DROIT
THE HONGKONG
Government Gazette.
Published by Authority.
VICTORIA, SATURDAY, 18TH MARCH, 1871.
Vor. XVII.
No. 11.
No. 45.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
The following Annual Report on the state of the Government Schools in Hongkong for the Year 1870, is published for general information.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 13th March, 1871.
J. GARDINER AUSTIN, Colonial Secretary.
HONGKONG, 28th February, 1871. SIR,I hrve the honour to forward to you the Annual Report on the Schools in this Colony under Government supervision during the year 1870.
2. The state in which these schools are will be best scen by considering them under the following division:-The Central School, The Village Schools supported by Government, and The Schools receiving Grants-in-aid.
3. A reference to the Tables which are subjoined will show that the Central School continues to maintain its ground in point of numbers, the average for the year being a little higher than for any previous year. Apprehensions of a falling off in the attendance may be said to have disappeared. The commercial prosperity of the Colony can hardly fall to a lower ebb than it has been at during the last few years, and, this being so, and the boys looking forward solely to mercantile employment, depression of trade, unless carried to a much further extent than has yet been experienced, can hard- be expected to interfere with the prosperity of the school. It is to be hoped that this is an indica- on of some appreciation of the school for its own sake rather than for any mere money-making for which it may be considered a preparation.
4. The highest attendance was in June, when there were 248 on the roll for the month. The lowest was in January when the number was 208. The average for the year was 237. There is Very little cause for complaint about irregularity. It would be difficult to find, anywhere, a school the size more regularly attended. Sickness is the principal cause of absence, but even that prevails to a very small extent. The only absences which cause annoyance are those necessitated by some amily matter, a marriage or a funeral. In such a case, nothing less than a month is thought suffi
nt, and, sometimes, no persuasion, not even a threat, avails to reduce the period of leave below weeks. Nothing could more clearly show the extraordinarily little value which the Chinese set on time, except, perhaps, what is seen at some of the villages, where many of the children leave Chool at the end of the Tenth Month, because it is then the end of the year. Of recent years, the umber of long absences has been decreasing and this is probably due, in a great measure, to the fact at the school holidays are fixed to suit the two most important Chinese Holidays, those, namely, * the New Year and the Tomb Festival.
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5. The greatest number of absentees was in August, when they amounted to 17; but, of these, 13 were absent from continued illness. The smallest number was in February, when there were 5, of ham 3 were sick. The average number of such absentees for the year was 12 per month. Taking
things into consideration, this number is exceedingly limited.
6. The result of the year's work was, as usual, tested by written examinations in all the classes. paper is set on each subject which the class has been taught during the year and those who get than one third of the total number of marks assigned to the subjects of their class are considered having failed. The total number of such failures in the six English classes was 20, or an average about 3 to cach class. Even this proportion, though small, is not due entirely to idleness, but is, in the majority of cases, from promotion to a higher class but a few months before the exami- Another cause of failure is found in the case of boys other than Chinese. These, knowing at little of Chinese, lose the marks assigned for translation from and into that language.
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