CO129-527-19 Annual Education Report 1929 30-9-1930 - 16-2-1931 — Page 12

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Advisory Committee on Education in the Colonios

Hong Kong Annual Education Report 1929.

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Though there are signs here and there of attention having been paid to the Committeo's suggestions regarding the form and content of Annual Reports, much still remains to be done on the lines suggested by the Committee in order to make the Report intelli- gible and useful to outside readors. There is, for instanco, no separate treatment of female oducation. Much of the Report consists of detailed accounts of individual institutions, which have little interest for readers outsido the Colony.

The Report containa no indication of any important problems under discussion or investigation, nor does there seem to be any consciousness of any defects in the present system, so far as the Govern- ment is concerned. Such information as is given indicates a vory fair level of officioncy and steady progress. In arrangements for medical inspection, physical training and local examinations, the Colony seems to set a good example. But the possibility of serious defects remaining unnoticed is suggested by the figures relating to school enrolment. According to those figures, whilo 13% of the malo non-European population is attending school, the corresponding percentage for females is only 5. I can find no reference in the Roport to the reasons for this difference, or to any stops that have been taken to improve the female enrolment. Nor is there any reference to the education of the East Indian community, apart from an account of one institution which seems to be attended by Indian pupils.

There are 20 schools maintained by Govern- ment; 328 are aided by Government, and 659 are registered and partly inspected. In order to cope with this large number of private schools an additional inspector has been appointed. Their efficiency,

as tested by local examinations, seems to be very low.

The report on the aided Anglo-Chinese

schools accounts for the weakness of English in these schools by the fact that the Chinese language is used as a medium of instruction in English lessons. It goes on to say that the English classes should bo conducted entirely in English. Explicit instructions to this effect seem to have been given to all aided schools by the Education Department. It is doubtful whether such instructions would find much support generally among the body of modorn languago toachers, or whether it is wise to lay down such explicit instructions as regards method of teaching in schools not maintained by the Government. Possibly further study of the Committee's memorandum on English and the Vernaculars, and consideration of the principles recently suggested in the Committee's memorandum on Grants-in-Aid, may lead to some change in this

matter.

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