Sessional_Paper_1905 — Page 603

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The numbers in the non-English-speaking Lower School keep up well (see Appendix D. subhead Belilios Public School); but those in the upper classes continue to diminish. The teaching in these upper classes is well up to the average; and I can only conclude that they are not filled, because they are not wanted, except by a small minority of parents, who cannot find elsewhere educa- tional establishments, where their own creed is taught. The school is rapidly tending to become exclusively an Anglo-Chinese School for girls.

Appendix A. shews that the cost to Government of each scholar in this School is very heavy, bring $117.38 per unit of average attendance.

The arrangemant described in paragraph 5 of Mrs. BATEMAN's report below is an experiment, and I am by no means certain whether it should be continued. My object in allowing it was to enable the senior girls to obtain a broader surface of contact with Western civilisation than was possible in the Chinese Division.

The following extracts are from the report of the Headmistress:

"Attendance.-1. The attendance has, on the whole, been very regular, some "pupils, living as far away as Kowloon and Wantsai, having made the full num- "ber-206-while several have only been absent one or two days throughout "the school year.

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Changes in the School.-2. At the beginning of the year a new arrangement "of the Infant Department was made. Till that time, all beginners, no matter "what their age or nationality, were admitted to the Infant School, and one saw "English children of 6 and 7 learning with Chinese of 17 and 18 years of age. "By the new arrangement all the English-speaking infants were formed into a class with Miss WINNIE BATEMAN as their teacher. All the non-English-speaking pupils were placed under the care of Miss ADA BATEMAN with Miss Vanstone to [C assist her. Later a minor change was made by drafting all the Indian boys. "attending the school to form the nucleus of a school for Indians. They occupy

at present one of the class-rooms on the top floor.

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"3. The number of Chinese girls learning English has increased under the present arrangement from 32 to 69. The number entered on the roll for the year being 98.

4. The number of English Infants under Miss WINNIE BATEMAN has also "increased. When the class was formed it numbered 16 and the number on the roll in December was 32. It is certainly easier, as well as more pleasant to "teach pupils all speaking the same language, whether that language be Chinese

or English.

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"5. The two highest classes in the Chinese Division come up every morning "for 2 hours to take lessons in English with Miss BATEMAN's pupils. The girls are shy and awkward when they first come, but they soon overcome this and to "judge by their faces, enjoy their English lessons.

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6. In the Senior Division Class I, representing Standard VII, are young for “such advanced work, their ages averaging 14 years only. But by diligence and "co-operation with my efforts they have overcome many difficulties, and it has "been a great pleasure to work with them. They have all worked very well, and "those who have obtained prizes have done so by gaining a few marks only more "than their less successful classmates.

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"School Grant.-An increase was made in the amount granted by Govern- "ment to the school, and we were thus able to send home an order for several ap- pliances that were badly needed. The rooms, with the new pictures and maps "on the walls, look much brighter, and the lessons, with the pictures to illustrate them, are much more attractive in the eyes of the juniors. There is still a want unsupplied, and that is, suitable readers for those learning to speak English. "The ordinary readers are either altogether too childish in their ideas or else too "advanced in language. It is surprising the long and difficult words that are used "in English children's story books."

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