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Either they can send their children home to be educated; or they can avail them- selves of the existing schools; or they can let their children grow up with- out instruction. As regards the first alternative, it is simply out of the question on the score of expense in most cases, the expense not only of sending thei home but of the maintenance of two establishments out of one income. But in the few cases where they can be so sent home, they are probably lost to the Colony it is at least as likely as not they will never return. The second alter- native before them is to send their children to Queen's College or some other of the local schools. Apart from the educational question, and speaking of the climate, there seems no particular reason why children should not grow up in Hongkong. And it is hard to exaggerate the value to the Colony and the Empire's Far- Eastern interests which there would be in a thoroughly acclimatised, technically trained, well educated nucleus of mechanicians and engineers, who having lost nothing of the natural characteristics alded thereto a knowledge of the Chinese language (such as they could hardly fail to pick up) and a full understanding of Chinese methods of business. At present this dream is unrealisable in part. One of two characteristics must be absent: the education must go or the character must suffer, though probably the requisite education is not attainable by any exist- ing means.

The character must suffer. I bave the greatest respect for the many good qualities of the Chinese, and feel that I can say without offence, that I should strongly object to send children of my own to attend a mixed school. The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Victoria, who was for 20 years (I believe) Head of a Chinese Missionary College in Ning Po, and should know, if anyone does, is a' signatory of the Petition, para. 2 of which expresses my meaning very clearly,

So universally is this opinion held that the second alternative is in practice bardly an alternative at all. The children are brought up, or allowed to grow up, ignorant. Their sons will be more ignorant still. When we might have had a strong full-blooded British community born to the soil, to carry on our commerce against American, German, and French competition in the Far East, we are lay- ing up for ourselves an unlearned, unskilful, unpatriotic generation of "mean whites" to be the standing disgrace of the Colony.

C.-Assuming the school to be unobjectionable and necessary, it remains to consider what its nature should be. The Petition asks for both Primary and Secondary Education. The necessity for the latter must be conceded if my view of the matter is a correct one, and it should be carefully arranged to suit the prac- tical requirements of the Colony.

What the cost to the Colony would be can hardly be estimated at present.

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There would be considerable difficulty in finding a site. Unless it develops into a success, perhaps the Belilios Reformatory might be adapted to this use.

EDWARD A. IRVING, Inspector of Schools,

P.S.-I should add that I am in agreement with those points raised in the Petition to which I have not alluded except the matter of religious instruction. I hold that if this is given at all it should be before or after school hours.