CO129-588-3 Royal Institute of International Affairs Institute of Pacific Relations Conference 1942- education in Hong Kong... 1-1-1942 - 31-12-1942 — Page 9

-7-

9

Government offers six scholarships annually in the Faculty

of Arts for students intending to become teachers.

12. Adult Education.

The annual reports devote no more than a single line to this

important aspect of education, possibly because only the vocational

side comes under the control of the Education Department (para.9).

There is, however, a considerable drive in this direction

sponsored by the Medical Department, the Midwives' Association and the

St. John Ambulance Brigade. The object is to reduce the incidence of

endemic diseases and whereas little result is to be seen in the cases

of T.B. and Cholera, there have been excellent results in the case of

smallpox. Due to propaganda by radio, the press and St. John

Ambulance Brigade, 1,400,000 people were vaccinated in 1939, and the

number of cases fell from 2,327 to 198. Other departments carry out

some adult education agriculture, Post Office, Railway Department,

and the Aerodrome trained adults for various technical posts.

Otherwise there is no organised mass education in the Colony.

13. Future Development.

(a) The foregoing figures reveal that primary vernacular

education stands most in need of reform. Of more than 950 primary

vernacular schools only 266 receive any support from Government,

though more than half the school enrolment is to be found in them.

A comparison of the amounts spent on various branches of education

is interesting:

European Chinese

European

Chinese

Indian

English Schools (Govt.)

£11,215 (secondary £42,000

"

£ 7,600 (Primary)

£18,600

11

£ 3,025 £72,440

"

Chinese and

Portuguese

£17,200 (Grant Aided)

£89,640

Vernacular Schools

Higher Grade £1,348 Primary

£6,764

£8,112

(b) From these figures (1939) it will be seen that ten times as

much money was spent on the English side.

Page

Page

-8-

ge 10

10

It can be noted however that further provision for Chinese primary education was considered to be the most urgently required development (1940-1, Para. 9). A ten year plan had been drawn up to

give more generous subsidies and to provide 50 schools (20 Urban and 30 Rural) to accommodate 10,000 children. In this connection plans for a new rural teacher training college had been approved by the

Board.

(c) Playgrounds and playing fields are woefully lacking, and playgrounds small and crowded. Only one school in Hong Kong has a playing field attached, and the two secondary schools and one primary

in the Western district use a small field in the Eastern district on

set days. Kowloon is better off, but even here, several schools use the one ground at King's Park. (See Map, Appendix 2). Some schools

have no playground at all. A list of extra areas has been prepared for submission to the town planner.

(d) Art, handwork, and singing are entirely a new departure, and stress was laid on these in teacher training; an exhibition of art

and craft, not only finished articles but in the actual making in various stages of development was held by the students of the training college and attracted over 10,000 people, apart from school classes. Development in this direction was foreshadowed.

(e) The point at which English should become the medium of instruction was being investigated by a committee in the light of experiments in various schools.

(코) The Grant-in-aid, at present a capitation grant, had been revised and was awaiting approval. The new system was based on the salaries paid to teachers.

(8) It is all the more to be regretted that the Colony passed temporarily into Japanese hands at a time when so much energy and long-sighted planning were evident in the Education Department.

ge 10Page 11

-9-