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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, Gтп MARCH, 1869.
not to be deceived by this display; for, in comparison with the other books, the Bible was unsoiled, and evidently only used when the schools happened to be visited. Afterwards, when I was able to examine more minutely into the way in which this part
of the school-work was done, I found that two or three chapters of St. Matthew's Gospel, committed to memory without being understood, was all the progress that had been made or attempted.
47.-At that time nearly all the masters were professing Christians, and yet this was the state of things. Only one of them, the school-master at Tang-lung chau, seemed to take any pains to teach the Bible properly, and during his life-time he never evaded this part of his work. But even he was detected in the misappropriation of Government money, and was re- duced from the first to the second grade of masters, with the loss of half his salary. It was only his previous good conduct, and the comparatively effective discipline of his school, which saved him from dismissal.
A few have died but most have been dismissed and 48. Of the eighteen masters then in the schools three only remain. not without the gravest reason. The remanent three, were long a source of great trouble, and were frequently on the eve of dismissal. Latterly, when they found a determination to insist on their paying attention to their duties, they have begun to exert themselves and their schools are now, comparatively speaking, in a fair condition.
49.-Such then is a short account of the state of the Government Schools in 1862, with the Bible read in every one of them and a Board of Education to superintend them.
50.-This is not meant as casting any imputation on the Board. They did all that could be done under the circumstances in which they were placed, and to them collectively as well as individually, I am under the greatest obligations. At the same time, it is not unreasonable to conclude that if a Board of Education, daily instruction in the Bible, and Christian Masters, (I am obliged to use these terms) effected no more in 1862 than has just been detailed, a new Board of Education, and the re-introduction of the Bible into them all would not transform the schools into model ones in 1869. If Christian masters were so untrustworthy, even in the matter of teaching the Bible it cannot be expected that masters who are not Christians could teach it effectively, or even teach it at all. These so-called Christian masters were a source of continual difficulty and no one has any cause to regret their removal. Their successors are not by any means perfect, but I am not at present speaking of them.
51.-Up to the 1st July, 1865, the schools remained under the superintendence of the Board of Education. At that date, they passed under their present management. The transition was not marked by any radical change. The reading of the Bible was not" abolished." If it is at present read in fewer schools, it is because there are fewer Christian masters to teach it. 52.-If it be asked--what then are these schools? the answer is, they are schools where an attempt is being made to give as good a Chinese education to the village children as the peculiar circumstances of the Colony will admit of. If it be further asked,-what results have been obtained in these seven years? it may be answered, they are these
1° The exposure of a course of the grossest hypocrisy in the teaching of the Bible.
2° The dismissal of lazy, deceitful, and incompetent masters; and sparing no pains to secure as competent successors to them as can under the circumstances be found. Some schools have had as many as four changes of masters.
3° Putting a stop to such practices as falsifying the school-rolls, posting watches, and paying children to sit in the schools on days when they happen to be visited.
4° Introducing some approach to order and discipline; insisting, as far as can be done, on attention to both of person and of school-room; and securing more regular attendance.
cleanliness
5° Commencing in 1864 an annual examination of all the schools, in order to test the masters' diligence and the scholars' progress; and delaying this examination till a few weeks before the Chinese New Year, in order to keep up the attendance as long as possible. Under this heading may be included the distribution of prizes, which has also been one great means of effecting this; nor must increased efforts on the part of the masters be left out of account.
6° The removal of the schools from low, narrow, and unventilated buildings to the best that can be rented in the locality. The building, also, of two commodious and airy school-rooms, at East and West Points, for the accommodation of four of the schools.
7° Making the instruction, such as it is, which is given in the schools as effective as can reasonably be expected, except in a few cases where it is impossible to say whether the master or the people are the more to blame for the prevalent remissness.
8 The establishment and organization of the Central School, and bringing it into its present condition, 53.-It was long before I could assign any reason for the indifference, and in some cases opposition on the part of the people to these free schools. At last, they began to speak plainly, and I was told that they would not accept of even free education of which Christianity formed a part.
54.-I admit that this is only half the truth; else, why do not the numbers increase now, when it is most distinctly understood that the reading of the Bible need form no obstacle, and when it is no longer necessary to have recourse to dissim- ulation in this particular? No one who has not had actual experience of the work can understand the difficulties that have to be encountered in the advancement of education among such a people as we happen to have in this Colony. No sooner is one objection removed than another springs up, and when expectations are just about to be entertained that a school here and another there are at last beginning to prosper, something or other happens to throw them back once more to their original condition. Schools which, a few years ago, were attended by fifty or sixty scholars have now only ten or twelve, and others which were about to be shut up are now well attended and fairly taught.
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55.-It is easy to sympathize with any one who, knowing the state of education at home, would like to see something of the same nature here; but, if after twelve mouths' experience of what Hongkong schools really are, he is of opinion that matters are hopeful, I shall be very glad to hand him over my share of the work. If he should then insist on restoring the Bible to its original place in the schools, this question deserves his most serious consideration:-if so little has been effected by teaching the Chinese as they themselves do and wish, what success is to be expected for another scheme which would include an element to which they are totally opposed? If he would revolutionize the present system, and wish to introduce school- As for such a books on the English model, who is to translate them; and, when translated, how many would read them?
no one proposition as that of making "Half-castes" the "future Teachers in the Chinese Vernacular Schools of Hongkong who knows the Chinese will think of it without a smile. The word "barbarian" on the lip of a Greek contained but an iota of the contempt which the Chinese entertain for such persons.
56. Many things connected with the schools are bad, and no feasible suggestion for their improvement will be disre- garded, but I must demur to calling the whole system immoral. So far is this from being the case that the present state of things, be it what it may, is the result of a determination to put down immorality in such of its aspects as neglect of duty, hypocrisy, falsehood, and deceit. Because the education is secular, it is not, therefore, immoral. Because in the Village Schools it is Confucianism, pure and simple, neither is it immoral. Confucianism may be defective, but its whole tendency is for good. As far as this life is concerned, it is second to no system of morality, ancient or modern; and that there may be no mistake on this point, it may not be out of place to state what Confucianism really is.
57.--Au eminent sinologue engaged in mission work thus described it in April last. Speaking of the Sages and the doctrines they propounded in what is called the golden age of China, Mr. Wylie, of the British and Foreign Bible Society, says:-"Confucius indeed in later times stands forward as the professed continuator and strenuous upholder of their principles. But powerful as are the claims of this great teacher, and wonderful the influence he has exerted in all subsequent ages, the history and present aspect of the nation strongly testify to the insufficiency of his doctrines to satisfy the cravings of human nature. It is but an act of justice to praise him for the purity and excellence of most of his lessons; at the same time it
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