Sessional_Paper_1903 — Page 540

No. 1903

39

HONGKONG.

CORRESPONDENCE ARISING OUT OF THE REPORT OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE (1902).

(In continuation of Sessional Paper No. 14 of 1902).

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governar,

No. 1.

The Officer Administering the Government to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

[No. 177.]

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 6th May, 1902.

of 24/9/00.

SIR,-With reference to the despatches noted in the margin, regarding the 1.0.0.0.315 staff and organisation of Queen's College and the general educational system of the 2. Gov. 8 of Colony, I have the honour to transmit for your consideration the enclosed six copies of the Report of a Committee appointed by Sir HENRY BLAKE towards the close of last year to enquire into the question of local education.

9/1/01. of 10/1/01.

3. C.O.D. 15 of

4. C.Ó.D. 65 of 28/2/01.

of 5/7/01.

6.

Gov. 258 of 16/7/01, of 23/8/01.

7. Gov. 324

2. The members of this Committee were the Bishop of Victoria, the Registrar 5. C.O.D. 225 General, the Inspector of Schools and Dr. Ho KAI. The Bishop of Victoria sent in his resignation before the Committee had completed its investigations or draftel its final recommendations, and his name does not, therefore, appear among the signatories to this Report. On this subject I shall address you in a separate des- & G07, 3.13 patch.t

of 3/9/01. 9. Gov. 357 of 10/9/01. 3. The Committee spent more than six months over their deliberations, and 10. Gov. 366

of 13/9/01. numerous witnesses were summoned to give evidence as to the working of the 11. Gor. 368 existing systems of education. The Report, therefore, is based on a solid founda- of 16/9/01. tion, and is the result of careful investigation. It has been written, however, not of 24/9/01. so much with the intention of explaining the present system of education, as with 13. C.Ó.D.

408 of 6/12/- that of laying before Government a carefully considered scheme for improvement. 01.

14. C.O.Tel.

12. Gov.,380

416 of 13/12/-

of 28/1/02.

4. After describing, in Part I, the existing schools of the Colony, including of 13/12/01. Queen's College, the Report proceeds to consider the different classes of children 15 C.O.D. for whom it is desirable that education should be provided, and the kind of educa. 01. tion appropriate to each class. Part II attempts to set up a standard by which 16. Gov. 41 the deficiencies of the existing schools are measured, and the difficulties consequent upon the exceptionally large intermixture of races are carefully examined. Female education is also dealt with in this section. In Part III the schools of the Colony are criticised class by class, and detailed improvements are suggested. Part 1V is occupied with the additions needed to complete or rather regenerate the present system, and deals with the necessity of providing schools for British subjects of European parentage, a school for the children of the richer Chinese, and educa- tional facilities in the New Territory. Part V estimates the cost of the proposed changes, and Part VI deals with miscellaneous questions regarding normal schools and the distribution of expenditure.

5. I do not propose to enter at length into a detailed examination of the Com- mitree's recommendations. Two of their number-the Bishop of Victoria and the Inspector of Schools-have already left for England, and will very shortly be followed by the Registrar General. As all the members of the Committee, there- fore, with the exception of one, will be in England at the same time, and will be able to enter into any detailed explanations which you may desire with regard to the principles which guided them in the preparation of their able and interesting Report, it would be superfluous for me to offer a minute criticis:n or elucidation of details.

6. I am glad, however, to have an opportunity of recording my entire appro- val of the principle of creating British schools for the education of children of European parentage. Before assuming the post of Officer Administering the Gov- ernment, I had already expressed my approval of this principle, in connection with the Petition for the establishment of a British School, transmitted to you in Sir HENRY BLAKE's despatch No. 343 of the 3rd September last. It was with much satisfaction that I received, in your despatch No. 408 of the 6th December, an expression of your approval of the request in that Petition and I shall address you in a separate despatch on the subject of the steps which have been taken to

it into effect.

carry

* Sessional Paper No. 14 of 1902.

† No. 180 of 8th May, 1902.

No. 179 of 8th May, 1902.

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