372
English form sums of any number of digits: but the rudimentary principles of English and Chinese arithmetical notation were lying, side by side, in their brain cells, mutually un-amalgamated, because individually unassimilated. What I thus noticed in the case of Arithmetic, Chinese parents no doubt constantly observe in other respects. Hence their discontent.
The peculiar educational problem which Victoria College is, by its very constitution, called upon to solve is not to teach in Hongkong English as it is taught in England, but neither is it to teach English and Chinese side by side (as some worthy people in Hongkong would have it), which practically means to teach as much high class English and mathematics, side by side with as much classical Chinese, as can be stuffed into a boy's brain without manifest over-pressure. The real problem which Victoria College, as an Anglo-Chinese School, has to solve is, how to give Chinese boys an elementary English education in all its branches, the sole object being to teach them English, but so as to help them step by step to transform all English knowledge newly imparted to them into their own Chinese flesh and blood by connecting the former with the inherited and acquired mental possessions of the latter. If I am right in this, then the educative methods and whole organization of the College require a radical reform.
And now that I have for the thirteenth time conducted the annual examination and reported upon this College, I respectfully but urgently solicit Her Majesty's Government to relieve me in future from active connection with this sort of joint examination. For the last fourteen years, the unnatural but assumedly unavoidable combination of the Inspector of School's general test examination (in the interest of the public) and the Headmaster's individual result examination (for the purpose of promotion and prizes in the interest of the scholars) has produced an annually increasing train of perplex harassments crowding in upon me at the very time when the examinations of over six thousand children outside Victoria College tax body and mind most heavily. I have no desire to shirk work or duty. I am prepared at any time to examine and report upon Victoria College, as in the case of any other School included in the Education Department of which I was appointed Head in March, 1878, but I earnestly beg to be relieved from the difficulties inherent in this present anomaly of combining an examination for prize and promotion purposes which properly belongs to the Headmaster alone, with the general test examination of a public educational institution which is the natural duty of the Head of the Education Department whoever he be. The former examination must necessarily be held at the close of the school year, and if the latter were to be undertaken at some other time, say in the middle of the year, neither would then clash with the other as at present.
I subjoin the usual statistics forwarded to me by the Headmaster, representing the detailed results of the joint examination as adjudged by him.
1.-VICTORIA COLLEGE.-NUMBER OF BOYS PASSED IN EACH SUBJECT, 1891.
CLASS.
P. T. S.,
6
6
4
6
I.A.,
12
12 12 12
1.B.,
13
II.A.,
35
35
II.B.,
31
28
III.A.,
37 32
III.B.,
25 23
IV.A
51 49
IV.Bug
30
IV.C.,
· 10 13 8 11 12 9 8 10 35 34 31 32 31 27 29 29 29 13 37 27 16 25 21 48 43 25 29 21 32 29 31 31
24 26 32 28
11
34
****** Total Number Examined.
ବା
co
Total Number Passed.
Reading.
Arithmetic.
Dictation.
English to Chinese.
Chinese to English.
Graminar.
Geography.
Map Drawing.
Composition.
Euclid.
Algebra.
History.
6
5
5
6
9 10 10 12 12
11
12
32
11
7 7
32 34 35
23 19
26
21 25
20 17
31
35 31 28 26
20 23 17
21
24
23
24
45 40 38 44 51
40
V.A.,
50
41 49 36
V.B.,
29
18 29 17
14 18
+3
21 19 7 21 23 22 30 30 26 23 28 24 33 44 45 32 30 22
18 8 14 14 17
20
18
JAA
24
V.C.,
VIA.,
VI.B., VI.C.,
VILA......
VII.B.....
VII.C.,
VIILA.,
VIII.B.,
VIII.C.,
Total,.
Examined in each Subject,
588855388] ¦ | ⠀
མཆིསེ༞།།£
21
30 17
19 17 20 9 21 21 14
53 55 42 42 51 52 48 53 50
26
24 20
24. 24 31 27
21 23
24 26 17
22 24 27 13
23
16
++
26 28 23 21 29 28
25 31 31 20 31 31
35
37 36 23 37 37
Writ-
ing.
29
29 27 24 26
29
26
28 28 22 26
28
50
52
52 52 52 49
640 665 584 530 577 598 427 370243 274 132 134 113 112 39
709 703 709709 | 709709 | 599499 | 340|382 | 153 | 153 | 159 [146* 97
*=28282 ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3
10
5
10 29 34
Latin.
55 General Intelligence.
26
10 12
6 1
6
6
Book-keeping,
Shakespeare.
Theory of Education.
19
7 | 21
18 23
++
58
18 6
91
25 6
* Including 5 from Class LA, Special.
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