683944-1880-Report-1879-Government-Schools — Page 7

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362

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 5тn MAY, 1880.

"secular instruction" there has been substituted

the phrase "instruction in the subjects of the standards," which alteration, whilst removing conscientious scruples of denominational Educa-

tionists, did not affect the vital principle of the Grant-in-aid System, viz., payment for results in specified subjects. It gives, moreover, greater freedom to the Managers in the selection of books without compromising the attitude of the Govern- ment as regards the principle of non-interference in religious matters. The elimination from the Schedule of the word "elementary" is a matter of the highest importance. The Grant-in-aid Scheme, hitherto or rather until the time when St. Paul's College first came under the Grant-in-

aid System, was confined to aid native elementary education. Now, however, it is open to further development in the direction of admitting not only intermediate but high class educational in-

stitutions to the benefits of the Grant-in-aid

system and by making this alteration in the scope of the scheme the necessity of enlarging the value

of the passes is involved as a natural consequence.

I see in this alteration of the Grant-in-aid Scheme

a step in the right direction towards placing the Educational Policy of the Colonial Government

on a thoroughly sound and equitable basis, viz.,

the aim to confine all direct teaching, such as is now given in schools kept at the entire expense

and under the exclusive control of the Govern- ment, to the Elementary English education of the poor classes, but to give increased aid with fewer

restrictions on the principle of payment by results in specified subjects to the middle schools and high class schools of the Colony, more or less in the manner indicated by the Intermediate Edu- cation Act (Ireland) of 1878.

8. In conclusion I beg to point out that in considering the Educational Problem of this Co- lony, it is all important to refrain from assuming an identity of the radical features of the problem as it presents itself here and in England. In England it may be said regarding matters of education that "the consumer is not a competent judge of the commodity," but this principle does not apply to the purely Chinese education at- tempted by an English Government of a Colony the overwhelming majority of which is made up by Chinese; though this principle does indeed apply to the teaching of English, and hence it follows that English education is one of those things in Hougkong which it is admissible in principle that a Government should provide for the people. As regards purely Chinese teaching or Chinese teaching combined with English the case is entirely different. Whilst in England the common wages of unskilled labour are too low and the cost of teaching too high to enable an ordinary unskilled labourer to pay the whole cost of elementary instruction for his children, the wages of unskilled labour are comparatively so high here in town and the cost of Chinese teaching so low, that Government interference in the matter of Chinese teaching is entirely uncall- ed for, especially as the Chinese place an extre- mely high esteem on their own system and method of education. I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient Servant,

E. J. EITEL, Inspector of Schools.

用學某欸課領某欸賞之

中陳者

離與中館之法

學以使貧家子弟有進初學之機更當大 家義學之法使彼實有公平之基卽使凡有國家義學成如現在國家察理之各義 環之間傭工者 殘值亦不賤况華文書塾修金頗廉故於教習華文】 事國家似亦無庸關涉蓋華人自是以華人之道理教法爲貴者專此須至

學之列時所助者只教華文之義學茲則推廣規條 有初學一語删除光爲切要因自立輔翼義學規條直至聖保羅書院初入 輔 翼

法以獎賞闔港中館大館所有各書塾最妙莫如效埃蘭國於一千八百七十八年

領獎賞且如此推廣規條之意目應增益各歎獎賞之費此亦理所當然者按監 然但以英官而教華文求

院意見如此删改輔翼義學之規條實爲大路進步之階所云大路者即改香港國 [無多而教師修金貴故彼工人所入難供子弟就學之費惟在香港五

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