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14
[January 19, 1898. THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
value of $40 for essays on The Command the master of your class say, when the prize- | nécessary that they should be stirred up and giving time comes again. "We cannot give urged to consider changes and alterations which of the Sea," and "The use of the British Navy." prizes to all, because that is not in the nature they might not like at first. But at the same Eighteen essays were submitted to the Rev. of things, but we can say that all the boys time he would not like anyone to believe that R. F. Cobbold, M.A., who kindly undertook the duties of adjudicator. Our thanks are due in our class are thoroughly deserving of the boys who left Queen's College could not prizes,” ́ That is the knowledge that is within speak English in a decent manner. Dr. Wright to the Navy League and its Hon. Secretary for the reach of you all. While I made those continued.-I think that if His Honour had their generosity. During the year four certi- remarks to you about English I did not want | addressed a few of the clerks in the Supreine ficates have been awarded by the London Col- to suggest to yon that you should not also keep Court or in the neighbouring office. the Re-lege of Music to our boys. Of these three were of the Erst class, one with honours. Four up and improve your knowledge of Chinese.gistrar-General's, he would find men who were
trained in this school and who could talk certificates were also awarded by the Tonio That would be a very great mistake. Of course
Solfa College, London, for singing and theory we know that the Chinese have a very old and English with reasonably idiomatic power, and
of music. All the candidates presented in illustrious civilization. They have a very I fancy he must not judge that every Chinaṁan illustrious lot of writers of classical books of he meets in the street was educated at Queen's Music were successful. At the last examination distinction, and it would be to your advantage College. (Laughter). That is not a fact. If the of the London College of Music, there were five entries from this school, but the results are not to keep up your knowledge of the language. Government wish all the people in Hongkong to Naturally you must do that if you want to talk English the only thing would be to adopt yet published. There has been no difficulty in obtain a position in China, and even in this the system in vogue in Englaud and have free procuring situations for boys who are realy to colony it would be unwise in any way to abandon education. Men in the shops are so poor that leave school; the difficulty is to induce them to your pursuit of the Chinese language and they cannot afford money for education, and remain till their education may be considered literature. Let the two go side by side. boys who come here find it very hard to finished. Take the case of a German. We know pay their fees. Thousands of boys whom the well enough that a well educated German Inspector of Schools referred to as not receiv- knows his mother tongue thoroughly, and ing any education certainly do not, while English thoroughly, and probably French many receive only a Chinese education, and thoroughly, and that fact has undoubtedly therefore your Excellency bas said that only given the Germans a very great advantage in boys taught in English shall receive grants
I &m satisfied that during the regard to commerce. You boys will find it in-aid. within your province to acquire a knowledge last four or five years we have derived very of the English language alongside of your great benefit from your kind suggestions, Chinese, and let the two go together. You and the assistance of the Governing Body has have here on the platform a gentleman who has proved very beneficial in carrying out important been a very kind patron of this school. That is changes such as the appointment of additional
(Applause.) His Excellency the Governor.
You have to remember that there are I confess it seems to me a very remarkable twenty-two classes here and at present there are only six English masters to teach those thing that the Governor should have on nearly every occasion of the annual prize-giving been twenty-two classes. I am sure, Sir, that we shall here to encourage the boys of the school and remember your kindness in addressing us so often the masters of the school by distributing the and I trust that in two or three years' time, prizes and addressing the boys. When he goes when you receive the annual report from Hong- away from this colony he may reflect on that kong, you may observa further improvement. as being a very good thing he has done. (Applause.) The Queen's instructions, if I remember rightly, impress upon a Governor in very that he is to do his emphatic terms
Now, atmost for the benefit of education.
Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, his in the course of the next fortnight |
shores will be leaving the
of Hongkong, and probably we shall never see him again. We are all very grateful to him for the interest he has taken. in this school. Dr. Wright was to discharge this office, but I ask him to concede it to me, and. I will ask you now to signify your gratitude and your good wishes for his future life wherever his lot may lie by giving three hearty cheers for His Excellency the Governor.
or
So,
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masters.
DIOCESAN SCHOOL AND
ORPHANAGE.
On 12th Jan., at noon, his Excellency the Governor distributed the prizes to scholars attending the Diocesan School and Orphanage. There was a large attendance of pupils, theit parents, and their friends.
On the arrival of His Excellent, who was accompanied by Captain Phillips, A.D.C., the school drum and fife band played "God Save the Queen.”
Rev. R. F. Cobbold-Your Excellency, in the absence of the Bishop it devolves upon me as acting manager of this school now to invite the head master to read to you his annual report.
Mr. G. Piercy, Junr., then read his report for 1897 as follows:-
A scheme like the Government Scholarship is greatly needed to keep boys at school to a later age. In July Mr. J. R. Barclay- left us after three years diligent service to take up an appointment at a Chinese College in Nanking. The other members of the teaching staff, Messrs Blaynay and Ralphs, have done most excellent work and materially helped to maintain the efficiency of the school, Our thanks are due to your Excellency for a series of photographs of Niagara Falls, and to the Hongkong Cricket Club for a gift of three As dollars depreciate the prices of bats. prizes advance, but through the liberality of Sir J. W. Carrington, Kt.. C.M.G., Hon. W. M. Goodman, Hon. E R. Belilios, C.M.G., and Messrs. Fung Wa Chuen, D. Gillies, Ho Tung T. Jackson, A. P. MacEwen, A, Mackie, G..
Three Old Boys," Sharp, W.. Whiley, and " we are again able to ask your Excellency to On the eve of your distribute our prizes. departure from the colony we beg to thank you for the interest you have always taken in this institution.
The following is. the Examiner's Report in Holy Scripture :
I have examined the boys in the Diocesan School in Holy Scripture and I am glad to report that taken as a whole they have done very well. Some of the boys hire obtained very high marks indeed, particularly C. Olson
Form IV. and Edwin Long in Form V. G. Benning in Form VII. wrote an excellent paper which does both himself and his teacher some weak papers great credit. There are amongst the Chinese boys, but the general result of the examination is very satisfactory and shows that great care is taken in this department.- W. BANISTER, Secretary, Church Missionary Society.
After presenting the prizes His Excellency
have all heard the report read by Mr. Piercy. the Governor said-Ladies and Gentlemen, you It seems to me that it is a matter in one case for rejoicing and in another for regret. It is very pleasant to find, for instance, that there was the highest attendance on record in this school during the last-term. It is also very pleasant to find that the first of the second class honours has been won in Hongkong by E. G. won the third class, which proves that the male Ford for the first time. I think a young lady ascendancy can come to the front occasionally.. Ford is to be congratulated very highly on his success. In elementary science, drawing, and copy writing 100 per cent. passed. It is a matter for regret that the Government grant has been considerably reduced, which was owing doubtless to
The cheers were most enthusiastically given. His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR-Ladies. and gentlemen and boys of Queen's College,
School was taught on 249 week days; the I told you that His Honour the Chief Justice would make a very much better speech than I scholars numbered 185, being 11-less than the can and by the sensible remarks he has made to previous year, but the average daily attendance was 100.58 as compared with 91.76 in 1896, and you he has proved that my opinion of him was I was very
our highest on record. Eleven candidates en- perfectly correct and justified. glad to hear from Dr. Wright's report that the tered for the Oxford University Local Examin- progress in the English language since I lastations in July and eight passed, viz., five in the spoke to you in 1896 very strongly on the junior, three in the preliminary E. S. Ford subject has been very considerable, and that attained to second class honours, being the first Chinese schools for the teaching of English Hongkong candidate to do so. He was specially have been opened in Swatow, Amoy, Canton. distinguished in "English" and was bracketed and other ports of the Chinese Empire. I must third in that subject in the British Empire. x5 thank you most sincerely for the hearty cheers boys were present at the annual Government ex- I can assure amination on 15th and 16th December by the new which you have just given to me.
Inspector of Schools: 70 passed or 82.35 per you I have always had the greatest pleasure in
cent, as compared with 97 per cent. in 1894, and coming to Queen's College, and when I am in England I shall look out for the reports from and 89 in 1895. (Dr. Eitel was too ill to examine the school in 1896). In English History, Ele-
the difficult examination the Hongkong, and anything from Queen's College will give me the very greatest possible interest. mentary. Science, Drawing, and Copy Writing I trust you boys will really become British 100 per cent passed; in Reading, 98.8; Algebra, boys were subjected to. I am.. very glad subjects. As His Honour said, the English 97.2; Geography, 89.4; English Grammar, I was not asked to analyse the sentence language will be the universal language of the 81.6; Dictation, 83, Arithmetic, 78.8; English Mr. Piercy has just read ont.. world, and there is no doubt that British inter- Composition, 68.4; Euclid, 63.2; Physical Geo- personally it is also very satisfactory to see ests are increasing every day in the Chinese graphy, 58.8 per cent. ; in Mensuration one boy that four certificates have been awarded by the Empire, I have to thank you all for your very passed, one failed. These results compare an- London College of Music to the boys, and of That is very satisfactory great kindness and I bid you all farewell. (Ap favourably with former years and will reduce these three are of the first class, and one of them plause.)
our grant considerably. The questions were is with honours. very difficult, as for instance, the V. Standard indeed. I am very glad indeed to come here to boys were expected to understand and analyse present the prizes, all of which are very band. this sentence,In the true aspect of things, some, and for which the school is indebted to too often neglected by us, we are all panpers in Sir John Carrington, The Attorney-General, the alushouse of this, world, withont dignity, Hon. E. R. Belilios, and other gentlemen.
also gives me very great pleasure to know without skill. or industry." It is difficult for Chinese boys to write good idiomatic English that the boys in this school have passed so and ecnsequently the failures in Composition well in Holy Scripture. I do not think were many. In May the Hongkong Branch of I have anything more to saylin reference to the the Navy League kindly offered prizes to the 'report, but I suppose I must say something
Cheers were then called for Dr. Wright and they were heartily given.
Dr. BATESON WRIGHT then said he should like to make some remarks about the pro- gress of education in Queen's College during the six years of his Excellency's office. He a general (Dr. Wright) fancied there was
were very impression that schoolmasters liable to “inn in a rut" and to adhere to one line of action. Therefore it was very
To me.
It
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