482
1900.
Government and Grant-in-Aid Schools.
CHINESE.
ENGLISH.
PORTUGUESE.
TOTAL.
Schools. Scholars. Schools. Scholars. Schools. Scholars.
Schools. Scholars.
Victoria,
49
2,959
23
3,005
161
76
6,125
Villages of Hongkong, ... 18
Kowloon,
728
1
72
19
800
14
486
ΤΟ
15
556
Total,.......
*{
4,173
25
3,147
161
110
7,481
A comparison between the two years 1890 and 1900 shews a decease of 5 in the number of Chinese Schools and an increase of 62 in the number of scholars in attendance at them. There is an actual decrease under every head except that of the number of scholars in the Hongkong Village Schools. The increase under the latter head is due to the closing of Government Schools in small isolated villages and the opening of Grant-in-Aid Schools in the larger villages. Thus in 1890 there were three schools in Shaukiwan with an enrolment of 147 scholars, in 1900 five schools with an enrolment of 244. The decrease in the number of English Schools in the Hongkong villages is caused by the closing of the Government English Schools at Stanley and Shaukiwan. The decrease in the number of scholars attending Portuguese Schools deserves notice. With 1893 of course 1900 com- pares still worse. There is a decrease under every head except in the number of English Schools and in the number of schools in the villages of Hongkong. In 1892 a number of Government village schools were closed and in the following year the Grant-in-Aid Schools which ultimately took their place had not been opened. The free Chinese Schools in Victoria have been very adversely affected by the general rise in rents. There is a demand for more Chinese Schools in the Kowloon Peninsula and unless it is met by the Managers of Grant-in-Aid Schools it will be the duty of the Government to undertake the work.
The subjoined Table shews the present position of the unaided schools for Chinese (Kai-fong Schools) compared with their position in 1893.
Victoria,
Villages of Hongkong,..
Kowloon,
Total,
Unaided Schools for Chinese.
Schools.
1893.
Scholars.
Schools.
1900.
Scholars.
110
2,039
104
1,934
17
252
7
131
17
305
15
379
144
2,596
126
2,444
The schools in Victoria have maintained their position very well and the only way I can account for the loss under "Villages of Hongkong" is by the increase in Grant-in-Aid Schools there during the last seven years.
In future care should be taken that the Grant-in-Aid Schools do not interfere unduly with these Unaided Schools, and the masters of the latter schools should be encouraged to report cases where their pupils have been attracted from them by the opening of Free Grant-in-Aid Schools.
3. SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.-The average Daily Attendance in 1900 was 4,630. That in Grant- in-Aid Schools alone was 3,871. The corresponding figures for 1899 are 4,418 and 3,683, and for 1890, 5,105 and 3,373.
I cannot find any very clear evidence of attendance having been affected by the report which was current towards the end of May that a child was to be sacrificed to strengthen the foundations of a railway bridge. The scare was only partial and very soon passed away, but not before it culminated
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