CO129-553-12 Education- report of Mr Burney's visit 28-3-1935 - 7-8-1936 — Page 74

ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION IN THE COLONIES.

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Extract from Minutes of 61st Meeting held on

20th June, 1935.

6 €

Hong Kong: Report of Mr. Burney's Visit.

(A.C.E.C. 13/35).

Mr. Burney made an introductory statement

regarding his Report. After referring to his

classification of the schools into (a) Government schools (b) grant-aided schools and (c) other schools, he

mentioned that in 13 of the grant-aided schools English was the chief medium of instruction, while in about 900

subsidized.

schools (300 of which were grant-aided) the medium was a vernacular language. The vernacular schools constituted substantially the colony's equipment for primary education, and that equipment was far from satisfactory. Health conditions in the schools were

bad, there was considerable danger of loss of life from

fire

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