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(D) School for Refugee Children.

62. Considerable anxiety was felt for the welfare of the many children who had come to Hong Kong from Shanghai at the loss of all educational facilities at a formative period of their lives. A few were enrolled in Hong Kong schools but naturally there was no room for the majority.

63. During the month of September therefore Mr. Pardoe, a member of the staff of the Lester Technical Institute, Shanghai, was asked to organize a school for children resident in Kowloon. He approached several of the lady teachers of the Shanghai Municipal Council who willingly co-operated with him. The School was opened on 22nd September on the premises of the Union Church, Jordan Road, kindly lent by the Rev. Mr. J. D. MacLean and classes were held in the morning for the children from Lai Chi Kok Centre and in the afternoon for children living in private premises. At the same time a kindergarten class was opened at Lai Chi Kok for those who were too young to travel by bus--this class was equipped by the Ladies Welfare Committee.

64. The premises at the Union Church were however inadequate and after about two weeks the school moved to the old Kowloon Magistracy Building. It was then possible to accommodate both groups of scholars at the same time. There were then about 200 pupils in attendance but by the end of October, when on the return of the lady teachers to Shanghai the school was temporarily closed, the numbers had fallen to between 160 and 170. The ages of the pupils ranged from six to eighteen and were divided into seven classes, the top form being composed of children who hoped to sit for their Cambridge Matriculation Examination in December.

65. A fee of $3 was charged for the first child in each family and $1 for every additional child, to cover the cost of stationery, school supplies, servants' wages, etc. The children from Lai Chi Kok, however, paid no fees. Very little had to be spent on text-books as these were kindly lent by the Headmistress of the Diocesan Girls' School and by Mother Ida of the Italian Convent. A very fine piece of work was done by Miss G. W. Meech, who was in charge after Mr. Pardoe left, and her fellow teachers of the Shanghai Municipal Council Schools.

66. Mrs. M. J. Lambert kindly undertook to carry on the school and after a short break classes were resumed on 8th November. As it seemed imperative that the children should not remain unoccupied I authorized the engagement on the very small salaries of $75 a month, which were only meant to cover out of pocket expenses, of five teachers Mrs. Smith, B.A., Mrs. Warr, Mrs. Vicary, Mrs. Hamilton and Mrs. Mitchell. There were then 73 pupils on the roll at the old Kowloon Magistracy Building and 24 at Lai Chi Kok under Mrs. Mitchell. The school closed on 15th December.

VI. Non-British Refugees.

67. In addition to the British refugees from Shanghai a considerable number of other nationals arrived in Hong Kong during the last week of August. Many passed through immediately. Portuguese, of whom 250 arrived on 27th August by the "Empress of Canada. were either accommodated by friends or passed on to Macao, those of French nationality to Saigon, and citizens of the United States of America to Manila. A Centre for about 100 refugees of Norwegian, Danish and Swedish nationalities was organized by their respective consuls in premises at the Cosmopolitan Dock, kindly lent by the Chief Manager of the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company, while the German Community of Hong Kong organized another Centre for their fellow nationals in a house on Stubbs Road.

68. Some non-British nationals were, however, included among the British refugees, being mainly relatives of women who had acquired British nationality by