February 13, 1896.]
means
it, but these are not facts that one usually carries in his head. When required they are to be found in books of reference, to which, we venture to think, His Excellency must have had recourse in preparing his speech. If the members of the Executive and Legislative Councils were unexpectedly put through an examination on the statistics of the Empire it is safe to say that not one of them would succeed in passing. In th case of boys the greatness of the Empire should be impressed upon their minds by other
than dry statistics with figures running into the millions, which convey no concrete idea. There is one other point of detail in His Excellency's speech to which reference may
be made. His Excellency objects to the teaching of Latin and Euclid in the school. Some years ago exception was taken in this column to the teaching of Latin to Chinese boys, and we then learned that Latin was not taught to Chinese boys but only to European boys. We are not aware if any change has been made since that time, but if it is still the fact that the language is taught to European boys only we should be inclined to advocate its continuance. As to Euclid, it is difficult to understand on what ground His Excellency objects to that subject. It affords good training for the mind, and the examiners in their report say "Euclid being such excellent and simple English prose it seems desirable that it 'should be taught." They add, however, that at present the time spent upon it is, in the majority of cases, wasted. This seems to point to a defect in the system of teaching, but that can be amended, it is to be hoped, without eliminating the subject altogether. His Excellency says his only desire is to leave Queen's College in a better and more influential position and to make it a better and more influential institution than he found it. We hope the desire may he ful- filled, but His Excellency confesses that he is no educationist, a fact which is made apparent by his speech on Thursday, and the value of his criticism ou,points of detail must therefore be appraised accordingly.
""
"
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
C
K
erities of the school are
123
"
formerly fulfilled by the Public School than the col us which incurs the expense.' have of late years been fulfilled Queen's The present Faminers seem to take a College, where sypante cuisses frheen diametrically opposite view and to think established for Luropeans, but if the Ex-it is the Chino only that should be aminer. report publi bed the A day considered. Th. Retrenchment Committee suggestions are mad fa mange ut further recomended that a searching in- that may not prove agrovable to Euroqnquiry by skilled and competent persons parents
We belie
tha Examiners should be made into the charges against the say, "that much good mieli le offered, and | school; and in view of the present contro- the standard of oth bency miei. it the versy it might be well if a Commission were ability and clergy of the European staff appointed, "the evidence to be taken in were lirected were to the Chifu se Loys, public In the meantime the public should And we are not confident that is for the be warned against being carried away by "welfare of the School, or in the interests any wave of prejudice or misleading state- "of the education of the Chinese, that the ments that may be made. Seventeen or non-Chinese boys should be in separate eighteen years ago, in Dr. STEWART's time, "classes, and consequently the whole time precisely the same complaints were brought "of two European masters given entirely to against the Central School that are now "them. This is a matter on which we think brought against Queen's College, but the European parents ought to have something result of the controversy then initiated was to say. The Examiners nuke ng remark as that Dr. STEWART was supported by public to the interests of the education of Euopinion. The institution has since been ropeans, but it is a subject which ought developed entirely on the lines laid down not to be overlooked in the educational by Dr. STEWART, except in so tarjas regards classes for system of an English colony. From the the formation of separate European point of view the present Europeans. It must be noted, too, that arrangement may be regarded as meeting the
agreed the requirements of
the dase fairly amongst themselves on scarcely a single well, though an entirely parate school point. The Retrenchment Committee say might perhaps be still more satisfactory, the benefits of the institution should be con- and this, we think, is what ought to be defined to Hongkong. The Governor on the manded if the separate classes at Queen's other hand says the object of the school is College are to be done away with. That, to turn out pupils who shall introduce into however, would involve additional expense China European principles of jurisprudence, and of that account would not be favourably medicine, and engineering, and His Excel- regarded by the Government. The best lency complains it is not fulfilling its object. solution, we think, would be to have well | His Excellency, moreover, is not consistent alone and allow the principle of separate with himself, saying in one breath that the classes at Queen's College to fontinue, in-institution aims too low and in another that creasing the teaching staff of the Chinese it aims too high. Then again, the Re- department if the detachment of two teachers trenchment Commission recommend that' for the European department renders the the school should be so c conducted that it present staff insufficient. We would sug-| could be availed of by European children, gest, too, that in all reports having reference while the present Examiners doubt whether to the College the distinction between the it is to the interest of the school that there A Commission European and Chinese departments should should be European classes,
of Government officials be plainly indicated. In the Examiners' | composed, report for the present year, for instance, the who may have strong opinions for or public cannot tell which passages refer to against the school, but of common sense the Chinese classes and which to the Eur- | business
able men, might perhaps be to Those familiar with the internal opean.
sif these contradictory views and arrangements of the school may be able arrive at some practical conclusion that QUEEN'S COLLEGE AND EUROPEAN to recognise the separate cafes by their would satisfy the general public who, as the Governor said, want to get the worth of their money—either that the Queen's Col- lege is fulfilling its objects or, if not, what are the alterations requirel, and whether; as the Governor contends, the aim should be to produce lawyers, doctors, and engineers for China, or simply to give an English
duction for the children of the colony.
Co
EDUCATION.
i
numbers, but that is not the case with the general public, and as the European At various times in the history of the colony community is specially interested in the the education of the children of European European classes R separate report residents has engaged public attention. lut
On Those classes would be much ap of late the subject has been little heard ofpreciated. Formerly the Colfege sailed to the parents being apparently satisfied, so far command the interest of very huge manders as boys are concerned, with the facilities that of Europeans because, although nominally have for the last few years been offered at open to all, the institution was in practice Queen's College. Formerly a strong objection almost exclusively Chinese, and the com was entertained to European boys to plaint was constantly heard that while the that institution on account of their enforced | Government did so much for the education association there with Chinese boys, of Chinese children it did nimest nothing for When the Hongkong. Publie School was the education of Eugen dien. Come established in 1879 this was one of the rea-dually and very quietly a goji hun has sous urged in favour of the scheme, Bishop Been effected Q College has BURDON remarking at the public niectify become a public school von Eifepage us all held in support of the new institution that as for Chinese, y bebeve fik Lunge an | the Central School, as Queen's College was community, thereine, toinen lach god lest then called, was suitable for the mass of the advantages they have guidet Chinese and other residents here, but was wrested from them by making a not suitable for our own children if we could with the Chinese compulsory possibly provide them with one more suit-pean boys atteiving able. That was the general feeling at the time and the Hongkong Public School was accordingly established. For a few years the school was a success and was held in high appreciation by the parents, but it then commenced to languish and finally passed out of existence. Into the rea- sons of the failure of a scheme which at first promised so hopefully it is un- necessary now to enquire. The functions
DR. CANTLIE AND HIS FADS. The high appreciation in which Dr, CAxır is held in this colony was strik ingly shown of Weltgsday th Feb) on the orcasion of the pa&atat is of addresses and testimonials by the community and by the College at Médicine for Chinese and the staff of the Ales Memorial and Nether-
N.. GR
who has ever sole Hopita ld be resided ili 1.A colony has made his nation name more of household word than the Euro-worthy docter whales us to-morrow, and Most he will carry with him. the best wishes and kindest regard, t the whole community. When the Chairman of Wednesday's meeting mrked that the social, scientific, and literary sugress four great dmpire beyond the sea is due to such men as JAMES Casrinn, he uttered an niere hyperbole, ina spoke strictly within the limits of It is such men as Dr.
Europeans have an insge milj. eller trat such association The R mittee, in the section of their to education, said: We "that that fine estabilising · "lege) should be so maliticiens y man
that it could in extensively availd of by "the children of Eun-peaus, as the results, į absolute fact. "whatever they may be, tend at present tar | CaNTLIE, endowed with a vast fund of vital more to benefit China and the Coast Ports | energy, keen intelligence, and enterprise
(6
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.