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and the tact needed for leadership in a rather difficult situation--these are the qualities required. li a knowledge of Chinese can be thrown in, so much the better, but it is not indispensable. If a really first-rate Senior Inspector can be found in this way, he should, as soon as he has had time to master the facts of the situation, be made Director and given the task of reforming Hong Long's educational system. Later it might be desirable to bring a fairly junior Cadet into the office as second-in-command, to succeed eventually to the Directorship but the possibility of an appointment to the Directorship from the ranks of the teaching profession in Hong Kong should not be ruled out. The possibilities of the future may well, however, be left to look after themselves, provided only that the much-needed innovation be made now which has been recommended above. Hong-Kong badly needs effective educational leadership and a clearly understood policy pursued continuously for a reasonable length of time. These things will be lacking, as they are now, as long as the head of the Department is an official who knows nothing about education and is transferred to another post as soon as he begins to learn something.
"
There are, as already mentioned, four Chinese Inspectors and eight Sub-inspectors, and these are responsible for the inspection of Vernacular schools-i.e., schools in which the medium of instruction is Chinese. These twelve men had in 1984, according to the latest figures available at the time of writing, 915 schools on their lists. In addition, one of the Chinese Inspectors was responsible for the inspection of 119 private schools in which the medium of instruction was English. Judged by home standards, this inspecting staff should be more than ample for the work. But of course conditions are different in important respects; it is understood, for example, that in the New Territories the chief task of the Sub-inspectors is to act as peripatetic normal masters" in the private Vernacular schools--in other words, to teach the teachers in those schools, not all of whom have been through the Government Normal School. This is a task which is not a usual part of an Inspector's work at home. On the other hand, the Colony is small and no Chinese Inspector or Sub-inspector can have any great distances to travel. Taking everything into account, it seems that a reduction of the number of Sub-inspectors to six would not be unreasonable, and would constitute a useful economy to set off against any additional expenditure which may be incurred in other directions.
The Board of Education consists of the Director, who is Chairman, the Senior Inspectors of English Schools and of Vernacular Schools as ex-officio members, and of eleven other gentlemen. It would be a valuable improvement if the Board could include in future at least one woman with some knowledge of educational problems in general and in particular of those concerning especially the education of girls.
The functions of the Board are purely consultative, but this does not mean that they are not of considerable importance. The Board is a permanent institution; Directors have been coming and going all too rapidly, so that the relationship between the Chairman and the other members has certainly not been that between an expert and a number of amateurs. The Board met only three times in 1933. A meeting once a quarter or even every other month should not make excessive demands on members' time, and would enable them to keep in closer touch with developments and to exercise their proper influence more effectively.
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IV.--HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION.
1. There appears to be some evidence that the health of the Colony as a whole is improving, though certain groups of diseases, notably respiratory diseases, continue to occur frequently and to account for a higher percentage of the total deaths than is usual in Europe.
The overcrowded houses, the expectorating habits of the people, and poverty furnish sufficient explanation for the prevalence of respiratory troubles.*'*
Now it is obvious that the conditions just mentioned as productive of certain diseases cannot be cured by the unaided efforts of the schools. But the latter can and should do all in their power to make their pupils understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy ways of living, and should do this by example as well as by precept. Unfortunately it cannot be claimed that the Colony's schools, taken all together, are doing this. Whilst the Government and Grant-Aided schools work in premises which are often very good and never, in the writer's experience, worse than fair, in many, probably some hundreds, of Vernacular schools conducted by private individuals for their personal profit, the health conditions are very bad indeed. It must be remembered that the education of a great many Chinese boys and girls begins and enda in these schools; even for the minority who go on to other and good schools irremediable harm may be done. The Medical Officer for Schools, in his Report for 1934, writes:
"Of existing factors that predispose towards chest and postural deformities, long hours, improper furniture, and lack of exercise during Vernacular school-life appear to be the most prominent,' and I think the Vernacular schools can justly be blamed for the frequent occurrence and rapid progress of myopia." Generally speaking," he explains, their furniture is badly constructed, lighting is poor, and small print is in common use."
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The writer of the present Report was taken by the Medical Officer for Schools and by one of the two Chinese Medical Officers who assist him, to see several of these private Vernacular schools, selected as typical. To the defects quoted above must be added these, that the ventilation of classrooms is often quite inadequate, and that sometimes there is no sanitary accommodation at all. Worse even than this, in other instances there is sanitary accommodation, consisting of a crude and unscreened urinal for boys, used also presumably, on occasions, as a latrine, in the closest possible proximity to the kitchen. Finally, the only means of access to and egress from these schools, occupying it may be a flat on the second or third floor, is commonly a single narrow and dark wooden staircase. It should not be necessary to use any more words to justify the statement that these schools impair the health and endanger the lives of the children attending them, and that those children would be better employed in playing in the
streets.
Some of these private schools, in spite of their abominable premises, are receiving subsidies from the Government; all, whether subsidised or not, have to be registered. In May, 1933, the then Director of Education laid down the procedure to be followed thenceforward whenever new schools applied for registration. The premises were to be passed, before registration could be allowed, both by the Medical Officers for Schools and by the Inspector of Vernacular schools. It is understood that the Hong Kong Fire Brigade have to be satisfied that the premises are provided with adequate means of escape in case of fire. These regulations do not in fact appear to have prevented the registration of some new schools of which the premises can only be considered, by any reasonable standard, as most unsatisfactory. They have not of course put a stop to the existence of any schools registered before May, 1933.
There is no question here of any attempt to impose an advanced hygienic standard on these schools. They deserve condemnation, not for the mere failure to promote good health, but because they actively promote ill health. Though it is true that a number of individuals, perhaps quite well-meaning, earn a living by exploiting in these schools the traditional eagerness of Chinese parents to have their children educated, or at least their sons, this fact can hardly be counted as very important when weighed against their disservice to the health of the community.
It is recommended, therefore, that as soon as possible a Health Code for Schools should be drawn up by competent authority in Hong Kong, and that this code should be published by X the Government, with an intimation to all concerned that any school not complying with its requirements withip-say-twelve months will automatically have its registration cancelled and thus (by Hong Kong law) become unlawful.
The effects of such action by the Government would probably be these. Some of the private Vernacular schools now in unsatisfactory premises would be able to improve them sufficiently. Others would be able to move to better premises. In the slums, however, there Annual Report on the Social and Economic Progress of the People of the Colony of Hong Kong during
the year 1933.
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