Sessional_Paper_1938 — Page 165

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REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE TRAINING OF TEACHERS.

We, six of the seven members of the Teacher Training Committee appointed by His Excellency the Governor, have the honour to submit our report.

2. Our original terms of reference were "to review and report on the teacher training systems in operation at the Hong Kong University and in the normal classes held in connexion with the Evening Institute, and to make recommendations in relation to either or both systems." At our request, however, His Excellency the Governor agreed that the terms of reference should be widened so as to include (a) review of the present policy of appointing teachers from Great Britain on the one hand, and from Hong Kong on the other, to schools in the Colony; and (b) review of the present system of recruitment and training of teachers for the vernacular schools in the Colony.'

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3. In response to invitation by the Committee, memoranda were submitted by Professor Hsu Ti Shan (Professor of Chinese at the University of Hong Kong), Mr. J. Ralston (Director, Evening Institute), Mr. Y. P. Law (Inspector of Vernacular Schools), Father G. Byrne, and the headmasters of four Government schools. joint memorandum setting out the views of all the headmasters of Grant-in-Aid Schools was also submitted. The latter is attached to our report as Appendix I, and Mr. Ralston's memorandum as Appendix II.

4. Our report falls into four sections dealing respectively with the training of

4. University (of Hong Kong) Trained Teachers.

B. Anglo-Chinese (non-graduate) Teachers.

C.

Vernacular Teachers for Rural Schools.

D. Vernacular Teachers for Urban Schools.

A. University (of Hong Kong) Trained Teachers.

(I) Course of Studies.

The University of Hong Kong provides a four-year course leading to the B.A. degree, with special groups of studies in this course for students training to become teachers. We consider this system to be open to the following objections: (a) it imposes too heavy a burden on the students who have to complete their academic studies and receive their professional training concurrently; (b) it permits insufficient time for practical work in teaching under skilled guidance; (c) the result in many cases is that the students receive neither an effective general education nor adequate professional training. We are of opinion that students should complete their academic studies first, before embarking on their professional training, and accordingly we make the following recommendation:

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"That for the training of potential Anglo-Chinese teachers at the University of Hong Kong, students should take the ordinary course (at present a 4 years' course) for an Arts Degree, to be followed by a year's post-graduate course for a diploma in teaching, this being in accordance with resolutions of the Faculty of Arts, the Senate and the Council of the Hong Kong University."

(II) Awards and subsidies to students in training.

Under the existing system, a number of students annually are awarded student- ships or scholarships by the Government through the Education Department and sent to the University to be trained as teachers for Government schools. to Government for each such student is approximately $1,500 per annum.

The cost

We

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