Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 483

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The propriety of aiding schools where the admission is restricted was recognized by the Government, when it consented to establish the British School and to assist the Chinese High School (See Appendix A).

The ruling against Adventure Schools, such as many of the Vernacular Schools are, has in practice never been enforced, and there appears to be no reason why it should be, so long as they are efficient and meet a real want.

It is therefore recommended that Private Schools and Adventure Schools shall not as such be excluded from the benefits of the Code.

46. Grants should be made to three classes of schools :-

1. English Schools, giving an education to Europeans and other non-

Chinese;

2. Anglo-Chinese Schools;

3. Vernacular Schools.

Under the present Code the first two classes are amalgamated, with unfortunate results. The principle that European children should not be hampered by Chinese class-mates was laid down in Part II, when the needs of British and Portuguese children were considered. The existing Grant Schools where English is taught will have to elect whether they will become English Grant Schools or Anglo- Chinese Grant Schools. As a matter of fact, all the existing schools fall naturally into one or other category, except the Diocesan Boy School, where in 1900 there were 80 Europeans and Eurasians and 106 Chinese. Two courses remain open to this school, to refuse admittance to one or other class of boys, or to forin an English side and an Anglo-Chinese side, each properly equipped.

A somewhat meaningless division is made of the Vernacular Schools into schools in which a "Chinese education" or a "European education " is given in

"is the Chinese language. This classification is ignored throughout the Report.

ENGLISI GRANT SCHOOLS.

47. The following suggestions are made for their improvement:-

(1.) The proportion of teachers to scholars should not be less than

one to forty, reckoning by the average attendance.

(2.) The proportion of Chinese scholars to non-Chinese should not exceed ten per cent. reckoning by the average attendance. (3.) The great importance of physical training should be recognized.

48. The maximum Grant obtainable should be $18 for each scholar, reckon- ing by the average attendance.

The Grant earned last year in this class of schools amounted on an average to $8.22, reckoning by the average attendance. The present Grant was fixed at a time when the gold value of the dollar was far higher than it is at present, and its purchasing power far greater; and the Committee feel that it is hopeless to expect Managers to incur further expenditure, by engaging more teachers and generally by improving the efficiency of their schools, on the present inadequate remuneration.

It is intended that the Grant of $18 shall include all separate Grants, and that it shall be possible only for schools of the highest efficiency to earn it.

ANGLO-CHINESE GRANT SCHOOLS.

49. The services of an English master should be secured for every Anglo- Chinese School in the following manner:-

No school should be considered efficient unless instruction is given and supervision exercised by a qualified English master for one and a half hours daily for every fifty boys in average attendance. The English master should speak and read Chinese.

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