Sessional_Paper_1908 — Page 416

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32. The entrance examination which all candidates for admission to the District Schools

have to pass appears to have been made somewhat too easy. In future a fair knowledge of Chinese will be insisted on before boys are admitted.

33. One of the four fre: scholars admitted to Queen's College was selected on the results of the inter District Schools Competitive Examination from this school.

34. A small gymnasium has been started which the boys appear to appreciate very much. It is to be hoped that the services of a qualified gymnastic instructor may be obtained to give a course of instruction in gymnastics and physical drill.

THE DISTRICT SCHOOLS, Lower Grade.

35. Excluding the Vernacular School (ie., the Belilios Public School, Chinese Side) and Tai Po School there has been a decrease in the average attendance. In the case of Len Long the falling off has been so marked that it has been decided to close the school. It is curious that in some of the outlying districts where Government Schools exist the people fail to appreciate the advantages to be derived from them, whereas in others they are clamouring for new schools and are even prepared to offer ancestral halls as school premises.

There are at

36. It is proposed to open a new Anglo-Chinese School at Shaukiwan. present no English Schools in this district which is increasing in population year by year and which is in close touch with the City of Victoria. It is anticipated that the attendance will repay the Government for the outlay incurred in opening this school.

Anglo-Indian School.

37. The sudden death of the headmaster Mr. JEHANGIR Kнan accounts for the slight falling off in the attendance. Under the new headmaster who is well qualified for the it is to be hoped the numbers will rise to at least 40.

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38. The present school premises are most unsuitable. They are badly lighted and very noisy.

Anglo-Chinese Schools, Lower Grade.

39. There are five of these schools. Tanglungchau which is closely connected with Wantsai School, Aberdeen on the south side of the island and Tai Po, Ping Shan and Uen Long in the New Territory. The average attendance has decreased everywhere except at Tai Po and the popularity of these schools which was never very great shews no signs of increasing. At Uen Long School to which reference has already been made the average attendance for the year was only 10 and the cost to the Government per pupil was $126.32.— Uen Long and Ping Shan Schools are within a mile and a half of each other, it is therefore just possible that the attendance at Ping Shan will improve now that Uen Long School is to be closed. Tai Po is increasing in population owing to its proximity to the new Kowloon- Canton Railway. The attendance has slightly improved and will probably continue do so year by year.

VERNACULAR SCHOOLS.

Belilios Public School, Chinese Side.

40. This Girls school which is the only Vernacular Government School in the Colony is very rapidly increasing in numbers. This year the average attendance has risen from 187 to 237 but the main idea that it should be a feeder for the English Division appears to be lost sight of by the parents. Their one object is to give their children a good Vernacular education and then to withdraw them and make them useful in their homes rather than to allow them to continue their education and learn English. The latter study parents apparently consider serves no very useful purpose.

GRANT SCHOOLS.

41. A detailed report on the work done in each school is given in Appendix B. The Annual Grant List shewing the number of standards, the average attendance and grant earned by each school together with further information is given in Table VII.