CO129-527-19 Annual Education Report 1929 30-9-1930 - 16-2-1931 — Page 17

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community, apart from an account of one institution

which seems to be attended by Indian pupils.

There are 20 schools maintained by

4n4

Government; 328 aided by Government, and 659

A

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 be 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 modern

language teachers, 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 Com-

mittee's memorandum on on English and the

and

Vernaculars, in consideration of the principles

recently suggested in the Committee's memorandum

on Grants-in-Aid, may lead to some change in this

matter.

It is satisfactory to learn that the

recently established vernacular middle school

is popular, applications for admission exceeding

the number of vacancies. This is a secondary

school in which, in addition to English and the

ordinary subjects of the school curriculum,