Sessional_Paper_1917 — Page 61

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No. 1917

11

HONGKONG.

REPORT OF A COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO ENQUIRE INTO THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS,

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, 2nd August, 1917.

I.

Appointments and Terms of Reference." His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint a Committee to enquire into the teaching of the English language "to Chinese boys in Government Schools, and to examine the question whether by a "reduction in the number of other subjects more time can be devoted to such teaching.

The following have been appointed Members of the Committee:-

The Director of Education, Chairman.

The Hon. Mr. PERCY HOBSON HOLYOAK,

The Hon. Mr. LAU CHU-PAK.

Mr. GEORGE PIERCY.

Mr. WILFRED JOHN HINTON,

Mr. FRANK MACDONALD HOLMAN HOLMAN.

Mr. RICHARD ARTHUR BRABAZON PONSONBY-FANE.

Mr. EDWIN RALPIIS, Secretary.'

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(Government Gazette Notification No. 158 of the 14th April, 1917, as amended by Notification No. 177 of the 27th April, 1917.)

II.

We

Meetings. The undersigned met eleven times, and visited the following schools: Queen's College, Ellis Kadoorie School, Saiyingpun School, and Wantsai School. also visited St. Joseph's College for purpose of comparison.

III.

Descriptions of Schools. We find that the following are the only Government Schools of any importance which are concerned with the teaching of English to Chinese boys-Queen's College; and Ellis Kadoorie, Saiyingpun, Yaumati and Wantsai District Schools. These four Schools and the Lower School at Queen's College are very similar. They admit boys subject to a certain prescribed knowledge of Chinese and to certain rules as to age, and give them a five years' course-in the case of Queen's College, a four years' course--in English Subjects, Arithmetic, and Chinese. The Upper School at Queen's College next takes up their education. Here they can follow a Full Course leading to the Matriculation Examination of the Hongkong University, or they can take the Commercial Course which leads up to the University's Senior Local Examination.