691828-1876-Education-Annual-Report-1875- — Page 4

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 12TH FEBRUARY, 1876. 79

23. There is, it is to be hoped, no necessity for re-stating the case against the suitability of the present building. All that can be said on this point has been said already, and the increased attend- ance now reported on gives no excuse for modifying a single expression made use of last year: but, since then, the first instalment of the cost has been placed on the Estimates, which implies that it will not be necessary to refer to the matter much longer.

24. The Grant-in-Aid Schools are still nine in number. The Manager of the Baxter Schools opened a new one in Tái-p'ing Shán, but the average attendance not reaching the required point, it and the Sai Ying-p'ún school were grouped together and examined accordingly.

25. The Basel Mission Girl's School did more than sustain its previous reputation. Forty-five scholars were examined, and although eight of these failed, it has to be remembered that all the six standards were taken, and consequently a greater range of subjects was included. In reading, writing (from dictation), geography and history remarkable proficiency was displayed. Arithmetic was weak, as compared with these; but when one thinks of Chinese girls working sums as far on as vulgar and decimal fractions, the result reached is highly creditable. It would be fortunate for the Colony, if it had more schools of this description. Memory is not cultivated in this school at the expense of the other faculties. The girls are taught intelligently on approved methods, and they show the effects of it in the intelligent way in which they do all their work.

26. The three Baxter schools sent up 72 girls for examination, of whom 59 passed. The highest standard taken was the fifth. These schools are ranked in Class I, which comprises those in which a Chinese education is given. The Manager is anxious to have them in the same Class as the Basel Mission School, where a European education is given in the Chinese language, and no doubt he will soon be able to have them there.

The great obstacle at present is the want of qualified teachers and the increased expenditure which a change would involve. In the meantime, it is a question deserving his best attention whether it would not be better to concentrate his efforts rather than extend them. One good school in Class III would be worth half a dozen in Class I, as regards both the religious and secular portions of the education; and he has the means of accomplishing that. This, however, is merely a suggestion, and may be taken by him for what it is worth.

27. The London Mission School at Wán-tsai continues to maintain its high position. The master does his work very thoroughly. Out of 50 scholars presented only 6 failed. In reading, writing (from dictation), composition and geography the school is very strong; and, from the accuracy with which the boys explained what they had read, a high estimate could be formed of the master's care- fulness and ability. The T'ai-p'ing Shán school was very unfortunate. At the end of the first six months, the teacher had to be dismissed for neglect of duty. It would be wrong, therefore, to attribute the great falling off to the present master. Of the 47 scholars presented 18 failed. In spite of this, there were sufficient indications of the present teacher's ability to lead to the belief that this year there will be a very different state of affairs. Great and much needed improvements were made in the two school-rooms in the beginning of last year, but the sanitary arrangements still require the Manager's best attention, and modern desks and forms should replace, as soon as possible, the Chinese tables, which occupy by far too much of the present limited space.

28. It is very difficult to define the exact position of St. Saviour's Day School. In consequence of a complete change in the management, a request to have the school examined in the middle of November, instead of at the usual time, was complied with on certain conditions. In consequence of this, the school was deprived of more than a month of its most valuable time. The results now to be stated must, therefore, be viewed in the light of this explanation. Of the 54 scholars found eligible for examination, 33 passed and 21 failed, and, of the 33 who passed, 15 had to depend for their success on their handwriting, which under certain circumstances is allowed to count as one of the subjects of a standard. The school took in all the six standards, but only two scholars were examined in the fifth and one in the sixth. The reading was very good, geography was good, grammar was fair, writing (from dictation) was weak and arithmetic was very weak indeed. It is but justice to the late teacher to add that the partial assistance which he received necessitated his teaching the arithmetic of five of the standards himself, and that a week before the examination one of his assistants was withdrawn.

The new

29. It is gratifying to be able to report that St. Stephen's Church School, which was reported on so unfavourably last year, has succeeded in more than regaining its original position. master had grasped the grant-in-aid scheme fully, as is proved by the fact that out of 49 who were presented only four failed. In two subjects only, writing (from dictation) and composition, was the school inferior to the London Mission School at Wán-tsai. In all other respects St. Stephen's holds at present the first place among the schools of its own Class.

30. Victoria Boy's School, which is the only undenominational school in receipt of a grant-in-aid, presented 29 scholars for examination in the first four standards. There were 11 failures. The school belongs to the same class as St. Saviour's, namely Class IV (Schools in which a European education is given in any European language); and, of the two, it holds the higher place in all respects, with the single exception of reading. The weakest point in the school is arithmetic, to which the attention of all concerned is specially requested. The sums given at these examinations are exceedingly simple, being intended to test the scholars' knowledge of the science rather than their accuracy in the manipulation of an array of figures.