Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 104

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European boys in the examinations at such schools does not militate, as it might at first sight seem to do, against this statement; for the Chinese boys have undoubted ability, and, moreover, they far outnumber the English boys, and are of much more advanced age than their European class-mates. The methods of education, moreover, have to be adapted to the instruction of the Chinese, and many an English boy is of necessity kept back whilst instruction is laboriously imparted to those who have a very inferior knowledge of the medium of instruc- tion. The above remarks apply also to the so-called "Foreign Classes" in the Queen's College, where Europeans and non-Chinese Asiatics are mixed. (1)

As regards the formation of character, it is not easy to write without the risk of giving offence to our Chinese neighbours. It is not our wish to do this, for we gladly recognise the worth, and high character, of inany of our Chinese fellow-residents in the Colony. But the Chinese boys in the schools are numbered by thousands, large numbers of whom, be it noticed, come from the mainland, and are in no way connected with the Colony; and the ordinary standards of truth, honour, and morality amongst the masses of the Chinese people undeniably differ very widely from our European standards. Chinese children are fully conversant with many matters which are purposely kept from the knowledge of European children. Constant contact with Chinese, both in class-room and play-ground(*) must affect the formation of the character of the European boy; more especially as the average age of the European boy is much below that of the Chinese, and the younger are always apt to follow the older. It is a note- worthy fact that some of our most respected Chinese fellow-residents have recently started a school for their own children, because they do not think it desirable that they should be thrown into constant contact with the boys in the Queen's College. What is not desirable for Chinese boys in this respect is not desirable for Europeans; but the Europeans who have to send their children to the existing mixed schools, have not the wealth to enable them to imitate the Chinese in this matter of starting a school for themselves.

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3. "Perhaps," said Mr. STEWART in his Report for 1870, "the greatest educational want in Hongkong is that of a school or schools for European and American children of both sexes.

The school need not be a free one. After the preliminary expenses of site and building, with which the Government might fairly charge itself, the fees would go far to make the school self-supporting Under whatever regulations it might ultimately be placed, such a school is very much wanted, and it is a matter of astonishment that parents have not long ago made a strenuous movement in this direction."(3) If the want existed in 1870, much more does it exist in 1901, when the number of European children has greatly increased. Efforts have been made to meet the want, notably in the case of the Hongkong Public School," which was commenced in 1880. This school was started by an influential committee; it had the advantage of good school-rooms provided free of rent in St. Paul's College; but it failed. The chief reasons of its failure were as follows:-First, The Government Grant-in- aid being calculated for schools with large numbers of Chinese pupils and with Chinese teachers, was wholly inadequate to help a school with a smaller number of pupils and with European teachers: Secondly, The fees that could be charged were necessarily low. For these two reasons it was necessary to raise a large annual subscription in the Colony for the support of the school. Then, in the third place, it was a matter of very great difficulty for the managers, who of

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(1) A young English boy who goes to the Queen's College and is placed in a low class is compelled to sit idle under a Chinesc assistant, who teaches his Chinese pupils, in the Chinese language. Could any plan be devised more calculated to render a boy listless and inattentive throughout the rest of his school course?

(2) A senior master in the Queen's College stated that he sent his son to be taught there, but always took good care to keep his son in his own room away from the Chinese boys during the mid-day recess. It is a noteworthy fact that the European masters in these mixed schools hare, without exception, sent their own children elsewhere for education.

(3) "Dates and Events," p. 18.