Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 102

6.

(2)

7. It must be remembered that the children for whose education the estab lishment of a European School is desired are the children of respectable parents who cannot afford to send them home and who, in many cases, are driven by the present system to the abandonment of their education as, in their opinion, the least of two evils.

8. I enclose a copy of the observations of the Inspector of Schools upon the petition. Mr. IRVING roughly calculates the cost of a school such as that pray- ed for at $4,000 a year over and above the fees. This amount is not large. It might be reduced by increasing the fees, but having regard to the exceptional cost of living for Europeans of the class for whom the school is desired, I question if higher fees could be paid without serious inconvenience.

9. A petition on the subject of separate education has also been received from a number of Chinese gentlemen who pray for the establishment of a school where higher fees than those paid at the Queen's College may be charged. They are anxious to avoid the association of their children with the poorer classes at Queen's College and are willing to pay fees sufficient to support the school without cost to the Colony, but they require the assistance of Government so as to secure a proper succession of Masters. I shall address you on this subject in a separate despatch. 10. The present petition I venture to strongly recommend for your favourable consideration.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient, humble Servant,

Enclosure No. 1.

To His Excellency

Sir HENRY BLAKE, G.C,M.G.,

SIR,

Governor, etc., etc.

HENRY A. BLAKE,

Governor.

We, the undersigned residents in Hongkong, beg to call your Excellency's attention to the following facts with regard to Education in Hongkong, in the hope that means may be found for the provision of Education for the European children in the Colony, better than exist at present.

1. The need of suitable Elucation for European children in the Colony is now very great. The European population is steadily increasing. The number of European children in the Colony between the ages of 5 to 16 (inclusive), as shown by the recent Census, is 175 males and 202 females. Of these a very large proportion are the children of parents of small means, including many em- ployés of the Government, who cannot afford either a private education, or to send their children to Europe for schooling. To these a school in the Colony where a suitable education can be obtained is an absolute necessity.

2. At present no suitable education for European children, other than Por- tuguese, is provided in the Colony. This statement may seem at first somewhat surprising in view of the number of schools maintained or assisted by the