14
That it has been possible to report such a school in full working order during the last seven months of the year, is due to the liberality and to the broad views of Mr. Ho TUNG. Some time previously Mr. Ho TUNG had offered to build at Kowloon and to present to the Colony a school where instruction in English should be given to scholars of all nationalities. The building was completed about the time that the Committee on Education made its Report. In view of the feeling as to the undesirability of mixed schools alluded to above, and emphasized in that Report, it was felt that to open a new mixed school would be courting failure. And it was finally decided to appeal to the good will of the donor, asking him to change the conditions of his gift, and to allow the school to be one for the children of Europeans exclusively. This he consented to do upon certain conditions for the improvement of Chinese education on the Kowloon side.
I
The following extracts from Mr. JAMES' Report require little comment. have paid several visits to the school since my return to the Colony, and am satis- fied that really good work is being done therein, although the initial difficulties are considerable. Mr. JAMES is fully satisfied with the work done by his Staff. I am pleased to be able to report a considerable increase in the attendance for the first month of the new year.
"The school was formally declared open by His Excellency Major- General Sir W. J. GASCOIGNE, K.C.M.G., Officer Administering the Govern- ment, on April 19th. On the 1st and 2nd of May I conducted an Entrance Examination in order to classify my pupils. On 5th May, regular school work was commenced.
Admissions.
The number of pupils admitted on the first day was 39; 18 more were admitted up to 31st December, thus making the total number of admissions for the year 1902, reach 57.
Attendance.
During this period the school was opened 125 times, and the aggregate attendance amounted to 4,913. This gives an average daily attendance of 39.3. The greatest number present on any one day was 51, and the smallest 14-the latter being accounted for by a typhoon. I give the average daily attendances for the different months:
May,
June,
July,
August, September,(Annual Holidays.)
October,
November,
December,
35.9
34.5
33.9
39.8
45.7 46.3
The above table shows, in spite of the increasing number of admis- sions, a distinct falling-off in attendance on the approach of the hot weather. This, in my opinion, confirms the wisdom of the scheme which fixes the two-hot months-August and September as annual holidays, and allows work to be re-started in comparatively cool weather on 1st October.
Fees,
The following table will show the amount collected in fees during this period:---
May, June,
$154.00
142.00
July,
135.00
October,
155.00
November, December,
169.00
169.00
Total,..
$924.00
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