THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 27TH FEBRUARY, 1875.
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European education during four hours every day, as required by the scheme. After school hours, they are trained in all the branches of Chinese domestic economy, including spinning, sewing, knitting, weaving and cooking. No foreign language is taught. The girls are simply educated for the proper discharge of their duties as wives and mothers in the humble homes from which they come, and to which they return on leaving school. Few institutions carry out their aim more effectually and less ostentatiously than the Basel Mission Girls' School.
22. There were 62 scholars in the school last year, and the average daily attendance for that period was 50. On the examination day 42 were presented, in Standards ranging from I to V inclu- sive. Out of the number only five failed. The thorough manner in which the work is done may be judged from the following figures. In reading there were no failures, and in writing (from dictation) only one. In arithmetic there were thirteen failures. Twenty were examined in geography and none failed. History, in Standard V, was not taken, and had to be considered a failure, the Manager not having sufficient confidence in the way in which it had been taught.
23. The results attained in this school are due to the strong teaching power which is employed. In addition to the Chinese Master and his assistant, the Revd. Mr. LOERCHER and Mrs. LOERCHER have their daily duties as teachers during all school hours. It is to them that the school owes its place in the class to which it belongs, and without their superintendence, the present high standard of education and discipline could never have been reached.
24. The Victoria Boys' School, having had an average daily attendance of 36, was admitted last year to participation in the grant. Twenty-four were eligible for examination, and, of these, twenty passed. As the school has been but a short time in existence, the Third was the highest Standard reached. In reading, there was but one failure; in writing, (from dictation), seven; and, in arith- metic, twelve. The nine presented in Standard III all passed in gramınar.
25. The examination showed that there had been much painstaking bestowed on the teaching. There are few English boys in the school, and English is therefore a foreign language to most of the scholars. This makes the result of the year's work all the more creditable. The greatest difficulty the school has to contend with is irregularity of attendance. If the parents of the boys would insist on more regular attendance, the character of the school would rise in proportion to the benefit their children derive from it. It is unfair that a school should be impeded by an obstacle so easily removable. This point deserves the Manager's most careful attention.
26. The same remark applies to St. Saviour's Day School, where out of 115 present during the year, and with an average daily attendance of 68, only 44 qualified themselves by attendance for exa- mination. The Manager reports that many of the children are very poor, and no doubt that is a great obstacle to regularity; but, seeing that the education is free, and that only 200 attendances a year are required, the difficulties in the way would be fewer if parents were more careful. Irregularity, however, is not confined to the children of the very poor, and, in such a case, it is inexcusable. Parents should think of the energy which the teachers are expending in vain, from the want of a little more firmness in the treatment of their children. It is very discouraging to the teachers of such a large school as this is to have the standard of their qualifications judged by so small a percentage of
their labour.
27. The 44 who were examined were ranked from Standard V downwards, the great proportion being in the three lower standards. Eight scholars failed. In reading, grammar and geography, there were no failures; in writing (from dictation) there were 14, and in arithmetic 17. In this school, also, English is a foreign language to the great majority of the boys. The difficulties are therefore great enough without their being added to by irregular attendance.
28. The London Mission Schools at Wán-tsai and T'ái-p'ing Shán had a large increase in numbers, 50 more being enrolled in 1873 than in 1874. These two schools are admirably conducted, the only question about them being whether the masters are not overtaxing their strength by teaching so many. The Manager has the matter under consideration, and probably the number will be limited in future to about 60 each, to the benefit both of schools and of scholars.
29. Although more scholars were presented for examination at T'ái-p'ing Shán than at Wán-tsai, the latter is a far superior school to the former, and consequently gained a larger share of the grant. This is not owing to any inferiority in the T'ái-p'ing Shán master, who is perhaps more experienced than the one at Wán-tsai; but, mentally and physically, the scholars at the latter place are superior to those at T'ai-p'ing Shán. There is an air of vigour and comfort among the boys of Wán-tsai, while the effects of pinching poverty and neglect are but too visible among those of T'ái-p'ing Shán.
30. From these two schools 122 were sent up for examination. Of these, 28 failed. The fact that at neither school was any scholar examined in Standard I shows how well the schools are taught. At Wán-tsai two scholars were examined in Standard VI and both passed. The highest Standard at Tái-p'ing Shán was the Fifth. Three were examined in it, but two of them failed. The failures in separate subjects, were:-in reading, 11; in writing, (from dictation), 20; in repetition, 8; in explan- ation, 11; in composition, 9; and in geography, 7.
31. St. Stephen's Church School had a very unfortunate change of master in the month of Sep- tember. After his appointment, the school fell off in every way. He entirely neglected his duty. The school had 97 scholars during the year, and the average daily attendance was 68. Only 38 had
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