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13. GOVERNMENT CENTRAL SCHOOL FOR GIRLS.-In spite of the repeated changes that took place in the staff of this School which has had within less than two years of its existence, three successive Headmistresses, and notwithstanding the smallness of the hired School-house and the insuitability of its location, the Girls' Central School has justified its establishment. There can be no doubt now but that the School has supplied a felt, though unexpressed, educational want of Eurasians in the first and of Chinese and Europeans in the second instance. The annual examination showed satisfactory results, such as testified to the efficiency of the teaching given in the School's Upper and Lower Divisions, there being clear evidence of steady progress in the English as well as in the Chinese classes, with the exception of the Arithmetic of the Lower Division. The want of proper accommodation and the absence of a playground are sadly restraining the expansion and proper management of the School, the whole of which is now crowded, while the Lower Division urgently needs subdivision by the formation of an infant class for children under six years. The interest which Lady ROBINSON has taken in this School and the liberal offer of the Honourable E. R. BELILIOS to provide a school-house, promise a bright future for a School which is just emerging from the chrysalis state of a mere experiment but sadly needs wings and free room to expand and prosper in the sunshine of public favour. We have nothing as yet in Hongkong of the so-called "new education" with its kindergartens, form study, hand-and-eye training, manual, industrial, technical and cookery instruction. Nor have we any pressing need for any of these subjects with the exception of the first, the kindergarten. One of the best modern authorities on education, Dr. HARRIS, United States' Commissioner of Education, bas stated it as his conviction, that "without a compulsory law, the period of school influence could only be extended by drawing children into school earlier." That being so, I see under our present local circumstances additional reasons for satisfying the urgent need for an infant division to be added to the Girls' Central School by the establishment of a normal kindergarten than which there is no better means in existence, nor any better adopted for the peculiarities of Hongkong, in order to draw children into school earlier. But FROEBEL'S system of educating the natural activities of child-nature, on the basis of the analogy existing between the development of humanity and that of the individual, is a thing complete in itself and cannot be applied to Hongkong in a half-hearted or partial manner. It must be taken as a whole or left alone. But I trust the Government will courageously take the lead in this respect and introduce, when the time for it is ripe, a genuine kindergarten normal school in Hongkong as a guide for the development of private effort in this direction. I have urged this measure for years upon private educationists, but none have taken it up yet.

14. DEPARTMENTAL DISTRICT SCHOOLS. Among the 34 Departmental District Schools (outside Victoria College and Girls' Central School), there were in the year 1891 six Anglo-Chinese Schools (at Saiyingpun, Wantsai, Wongnaichung, Stanley, Yaumati and Shaukiwan) with a total of 525 scholars, as compared with 510 scholars in 1890, shewing hardly any increase, as the respective School- houses do not admit of any more boys being squeezed in, except perhaps at Wantsai. The Saiyingpun Anglo-Chinese School was moved in the course of the year into the first of those new District School- houses the building of which was resolved upon twelve years ago. Every available seat in the English class rooms of the new building was filled on the day of opening. The demand for additional opportunities for English teaching at Wantsai was so great that it became necessary there also, as at Saiyingpun, to make no more provision for teachers' quarters in these school-houses but to utilize any available space for class rooms. At Shaukiwan, however, the school-house, which had accommodation for 75 scholars, had for several years past a rapidly decreasing attendance, the house being believed by the people to be haunted by evil spirits that caused wasting disease, and by a Sanitary Committee condemned as unhealthy, which is really only another way of expressing the truth underlying that vulgar superstition. The functions of that School, which was closed in September, were virtually taken over by the London Mission, under the Rev. Dr. CHALMERS. The continued unhealthiness of the Stanley Departmental School which has for years past been sadly interfering with the health and lives of the successive alien teachers, without affecting the attendance or health of the indigenous scholars, attracted the attention of the Government and led to the resolution to erect as soon as possible a school-house there in a suitable locality, but whether this will improve the sanitary conditions of the School remains to be seen. The English teaching of these Schools is, on the whole, of a mediocre character and illustrates that sad defect of local education, the absence of a training institution. The remaining 28 Departmental Schools, with 809 scholars receiving a purely Chinese, but classical, education do not call for any remark.

15. GRANT-IN-AID SCHOOLS.-Ten new Grant-in-Aid Schools were started in the year 1891, viz., 1 by the American Board Mission under the Rev. J. R. TAYLOR, 5 by the London Mission under the Rev. Dr. CHALMERS and 3 by the Roman Catholic Mission, under the Lady Superioress of the Italian Convent, and 1 other School (the High School, under Bishop RAIMONDI) took the place of the defunct Hongkong Public School by a mere change of location and management. Three of those new London Mission Schools (at Taikoktsui, Shaukiwan and Praya Central) and those three Schools of the Sisters of the Italian Convent (at Yaumati, Hunghom and Shaukiwan) were principally intended to bring the school-shy children of the boat population under instruction. But the efforts thus energetically made have not as yet met with much success, except perhaps at Shaukiwan where the Italian Sisters and Miss JOHNSTONE of the Female Education Society are beginning to get some educational influence among the girls of the boat population. The London Mission, under the direction