Sessional_Paper_1904 — Page 785

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41. Plane Geometry.-Two books of Euclid do not, considering the time spent, represent a great attainment of knowledge of Geometry, although it may serve as an introduction to exact reasoning. The syllabus might with advantage be revised. It would probably suffice to teach certain selected propositions only, while the time so saved might with great advantage be devoted to work with squar- ed paper, that is, shewing graphically the meaning of algebraical formulæ. sort of knowledge is most useful to practical men in many professions. We should (further) like to see the use of four-figure Logarithms taught (not the method of compiling these tables) and if possible some elementary knowledge of the slide rule.

This

42. We suggest the possibility of forming special Mathematical Classes in the Upper School for boys who show a marked taste for the study. But we have not sufficient facts before us to enable us to express an opinion as to whether it would in practice be convenient to do so.

READING.

43. Since last year the Palmerston Readers have been adopted in the Lower and Preparatory Schools. Until Readers written from the point of view of Chinese boys are obtainable, these are perhaps as suitable as any.

it

The

44. Great pains have been taken to teach a correct pronunciation. tendency to slur final consonants, which is mentioned in last year's report, is no longer noticeable. The masters were careful to correct mistakes at once. In VB, the master does not make plain the difference in the vowel sounds of "this" and

+ tease. Chinese masters should note carefully the different sounds of the letter in such words as 'lease' and 'please.' The English sound is soon learned, but curiously there is a tendency to pronounce the sound as r, rion for lion. In a few Divisions the boys do not read loud enough for the rest to hear, but a great improvement is noticeable in this respect also. It is an important point, and one that applies also when boys are questioned individually. If the boy addressed is not perfectly audible throughout his Division, the others will pay no attention to what he reads or what he says and so the teacher's criticism is wasted on them. Or else he has to repeat the boy's mistake for the benefit of the Class. If he has to do so twenty times in an hour, he will have wasted much time and wasted his energy to no purpose. This mistake was particularly noticeable in VIIB. Classes V and IV read clearly and audibly.

45. We are glad to report that the system of teaching boys to read a passage one day, and telling them the meaning of what they read some days later, has been abandoned. The masters now see that the boys understand the general meaning of what they are reading, and a word-for-word translation into dog-Chinese is no longer attempted.

46. It is encouraging to hear from the Normal Master that these new methods have proved popular, and that under them the average attendance has improved.

47. The Upper School was examined by calling on a few boys in each Division to come up and read, and then explain what they had been reading about. Classes IA and B read well and with understanding. In Class II the reading was very fair. Class IIIA was markedly better than the two other Divisions of this Class, the obvious reason being that it is under an Englishman.

THE CHINESE WRITTEN LANGUAGE,

48. The Lower and Preparatory Schools have since last year been furnished with a Chinese Side, organized on the plan of the Mathematical Side in many schools at Home; that is to say, the boys are arranged into Classes without reference to their attainments in other subjects. Though it is too early yet to draw conclusions as to what this new departure will finally achieve, we can say with confidence that the results hitherto seem to be most promising.

49. The recently instituted entrance examination makes it now impossible for a boy to be entirely ignorant of his own language on entering the College. He now goes through a course there, which is mainly intended to enable him to turn to practical use the knowledge of Chinese letters which he brings with him. And it is to be hoped that before long that strange anomaly, the Chinese senior boy ignorant alike of his own language and of English, whom so many previous exam- iners have referred to, will become unknown in the College.