Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 490

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DISTRICT SCHOOLS.

78. It will be sufficient if two English Masters are engaged for the Anglo- Chinese District Schools (see section 44). Their pay should be that given to the Junior Assistant Masters at Queen's College, namely $1,800 rising to $2,400. This with compensation will entail an average annual expenditure of $6,300.

79. The salaries of the 6 Chinese Masters in the Anglo-Chinese Schools should be raised to the level of the Chinese Masters at Queen's College, with an average of $810 per annum, or a total of $4,860. Their present salaries and bonuses amount to about $2,600, making a net increase on this account of $2,260.

80. In accordance with the recommendations embodied below under the heading Fees, a small fee should be charged in the Anglo-Chinese Schools.

At the very low figure of 50 cents a month, $1,800 per annum may safely be counted

upon.

The actual increase to the cost of the District Schools will thus be :-

To salaries of English masters,

To increased salaries of Chinese masters, .

By fees,...

Net increased cost,

.$6,300

2,260

$8,560

1,800

$6,760

GRANT SCHOOLS.

81. In 1901, an average attendance of 836.39 scholars in English Schools earned $6,983 being an average Grant of $8.22 for each scholar. The Grant earned by 435 scholars in average attendance at the Anglo-Chinese Schools was $2,822 or an average of $6.48. The maximum Grant recommended for each class of school has been fixed at $18; but as this will only be given where all the circumstances of a school combine to raise it to a very high order of merit, it will be safe to estimate the average Grant earned at $15.

The number of scholars earning the Grant may be regarded as unchanged in the English Schools, namely, as 836. But owing to the inefficient nature of a number of the Anglo-Chinese Schools, it may be considered certain that some of them will fail to reach the standard required by an amended Code; and it is unlikely that the number of scholars will rise above 250 for some years.

82. The net increased cost in the Anglo-Chinese Grant Schools is thus obtained:-

To 836 scholars in English Schools @ $15,

Less present Grant to English Schools,

$12,540 6,983

-$5,557

To 250 Scholars in Anglo-Chinese Schools @ $15...$ 3,750 Less present Grant to Anglo-Chinese Schools,

Net increased cost,

2,822

-$ 928

$ 6,485

83. The sole increase under Vernacular Schools is that recommended in section 55. The effect of this will be to double the sum now paid as Grants to schools occupying leased premises, increasing it by $2,000.