Sessional_Paper_1907 — Page 920

524

Scripture. The following extracts are from the report of the Reverend.F. T. Jons-

SON :-

"On Tuesday, February 5th, 1907, I visited the Kowloon British School and examined the children in Holy Scripture. For the purposes of the examination the school was divide 1 into three Classes, the highest of which alone was examined by a written paper, the other two being examined viva voce.” In the highest class, of ten girls, the answering was good and on the whole very even, one girl, whose papers were distinctly better than those of any other, obtained the creditable percentage of 89% while the lowest percentage obtained was 63%. The only criticism that I wish to make is that the children seemed to find it a labour to transfer their thoughts to paper.......... Twelve questions were set and though in my opinion ample time was given for the answering of them all, I found it advisable to offer full marks for the correct answering of any ten. In the second division the answering was very good indeed except in the case of one or two children who have not been long at the School. As regards their repetition they were practically word-perfect, and they displayed a thorough familiarity with the principal stories from the Books of Joshua and Judges. I was particularly pleased with the intelligent and thoughtful answering of some of the children in this Division. In the lowest Class the repetition was excellent and the children appear- ed to have a thorough grasp of what they had been taught from Genesis and of the main events of Our Lord's life. To sum up: I am extremely pleased with the results of the examination, they reflect great credit upon both teachers and children, and it is impossible to be sufficiently thankful for the excellent grounding in the text of Holy Scripture given to the children in this School."

No. 2.-Victoria British School.

Staff.-W. H. WILLIAMS, F.R.G.S., Mrs. E. WILKINSON and Mrs. L. MORRIS.

Discipline and Organization. The discipline is very good. The organization is also satisfactory with this exception, that the work of the Upper School (which is taught by Mr. WILLAMS) is hampered by the presence of two girls who are an obstacle to the proper working of the syllabus. Girls should not in future be allowed in the Upper School.

Sanitation.—The dust caused by the cement floor which has become pulverised makes it very difficult to keep the place clean. Wooden floors are badly wanted. The insanitary surroundings of the School have been a cause of sickness. These disadvantages are being remedied.

Floor Space.-Sufficient for 182 pupils.

Apparatus.---Very satisfactory.

English-Kealing.--Good. The elocution and pronunciation of the younger pupils is quite satisfactory. Writing.-Handwriting in the Lower Classes is very good. It has improved in the Upper School, where however, it is still by no means all it should be. Much still remains to be done in making the pupils shew up neat work. The matter of the compositions is good: spelling however is still rather weak.

Geography.Good. The strongest subject in the Upper School.

History.-None is taught in the Lower School. It appears to me that it would be desirable to give those Classes some insight into Greek and Roman History by means of short biographies in the way that has so successfully been followed at Kowloon School. In the Upper School a manual of Constitutional History is read. This does not seem a profitable study for pupils who do not bring to it any previously acquired knowledge of the subject. The school sent in essays for the Empire Day Challenge Cup and Prize inter-all Primary Schools of the Empire," and received lionourable mention. The subject was the growth of the British Empire.

Mathematics-Arithmetic.-Good progress is being made throughout the Lower School: the top Class did very well. The work in the Upper School is very weak, and very untidy. Approximate methods are very well in their place; but at examination nearly the whole Upper School worked out a Compound Multiplication sum on the assumption that odd pounds and shillings in a large total were inconsiderable trifles.