CO129-608-3 Occupation reports- education in Stanley Internment Camp 7-11-1945 - 18-7-1947 — Page 37

-5-

57

The bi-lingual question is one of "ong Kong's educational problems, owing to the large number of Eurasians living in the Colony. It was interesting to gather the experiences of English mistresses dealing with the problem in the Camp School.

It was felt that the education of Eurasian children presented special problems which warrant the provision of separate schools. Neither English nor Eurasians benefited from co-education at this stage of their development. The Eurasian children were inclined to lack

A large

confidence and shewed a preference for routine activities. amount of handwork, giving them the opportunity of mastering a variety of materials and producing creative work was recommended. Special courses in speech training were indicated to overcome their marked difficulty in mastering English sounds.

n

The

One mistress found that Eurasian children learned reading more quickly by "look and say" than by phonetic methods, but that they showed little interest in the context of what they read. They had retentive memories, but lacked the qualities of leadership that would have enabled them to do well in dramatic work. lack of physical stamina noticed in many of these children was probably not altogether to be accounted for by Camp conditions, and indicated a need for parental education in food values, and probably the provision of milk or a similar food at school in normal times.

Another point made was that books prepared for English children in England were not usually suitable as first readers for Eurasians. Specially produced books and pictures, showing scenes and objects familiar to the children were needed.

Kathleen M. Anderson

18th October, 1945.