78
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 12TH FEBRUARY, 1876.
15. Remarks on this school might have ended here but for the discussion which educational matters have lately elicited. It will, therefore, not be out of place to give some idea of what the school is doing. This can be best tested by the examinations, but this Report would be overloaded with documents, if all the examination papers and the results connected with nine English and five Chinese classes were incorporated in it. A selection must therefore be made, and this will be found in the second appendix, which contains the papers set to the first class, and the marks in each subject gained by every scholar in it. The names only are omitted.
16. The examination papers and the results lie on the table of the examination hall, and are opeu to inspection at all times. The written answers given by the first class are also preserved for twelve months, and are equally open to the public for perusal. The examinations, which are a very laborious work, occupy from eight to ten days, at the rate of two papers to each class a day. They are con- ducted by the masters in committee. The result more than counterbalances the exertion required, because we are able to fix exactly the status of each boy in the school in every subject which he has been taught during the year.
17. The subjects of examination comprise the whole work of the year. This is often attended with inconvenience, on account of the frequent promotions which have to be made as vacancies occur. It is hard on a boy to be examined on the work of a class in which he has been for only a few months, but this difficulty cannot be overcome, until the school's great drawback, short attendance, has been removed.
18. This, in most instances, accounts for the comparatively small number of marks gained by boys towards the end of each list. It not infrequently happens that a boy, who would have been among the first in his old class, is among the last in his new one; but in such cases, promotion has to be taken as a prize, and this practically overcomes the difficulty, for the boys think a great deal of pro- motion to a higher class.
19. The masters, too, would be glad of more permanence in the classes, in order to give a fair test of what they had done during the year. In the higher branches especially, Chemistry and Algebra for instance, it often happens, at the end of the year, that two thirds of the scholars in the class were not in it when the course of lessons was commenced. This is very discouraging, but it will work its own cure by and by. In the meantime, we must be content to make the best of things as they are. This, indeed, has been the guiding principle in everything connected with this and the other schools. Preconceived notions formed elsewhere cannot be bodily transplanted here; and there will be unfailing disappointment, if the circumstances in which the schoolmaster finds himself are not allowed to make those modifications of action and of opinion which they unceasingly call for. This does not imply a surrender to circumstances, nor is it inconsistent with a high aim and a steady endeavour towards it. 20. The Chinese class for Europeans and other nationalities except Chinese is now beginning to give very satisfactory results. Several of the papers were remarkably well done, and in the case of the first prizeman, the translation into Chinese was given in the Chinese character throughout. This is the first time since the establishment of the class that any such progress has been reached. The class consisted, at the time of examination, of 50 scholars, and the average for the year was 59. are divided into three sections. The master received his training at the Central School. is examined weekly by three of the English masters, an arrangement which could not fail to secure attention on the part of both master and scholars.
These The class
21. It were much to be wished that the school hours could be shortened. They would be long in any climate, and they are especially so here. This point has had much anxious consideration for many years, but it is not possible to make the day shorter than eight hours, without seriously inter- fering with the progress of the school. Were there but one language to be taught, half the time would be ample, but with two, the case is different. The aim is to put both languages, English and Chinese, on a footing of perfect equality, as far as that is possible, and not sacrifice the one to the other. At first, the Chinese would have been glad to throw their own language overboard, but this could not be listened to. The result would have tended to denationalization and the production of a tribe of smatterers utterly useless for interpretation, or, for that matter, for anything else. took much persistence for many years to overcome this reluctance to learning Chinese, but such a thing is never heard of now. Every scholar in the school, one or two of the youngest excepted, has his four hours a day at English and four at Chinese.
It
22. One very important matter calls for special attention, and that is the separation of the offices of Head Master and Inspector of Schools. It has become impossible for one man to discharge efficiently the duties of both. The Head Master of a school of upwards of 400 boys has quite enough to occupy his time and attention within his own domain. The present plan of conjoining the offices tells especi- ally against the school towards the close of the year, when every master should be occupied with the work of revision, in preparation for the forthcoming examinations! Last year, the Head Master did not teach an hour during the month of December, from having then to attend to his other duties as Inspector of Schools. In this other sphere, also, there is now ample scope for one man's energies. We have reached a period when the dogged conservatism of the past is melting away. The masters show a disposition to follow where they are led; but this implies the devotion of much time and attention on the part of their leader.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.