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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 2ND MARCH, 1895.
only afford when the complete English Staff is on duty. Of the Chinese Assistants, four were employed in the Upper School, instead of two, as last year. Messrs. LUK, WAN, NG and LEUNG were in charge of Classes IIIA, IIB, IIIc, and IIIB, respectively, and their percentages, 89, 88, 92 and 92, compare very favourably with the average results of this year. My recommendation of increased salaries for Chinese Assistants is thus strongly supported by further experience.
14. HALF-YEARLY EXAMINATIONS.-In 1894, for the second year running this important factor in the general success of the year was forcibly held in abeyance, on account of the general exodus from the Colony. A considerable proportion of the failures among boys educationally weak, is due to the absence of this check and its attendant advice.
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15. RECREATION.-Drill still continues, but unless it can be put in charge of a duly qualified instructor, it not only entails waste of time and money, but as conducted last year is positively prejudicial to the maintenance of discipline. The following report from Mr. MACHELL on Recreation may prove of interest.
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"The sports have developed an organisation, that bids fair to stand. Boys now play regularly and heartily, who looked askance at athletics two years ago. The Cricket "team of masters and boys is thus far undefeated. Football as played in the College "grounds is an expensive amusement; three balls are used up monthly, though diligently repaired and well kept. For a month prior to commencement of Annual Examination, "the verandahs of Hollywood Crescent and the space outside the lower West Gate were "thronged with spectators of the 4 to 5 P.M. games. Lost balls were kicked back with a zest which produced great merriment when a too zealous coolie unwisely kicked "squarely at the ball with his bare toes. There are two or three privately owned "cricket sets and at least three independent football owners. These occupy the lower "ground during the longer periods of recess &c. No accident has marred play, though "keen rivalry exists between the first and second teams. The drill has been very "unsatisfactory. A broken succession of tactless and incompetent instructors wearied "the boys beyond measure, and they were only kept from openly resenting the tiresome "bungling by my frequent presence at and personal conduct of the drill. The Cadet "Section is kept up.
Their uniform is only fitted for summer wear.
Five of the 'Queen's College Cadets are now Volunteers. The formation of a Chinese Cadet Corps 'was, owing to the Plague and the resulting lee-way in class-work, out of the question. "The entire question of recreation is beset with difficulties. The College grounds are "fairly large but sharply and strongly marked off into Southern, Central and Northern areas respectively. Football and Cricket are possible only in the Northern area, and "then only at a costly expenditure of material. The Valley is distant (a serious matter "when time is short and many of the boys poor) and no proper site can be uninterruptedly "used. Bowrington Plantation will provide sites shortly, but the distance must always "prove a drawback. Where one master only orgauises and regularly attends sports it "is very uphill work. The mere playing, on invitation, in an important match, is "kindly but useless from any sustaining and developing standpoint."
16. ANNUAL EXAMINATION.-Two courses were open to me, in conducting the examination this year. Either to set casier papers, and report that this course was adopted on account of the disorganised year's work; or to adhere to the usual severe standard, and claim lenient judgment on- the same plea. I preferred the latter course, in the interests of comparative statistics, which would become valueless with an uncertain standard. The total number examined was 587, of whom 520 or 83 per cent. passed, i.e. a loss of 5 per cent. on last year, though in 1894 we had only three-quarters of a school year; a result which cannot be viewed as despicable. The three sections of the College are thus represented :—
Boys examined.
Passed percentage.
1894
1893
1894
1893
190
88
.90
280
82
92
155
93
96
Upper School.......... 217
Lower School.............. ...201 .169 Preparatory....
From the above figures it is clear, that the Lower School has suffered most, and this was reasonably to be expected. As I have above reported, the Upper School was more steady in attendance during the Plague while the Preparatory, being usually examined on a half-year's work, was not much affected by that calamity. With the exception of Arithmetic, Geography and History, the general percentages of subjects are fairly up to the mark. The figures obtained in Colloquial, Reading and Latin exceed last year's.
The fatally small percentages in some classes in a few subjects is the result of the presence of idly disposed or less mentally robust scholars, who naturally found it more difficult to recover lost time. I think that the masters deserve credit for their steady application in the face of peculiarly depressing circumstances, while some of them are entitled to special commendation for results hardly inferior to the average year.
17. The usual Tables of the number of boys examined and passed in each subject, and of percentages of passes are here subjoined :-
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