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It may be objected that this is very ambitious, and would require very much more expense than is at present incurred.
The reply is that, while a proper Teachers' College is the ideal, even under present circumstances much could be done through a revision and improvement of the courses given through the Evening Institute. The cost might be met
(a) by a subsidy from Government. Such a subsidy would be money well
spent; or
(b) by a curtailment of Government Secondary Education and the ap- plication of the money thus saved towards the improvement of Primary Education; and
(c) by a modest scheme of scholarships, to be held for one or two years at Chinese Universities. These might, in the long run, prove of very great value.
This suggestion of Teachers' Scholarships at Chinese Universities deserves even more thought when one comes to consider the second class of Vernacular Teacher mentioned above, i.e., Vernacular Teachers fitted to teach language. literature and history in the higher classes of Secondary Schools.
It is hardly an exaggeration to say that Hong Kong does not produce, and makes no attempt to produce men of this calibre. It is the general experience that it is almost impossible to procure a thoroughly competent Vernacular Teacher for the top classes in Hong Kong Secondary Schools, and doubly difficult to secure such a man trained in Hong Kong. The demand for this kind of man is not large; still, such men are employed, and should, therefore, be trained in the Colony.
These highly qualified Teachers should know English-no educated man in any country is satisfied to know only one language. This would enable them to receive their specifically pedagogical training with other Teachers in Hong Kong. Here also it would be of great value if a modest scholarship scheme made it possible for them to complete their Chinese education at a Chinese University.
Student Teachers.
A "Student Teacher in the wording of the Grant Code is one
"who is studying at one of the Teachers' Classes at the Technical (now Evening) Institute " At present these Teachers' Classes are open only to such students as have already passed the Matriculation or School Leaving (Class 1) Certificate Examination.
We wish to record at once our conviction that these Teachers' Classes should NOT be open to young men and women who have merely finished their School Certificate (Class 2) Examination.
We consider that the future Teachers of the Colony should have AT LEAST one year's further schooling after Class 2, independent of their specifically professional training.
These Student Teachers play a very large part in the educational system of the Colony. They are for the most part very painstaking, very willing and very industrious. They do admirable work in the lower classes. Indeed, supplemented by a stiffening of European and/or Graduate Teachers, we consider that they form a more efficient staff for the lower half of the Secondary School than a staff of Europeans or of Graduates. We sincerely hope that nothing will be done to dis- courage Teachers of this type; but that, on the contrary, steps will be taken to assist them in every way.
We should be glad to see much of the money spent, or proposed to be spent on the training of Graduate Teachers, diverted to the better training of these Student Teachers, because :
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(a) they form the backbone of the Teaching Staffs of the Grant-in-Aid Schools, which are more numerous than Government Schools, and which show, on the basis of examination results, an equal proficiency with Government Schools;
(b) the salaries as scaled for Graduate Teachers make the employment of such, at least in big numbers, from a financial point of view, out of the question for non-Government Schools.
Hence the Student Teacher is a very important factor in the educational life of the Colony.
A Teachers' Training College, financed by Government very largely, if not entirely, may not be an immediate possibility, but it is in that direction that cur efforts should tend. It must be remembered, however, that this is a very poor country, and if longer training is to be demanded of our Teachers, the expense must be largely met by Government.
There is, however, at the moment no Teachers' Training College, and we must be content with the Evening Institute.
Under actual conditions as they now exist we wish to make the following remarks:-
(a) The courses as provided are not satisfactory.
(b) There should be more LANGUAGE training, both oral and written,
and much less CLASSICAL LITERATURE,
We regard the present syllabus, by which three Plays of Shake- speare and one modern novel are covered in three years as entirely unsuitable. We think that young Teachers should be required to read intelligently and attentively at least one modern book per month and should be examined on these.
(c) They should get much training in composition work.
(d) They should be drilled in the taking of notes.
(e) They should be encouraged to practise impromptu speaking.
(f) Special stress should be laid on correct pronounciation-PRACTICAL PHONETICS showing lip and mouth formation in pronouncing vowels and consonants the difference between long and short vowels-the avoidance of staccato reading and other forms of oral work.
The aim should be not to produce literatures, but to assure that the language is accurately and thoroughly known.
(g) Less Hygiene, as that is now incorporated in the Class 2 syllabus. (h) A modified course in Psychology. The course as now offered seems to contain little more than Behaviourism, and to omit all study of the will, etc.
We think that the courses in Method-and indeed, in most other subjects also- would gain, were they entrusted to older and more experienced Teachers, prefer- ably from Grant-in-Aid Schools. It is but reasonable to assume that those who are going to employ these young Teachers afterwards will be more likely than others to work hard for them during their training.
We think that the present hours and the present method of using teachers make an impossible demand both upon the students and professors. Both have already done a day's work, and cannot possibly be at their best during the Evening Courses,
We consider that the Evening Institute should have its own staff of men, who are free to devote their whole time to that work.
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