Sessional_Paper_1932 — Page 88

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Paragraph 15.--To lay down one hard and fast rule for the different categories of Government schools does not appeal to Government. It prefers to leave the arrangement and supervision of school time-tables to the Director of Education and his Inspectors, by whom all teachers' time-tables have to be passed.

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Paragraphs 16-18.-These far reaching proposals have received the anxious consideration of the Government. The unsuitability of the present Queen's College building has long been recognized, but the Government is far from satisfied that the proposals of the Commissioners represent the best possible solution of a difficult educational problem, which involves consideration of the facilities available in the eastern end of Victoria and in Kowloon. At present a different, but almost equally far reaching scheme affecting more than one Government school and involving the sale of the site of Queen's College, is under consideration,

Paragraphs 19-20.-Victoria British School is to be closed at the end of the year. It is proposed to use the building as a technical school as recommended by the Com- mittee on Technical Education.

Paragraph 21.-The question of Chinese studies at the University, with which is bound up the future policy regarding the Vernacular Middle School and regarding Chinese as a compulsory subject in the Senior Local and Matriculation examinations, is at present being investigated by a special Committee. Until this Committee has reported it is not proposed to take any action.

Paragraph 22.-The fees chargeable for this service have been revised and the net cost of this work is now estimated at $9,555 per annum. Government hopes for an extension, as soon as funds permit, rather than a cessation. The recommendation of

the Commissioners seems to be based on the fallacious assumption "once healthy always healthy". The Director of Medical and Sanitary Services is in close touch with the Medical Officers of Schools who are under his direct control.

Paragraph 23.-The arrangement of the leave programme of his staff must for the most part be left to the head of the department, as recommended by the Commissioners in paragraph 5 of their report on the Colonial Secretary's Office. The Director of Education will no doubt bear the recommendations of the Commissioners in mind.

Paragraphs 24-26.-The system referred to in this paragraph was reluctantly ac- cepted by Government, as it was impossible to obtain a sufficient number of trained teachers in any other way. It is hoped that when it is again necessary to recruit there will not be such a dearth of trained teachers willing to come to Hong Kong.

Paragraph 27.-This matter has already been under consideration by the Secretary of State who has ruled that the marriage of such officers is a necessary incidence of their employment.

Paragraph 28.--Seniority is one of the factors to be taken into account when the filling of the higher posts is being considered; qualifications and merit are other con- siderations. A balance has to be struck between the three, and this balance the Government endeavours to achieve in its selection. There is no such post as Senior Mistress, Central British School.

Paragraphs 29-33.-There is in Hong Kong a large number of private unaided vernacular schools; it is the teachers of these schools that the Technical Institute teachers' classes are intended to, and do, benefit. These teachers are poor; their pay may be as low as $20 per month. They cannot afford a University course nor would the majority be able to give up their working day to attend a Training College. To abolish the Technical Institute teachers' classes would be to deprive this class of person of the only opportunity it has of improving itself, and indirectly it would affect some thousands of school children. From the taxpayers' point of view the classes are remarkably cheap; 262 (nine being Government teachers) adult Chinese were in 1930 given instruction at a cost of $9,697,. i.e., only $37 per head. The statement that no actual practice in teach- ing is given is incorrect. Whilst admitting that the system whereby Government has to pay the cost of training its Chinese University graduate teachers is not ideal, Govern- ment, after considering the matter carefully on more than one occasion, is satisfied that.