Sessional_Paper_1904 — Page 176

13

No. 1004

HONGKONG.

ROPORT ON THE QUEEN'S COLLEGE, FOR THE YEAR 1903.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command, of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.

No. 7.

QUEEN'S COLLEGE, HONGKONG, 28th January, 1904.

SIR,I have the honour to present the Annual Report on Queen's College for the year 1903.

2. The total number on the Roll was 1,453 and the Average Daily Attendance 940, figures differing but slightly from those of the previous year. Though the attendance in seven months of the year exceeded that of the corresponding months in 1902, there is a small diminution ($200) in the revenue derived from Fees, which item would have shown an excess of about $800, had it not been for the closing of the Hall during the first five months of the year, owing to necessary repairs of the roof. The five extra schooldays are accounted for by the special holi- days in 1902 connected with His Majesty's Corouation.

3. Mr. A. J. MAY went on leave on the 3rd April and Mr. E. RALPIs has been an efficient Acting Second Master during his absence. Mr. DEALY was absent on leave throughout the year. Mr. HOLLIS arrived in February, but resigned on 31st May on leaving the colony. Mr. R. J. BIRBECK, B.A., Trinity College, Cambridge, was appointed in his place, arriving 20th September, and proving an energetic and successful teacher of English. Messrs. Lo PUN-FAI and FUNG HÓ-CHEUNG, 8th and 9th Chinese Assistants, having obtained appointments at Tientsin University as teachers of English subjects, resigned on 10th April; as also on 31st October did Mr. LAI CHAN-PONG on being appointed Translator to the Canton-Hankow railway. All three gentlemen had been conspicuously excellent teachers and I was sorry to lose their services. Promotions and appointments were made to fill the vacancies thus caused.

4. As reported at the time to the Governinent, the non-Chinese classes were abolished by me last February, owing to the diminution in numbers not justifying me in the assignment of two English Masters for their behoof. The boys were thereupon scattered among classes I-IV, being allotted to those sections that are under the charge of English Masters. The year's experience has shown that by far the majority of them has suffered by their return to mixed classes, as is testified by their position, obtained after competition, in the various class lists. As a compen- sation for the two Translation subjects, non-Chinese boys in classes I-IV offer Physiology and Natural Science as extra subjects; while in the remaining classes the total marks actually obtained by each non-Chinese boy are increased pro-ratâ by an average calculated on the total number of subjects offered by the class.

5. Monday, the 25th May, was observed by order of His Excellency the Gov- ernor as a holiday, in loving memory of Her late Majesty Queen VICTORIA. On Saturday, the 23rd, occasion was taken to explain to every class the reason of the holiday; and by aid of maps practical demonstration was given of the expansion of the British Empire during the Victorian epoch. It did not appear convenient or advisable to assemble 1,000 boys, who live at all distances (up to two, three and even six miles) from school, to listen to the lecture on the holiday itself, especially in view of the damp hot weather usually prevalent in the month of May. I propose therefore to make a practice of annually addressing the boys on the subject of the British Empire, on the school day immediately preceding Victoria Day, which has now been gazetted as an Annual Public Holiday.