled by a local Council, which would enable it to fulfil the obligations of such a school.
The College Council has no financial responsibility for the salary of its headmaster, Staff. and through the interest of the Church Missionary Society it is in a position to secure for its staff a supply of British University men, graduates of good standing, who are willing to come to us for a specified term at salaries which enable the school to be run without financial loss- our fees being higher than those charged by any other school in Hongkong or ('hina.
Studies.
At the same time our interest in the 'niversity enables us to obtain the services of Chinese Chinese Graduates capable to take their place in an English school and also (under the direction of a competent Director of Chinese studies whom we should secure for the purpose to take charge of the classes studying Chinese subjects. In addition to the classes taught in Cantonese, we propose to establish, for those students who are not Cantonese, a sound course of instruction through the medium of Mandarin in the Chinese Language and Literature. By stengthening our work along these lines we expect to attract an increasing number of Chinese students from foreign parts.
Studies.
In providing a strong staff of British graduates we expect also to meet the needs of English and to offer our services to the central and provincial Governments of China by offering facilities whereby their students, who are commonly weak in English, may be prepared for entrance to the University. The state of affairs which originated the late Prematri- culation class in the University is primarily one for the schools of Hongkong to handle. We wish to contribute our share to the solution of the difficulty.
There is much need for an improvement in the teaching of Science in the schools of science. the Colony. More time and attention should be given to the subject. This should in our opinion be a most important part of our development, and we hope to secure on a new site adequate building space and equipment for this purpose.
Because of the advantages which we here enjoy.--the protection of the British flag, Financial, an intimate connection with Chinese life and opinion, and the existence of a well- recognized University,— --we expect to be able to raise among Chinese gentlemen outside the Colony a considerable portion of the $500,000 which we estimate to have to spend for the establishing of the school upon the new site which we ask the Government to grant us. To this end the College Council has resolved to ask Archdeacon Barnett and Mr. Lai Tsui Hei (Lecturer in Chinese at the University to proceed this year to Singa- pore, the Straits Settlements, and Java, to interview wealthy Chinese gentlemen and interest them in the scheme, both soliciting their financial aid and asking their influence to send boarders to the school.
As a necessary preliminary we are now applying to the Government of Hongkong Pettition. for its favour and assistance (n) financially so far as it may be found possible, and (5) by earmarking for us as a free graut the site marked approximately on the plan submitted herewith.
14th June, 1921.
WM. II. HEWITT.
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