March 25, 1899.j
sorry to lose his very valuable services and consider that the Government should have repaid to ns the whole cost of his passage from England, as his agreement had not expired, but it refused to pay anything.
Mr. B. Tauner, a trained and certificated master from Liverpool, has most efficiently taken his place and with Mr. W. Blayuay's able help rendered possible the afore-mentioned successes, Mrs. Arnold carefully assisted with the younger boys during part of the year.
We are glad to note that the Government bas at last fulfilled the promise given by the late Governor Sir Wm. Robinson some years ago to extend, level and improve the play ground nea Ravenshill, rented by the West Point Schools.
We beg to thank the medical and nursing staff of the Government Civil Hospital for a coutinuance of their kindness to sick boys; Dr. Chadwick Kow for dental aid; and the follow- ing friends for the prizes: Sir J. W. Carring ton, Kt. C.M.G., Hon. E. R. Belilios, C.M.G.; Rev. R. F. Cobbold, Messrs. Choy Leap Chee. Fung Wa Chuen, D. Gillies, Ho Tung, T. Jack son, A. Mackie, G. Sharp, T. S. Smith and W. Whiley, Mrs. Arnold and " Two Old Boys."
P. S.-The unavoidable postponment of the prize-giving till after the Chinese Now Year holidays euables me to announce that the new term has begun well; we have some 30 more boys than lust Maroh; the school is fall and many applicants have had to be refused admission. Mr. W. Blayuay after 4 years' successful work has left to take charge
of a school in Tientsin. Two trained and cer- tificated masters bare lately arrived: W. Sykes, who has pissed the Intermediate B. Sc., and Mr. Framptou, who has matriculated at Lou- dou University.
Mr. Piercy then read the scripture report, as follows:-I have examined forms III to VII. by written auswers and forms L. and II. orally in their Scripture lessous, and I am satisfied that the teaching has been careful and good. In every form several boys answered remarkably well, and there were very few bad papers. There is an improvement in the style of answering questions: the answers are more to the point and better expressed. The repetition in the two lower classes was good; it would be better if it were less rapid. The general efficiency is shown by an average of marks of over 50 per cent, all through the school.-R. F. COBBOLD, M.A.
CLASS PRIZES.
VII. Standard-P. Wilnau; VI. Standard — (1) R. T. Strangman; (2) E. Long; V. Stand. ard-(1) Choy Po-Sing; (2) F. Drude; IV. Standard-(1) Wong Yuen-Shing; (2) Ng Tin. Po; III. Standard-(1) W. Blumenberg; (2) Lam Sing-Po; II. Standard-(1) Ch'an Him. Shau; (2) Li Kam-Chuen; I. Standard-(1) L. Le Breton, (2) Ng Mi-Sam.
Le Breton.
SCRIPTURE PRIZES,
SPECIAL PRIZES.
VII Algebra and Mensuration-Li Chi- Lang; VI Algebra and Euclid-Kwan King Fai; V Algebra and Euclid-J. G. Howard; Physical Geography-Choy Po Sin; IV Algebra and Physical Geography--Cheung Ming to; Music-C E. Hastings; Drawing-(1) Lam Tso-Un; (3) Chow Cheung-Yau; Drum and Fife Band-Flute) P. Wilnan; (Drum)-B. Henriquez; Good Conduct-J. Compton.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
243
deal to do with education during the past certainly they had great cause for congra- 22 or 23 years, but the education he had to tulation to the school and to Mr. Piercy and deal with had been very different from those who worked with him for the SUOČERS that given in this school. It had simply gained during the past year. There was another been amongst Chinese with no Europeans and point he wanted to call attention to. They no Eurasians, and it was very interesting to had just now in Hongkong a great rush for him, therefore, to come there and be able to this kind of English education. He believed compare the two systems, and, to a certain ex- he was right in saying that Queen's College tent, to compare the results. And with regard had to send away large numbers of boys because to the results, one thing had struck him very they could not take them in. It had been the much as he had been giving away the prizes, same at that school and at St. Paul's College. and that was to see how well they were dis- He was just a little afraid lest in that school tributed among English, Eurasian, and Chinese, this rush for English education or western and how frequently the Chinese had come to education would be the best way to put it- the top (hear, hear)—and taken the first prize. should take their minds away from what was (Hear, hear.) It had convinced him of what one object, if not the primary object, of the be had long felt to be the case from his own
foundation of that school. He did not know personal experience amongst the Chinese-that how many of them know the history of that if they wanted a good head-piece they could school. Three or four days ago he know abso- come to China, and they might be perfectly lutely nothing of its history, but Mr. Cobbold certain of finding a great many good head-pieces at his request had kindly unearthed for him among the Chinese. So far as he knew some papers which gave a sort of short account there was nothing which a Chinaman could of the previous history of that school. The not learn, and there was no intellectual work school was started in 1860 to introduce among which a Chinaman could not do. He did the superior class of native females the bless- not know whether other people would bear himings of Christianity and of religious training. out in that. Certainly so far as his experience This he was sure was not the state of the case went the Chinaman could learn anything and now. Whatever they might have, they had a do anything with his head, and therefore he very superior class of people, but they were not was glad to see a large number of Chinese in a superior class of native females. In 1870 a the school as well as Eurasians and English, change took place, the school having been because he was glad to see that the Chinese placed entirely into the hands of the Bishop. were availing themselves of every opportunity It nearly came to grief, he did not exactly of education given to them. He supposed know how, but it was said the school must be they would all agree that the report which closed unless the Bishop took charge of it, which Mr. Piercy had just read was an encourag.
he did in conjunction with the chaplain, and iug report. The numbers certainly were very
then the school was thrown open to European, encouraging. They bad an increase in the Eurasian and Chinese children, presumably number of scholars, they had an increase in the male and female, also with the distinct and percentage of passes; at the same time, if he avowed intention of teaching them and train. might be allowed to say so, it seemed to himing them in the Christian faith, according to that the report did not really give them any means of judging of the effectiveness of the school as compared with the previous year. They were told that the numbers had increased. Still it did not at all follow that if the numbers of the school bad increased the effectiveness of the school had increased. During his Chinese work, they used very steadily to limit the numbers of a school. No doubt it would sound odd to those engaged in English teaching and who were engaged in that work in the colony, but they used, in their Chinese day schools. absolutely to limit any Chinese master from taking more than 15 or 16 boys in one school, because with the Chinese system of education hey found one mister could not possibly really ffectively deal with more than 13 or 16 pupils. Of course there the system was different, but
the fact remained that increase of numbers did not necessarily mean increase of effectiveness. It meant that the teaching had been watered down and become so weak that it was far better to have a smaller number with effective teach
boys'
the principles of the Church of England." In 1878, another change took place. They found apparently that the buildings were not suited for boys and girls to be put up together, and so it was decided to weed out the boys. They were not going to turn any boys out, but they were not to take any new boys in, and the boys already there were to work out until it became a girls' school. In 1880, another change took place. He did not know what led to the change, unless it was that Miss Johnston had opened her school at West Point, and was prepared to take in Eurasian and other girls. It was de- cided to make the Diocesan School school, and so they passed a resolution that they would weed-he must not say that that they would let the girls gradually translate them- selves from this to the other school at West Point, and keep this school simply and solely for boys. The last girl who boarded at the school apparently boarded in 1880, and since that time the school had become gradually a school for boys. What he would emphasize was that this
avowed object of introducing-that was an ag gressive word-amongst the pupils in the school the Christian faith; and as he said, he felt a little anxiety lest with this pressure for English teaching and for Western knowledge, that the Christian faith should be gradually edged out, and that Christianity should not find its proper place in the school. It was called a Diocesan School, and it was founded deliberately and avowedly in order to introduce that Christianity. They all knew Mr. Piercy, and they all knew those who helped him some of them at least knew them all. Some of the teachers had only just arrived in the polony, and could not be well known to all. They were all perfectly assured, however, that Mr. Piercy and those who ware with him would not, so far as they could possibly avoid it, let English teaching press out Christianity. He was very much struck the other day round the school with when he went
the Mr. Pieroy at enormous difficulties that the masters in that school, and of course in the other schools of a more or less similar type in the colony, had to deal with, to teach body of pupils in a language which some of them hardly understood at all, and which many of them understood very little of. To the large proportion of the pupils English was distinotly Still a foreign language, and there must therefore be an enormous difficulty in the spreading of West ern knowledge amongst Chinese in that way. He did not know whether that was the object
VII Standard-Li Chi-Lang; VI Standarding than a large number with ineffective teach-school was founded and was continued with the R. T. Strangman; E. Long; V Standard- Then as regarded the passes, they were W. Moyhing; IV Standard-Kong Ying Fo; of the boys. mark, presented.
told that 94 per cent. of the boys passed-but III Standard-P. E. Hastings; II Standard-
That again H. Jex, T. Jex, A. Moyhing; I Standard-L. really did not give a good criterion of the effectiveness of the school. There were 12 boys presented of whom 96 passed-94 per cent that was. They might have a school where, say, they had 100 boys and only 10 presented for examination. If all ten of them passed the percentage of" passes would be 100. But that did not mean that the school was in an effective state, because it left 90 per cent. ineffective. That struck him as he was reading the report, and he thought he would take the liberty of working the thing out for himself and seeing whether the school was really going on increasing in effectiveness or not. He found that last year 37 per cent, of the number on the books passed the Government examina- tion. This year 40 per cent. of the number on the books had passed the Government examination. That was to say that there had been a distinct increase of three per cont. in the passes out of the total number of boys in the school. That was a very solid advance and to his mind it was a much better test than the number given to them in the report. Although the number of scholars had increased largely he believed the teach- ing staff had not been increased. the percentage of those presented and who passed the Government examination was very distinctly larger than it was before, and
HONOURS WON BY PUPILS IN 1898. Oxford University Local Examinations.- Senior, G. Benning; Junior, Ch'an Yamteng; J. Olson; P. Wilnaa.
Preliminary, W. J. Clerihew; Fan Kau; R. T. Strangman; H. Moore; Li Chi-lang.
*
LONDON COLLEGE OF MUSIC.
Theory of Music.-Junior Honours Section, C. E. Hastings; W. J. Clerihew.
Pianoforte Playing-Intermediate Section, C. E. Hastings; W. J. Clerihew.
After distributing the prizes, the BISHOP ex- pressed his thanks for the word of welcome spoken by Mr. Piercy. He added that it was extremely pleasant to him and very interesting to him to be in that school that day. As Mr. Pieroy had said in opening, he had had a good
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