Sessional_Paper_1893 — Page 104

HONGKONG.

REPORT OF THE HEAD MASTER OF THE VICTORIA COLLEGE FOR 1892.

101

No.

8

93

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency

the Governor, on the 8th March, 1893,

No. 17.

VICTORIA COLLEGE, HONGKONG, 8th February, 1893.

SIR,-I have the honour to forward the Annual Report on Victoria College for the year 1892.

1. The total number on the College Roll for the year was 1,062; the greatest number present on one day being 852, (as opposed to 905 in 1891). In spite of this decrease, the attendance continues to be far in excess of the 700 estimated by the late Dr. STEWART in 1881, and of the 770 estimated by myself in 1887 as the probable accommodation required in the new building. The number of school days, 237, shows a gain of a week on last year's statistics, and is the highest figure reached since 1885,

2. The following tables will illustrate the condition of the College during the last five years :--

1888,

1889,

1890,

1891,

1892,

1888,

1889,

1890,

1891,

1892,

YEAR.

Total Number of

Number of

Monthly Enrolment.

Average

Scholars.

School days.

Daily Attendance.

Maximum.

Minimum.

634

229

536

384

467

919

233

789

466

597

1,075

236

890

683

758

1,108

231

932

712

759

1,062

237

862

700

728

Number

Average

YEAR.

of School Boys Examined.

Percentage

School

Actual Nett

Expense of each

of Passes.

Fees.

Expenditure.

Scholar per Average Daily Attendance.

445

94.15

6,899.00

12,384.14

26.48

676

95.41

9,338.00

15,018.20

25.11

692

89.45

11,912.50

19,222,46

25.34

709

90.26

12,257.77

18,158.60

23.92

671

96.12

12,342.00

19,741.43

27.09

3. ATTENDANCE.--As my remarks on this head last year were misunderstood, as relating quite a new experience, I must explain that, though I first drew attention to this point last year, the short school-life of too many of our scholars has always been a matter of regret. Take for example, at random, the year 1885; out of a total number of 596, there were 205 admissions and 210 departures, i.e., roughly speaking, one-third of the scholars was changed, precisely as was the case last year. The natural consequence is that at the end of the year we can only present for examination the remaining two-thirds; which has been the average for the last ten years, as a glance at the figures in paragraph 2 of my Reports will testify. Few boys stay more than a year in the highest class, while owing to the higher education now given in the Second and Third Classes, many boys are able to obtain situations without entering the First Class at all.

4. EDUCATIONAL EMULATION.--Five years ago I uttered a note of warning on this subject. (Gazette, 1888, p. 159., par. 11.). A certain amount of emulation amongst scholars may be healthful, but emulation among masters (even in the same school) is prejudicial to the interests of education. Sympathy and affectionate interest are the mainspring of true education. Schoolmasters are but human; if the results of competitions are the only test of success in education, it cannot but be that the quiet judicious training of each boy will, in the excitement of contest, be sacrificed to the working np of a machine to the highest point of tension. No two schools in the Colony work under the same conditions; I would go further and say that no two years does the same school find itself in a precisely