only one out of seven, or 14 per cent, passed. We sent in no preliminary osudidate, C. B. Hayward, who in 1898 headed our Junior List and was distinguished in English, occupied the same position, and obtained the same distinction as a senior last July,
I am happy to report that four free scho- lars from the Government District Schools were elected last March, and have worked most satisfactorily in the fourth class to which they were admitted.
4
THE HONGKONG' WEEKEY PRESS AND
[Intranay":{
and Viscount Suirdule as to the examination ping cricket matches. Touching on the quer
tion of athletics, I 800 no reason why' conducted by them of the upper classes of this school. Both these reports are very instructive athletics should not be more cultivated in reading, and show that the College continues to this College, especially among the Chinese progress. That progress is shown in many re- boys. To-day there is in Hongkong one of our spects, but perhaps it is shown more clearly by a worthy solicitors, Wei On, a Hongkong boy, few figures which I will take from Dr. Wright's | who, while home at school at Cheltenham, was report, which he has just read. From that successful in beating all the competitors from report it appears that the total number on the the other public schools in England at gymuss. roll was 1,314, and that the attendance shows a tics and carried off the public school champion- marked improvement. In 1869 the average ship. (Applause.) I am sure there are here "The following is my report on the Lower annual cost to cach boy was $7.07 and the total to-day many Wei Ons only waiting the oppor and Preparatory Schools, the examination of number of boys 320. In 1899. the average tnuity to emulate bis skill in the gymnasipm. which has been entrusted to the Head Master, annual cost to each buy was $30,72, and the (Applause) Why should this College not have by a standing order of the Governing Body:-- total number of boys 1,844, aud as Dr. Wright a gymasium, and why should this College not
These are questions · Lower School 385 exd. 313 or 81 % passed points out, since his arrival in 1882, the respec- have a football club?
tive costs to boys and Government have been which I will leave to yon, boys, and your mas- Preparatory
·School
progressing steadily in inverse ratio a fact ters to ponder over during the holidays. I which is particularly gratifying to me as the trust you will all enjoy these holidays most- Total..... 606 529 87
offlour who is responsible for the drafting thoroughly, and I think you cannot do better of the Estimates of this Colony, and who than spend a portion of your time in consider. Compared with last year, 56 more boys were
sometimes finds it not too easy to show the ing these matters. examined, and 72 more boys passed. The work desired surplus on the right side. (Applause.) in the lower school shows considerable impro- The report of Dr Wright and Viscount Suird. vement, though the standard in arithmetic
ale on the Upper School shows that high iu- and grammar is still too low. The Preparatory telligence was displayed by Chinese and non- School maintaius ita usual high average. The Chinese in oral and written examination work, percentage table below provides sufficient de-aud I am especially gratified to find that the
tails:
221
**
J
216 98
++
"
"
14
"
119 boys from this college obtained var. ious situations in the colony and elsewhere. Of these, 21 were employed by Her Majesty's Government and 35 by local professional and mercantile firms.
examiners were able to report so favourably on the knowledge of English possessed by the boys and the excellence of the English pronunciation in the College. I feel certain you will all agree with me that Dr. Wright aud the staff of masters are to be congratulated on the ex- I desire once again to express our war-
cellent results they have obtained, as shown in mest thanks to donors of prizes, without whose
this independent report on the Upper School. generosity only half of our deserving boys Of course, there must be weak points, but it is would have their exertions recognised. In this
unnecessary to emphasize them. In an institu- long list, Sir Thomas Jackson, Mr. Romano, tion it may be taken for granted that atten- Mr. Mody and Mr Whiley, The Tung Wation having been once called to such weaknesses Hospital Committee; and amongst old scholars Messrs Ho Tung, Ho Fuk. Fung Wachiuu, Sin (Tak-fan, Leung Yan-pò, Tan Tsz-kong, Tsoi Tan-bee, and Ng Kwok-ching are repre-
sentative names.
The prizes having been distributed, Dr. WRIGHT invited the Chairman to deliver his addráss.
The CHAIRMAN, who was received with ap- plause. said-Dr. Wright, my Lord Bishop: ladies and gentlemen, I feel certain you will all regret that His Excellency the Governor, who was to have presided to day, is unable to be pre- sent on account of indisposition. I am glad, however, to be able to say that His Excellency is not seriously ill, but his medical adviser has urged upon him the advisability of not going out for a day or two. I am sure that you all, like myself, will be particularly sorry for His Excellency's absence, not only on account of the reason of it, but because we shall have missed by that absauce words that would have been well worthy of our attention. I must confess that I, myself, feel I am a sorry substitute, and as I have had such short notice-only learned yesterday afternoon that I was to have the honour of presiding here to-day I have not been able by preparation to make up for my own natural shortcomings. In one sense, however, as Dr. Wright has kindly said, it is perhaps not altogether inappropriate that I should preside on this occasion. I do not think there is anybody in this room who has had a longer personal acquaintance with this College than myself-an acquaintance now extending over more than twenty years, and I venture to say that there is certainly no person in this room who takes keener and warmer interest in the welfare of this institution than I do. (Ap- plane.) A former worthy headmaster of this school, Dr. Stewart, whose memory is still green, was an intimate personal friend of mine, and with your present worthy headmaster, Dr. Wright, I have enjoyed an intimate acquain- tance from the first day 1 arrived in the colony. I also happen to be Chairman of the governing body of this College. On these grounds, there fore, if I had anything at all worthy to say, might be justified in saying it But the foot of the matter is, ladies and gentlemen, that under the able guidance of Dr. Wright, supported by the other masters of this institution, the education in this school is conducted in such an admirable manner that the governing body has an easy time of it, and there is little left for me to say. You hare heard Dr. Wright's report, and I have also had the advantage of reading a joint eport which has been drawn up by Dr. Wright
}
every endeavour will be taken to remedy the causes of them. As we all know from our owu experience as boys, the originality of boys is not infrequently shown in the answers they give to questions. I understand no small amount of or- iginality was shown during the recent examina- tion. I will give one instance. The question set was: 'Correct the following where necessary and write out the corrected form, "You didn't ought to have got so excited as them." The amended version given was as follows:-
:-" You ought to have got as excited as they didn't." (Laughter.)
After touching on the resignation of Mr. Chiu, one of the Chinese masters, who he said had done yoeman service in the College, the CHAIR- MAN concluded by saying-I have nothing more to say except again to express the hope that you will thoroughly enjoy the holidays which you have all so well deserved. (Applause.)
Dr. WRIGHT said—I have to thank yon, Sir, for the kind and encouraging words you have just addressed to us. You have allnded to the report on the Upper School in which Lord Sairdale took an active part. I am glad to have the opportunity of publishing a fact that is not yet known to Lord Suirdale himself. In the oral examinations almost exclusively conducted by bim, the class masters who were present and the boys spoke in the highest terms of the patience and forbearance shown them; in fact I may admit that there was a tacit assumption that they preferred Lord Sairdale to myself. Another point, Sir, on which you touched was the resignation of Mr. Chiu Óhi- tung Senior Chinese Assistant. As· his‹sor- rices do not terminate till the end of the month bis resignation could not be referred to in my report. Mr. Chin may be said to have spent his life in the school After five or six years' tuition in the Central Bobool he became a master in 1870, and for thirty years has discharged bis duties to the entire
satisfaction of both the late Dr. Stewart and myself. The office of Senior Chinese Assistant is a highly important one, for the opportunities it afford of exercising influence over Chinese masters and boys, and in this inflnence Mr. Chiu has been conspicuously successful. I am also, Sir, grateful to you for your reference to my relations with the Governing Body. I bave been always treated with just considera- tion by its members, and have endeavoured to discharge my duties faithfully. (Applause).
The CH TRMAN-Boys, I am now going to say a few words which will be more plessing to you than all the reports you have heard from Dr Wright and myself. To-day you leave here and are not required to return to school until 23rd February. Enjoy yourselves thoroughly and come back here with renewed vigour and eager to renew your battle with books.
doubt whether the boy who gave that answer ressived the marks which I think he deserved for this piece of originality. (Laughter.) That the education given by this College is apprecia- ted by the public is shown by the figures stated by Dr Wright that no fewer thau 119 boys obtained; iu 189, varions situations in the colony and elsewhere. Out of that number, twenty-one have found employment in the service of the Hongkong Government, and I can speak from personal experience of some of these. I do not know what the Government would have done if it had not had the College to turn to when it wanted a staff of Chinese for the new territory. I have seen that staff at work in the new territory, and I cannot give them any higher praise than to say that they are carrying out their duties in a manner worthy of the College in which they received their education. (Applause.) I do not know On the call of the boys, cheers were given for whether it has been the castom in this College the Queen, the Governor, Mr. Stewart Lock- to keep a list of the pupils who pass through it | hart and the ladies and gentlemen visi ors. and a record of their careers. Such a list would On the motion of the Chairman, tiree be highly instructive as showing how wide-cheers and a tiger were giveu for Dr Wright spread has been the educational influence of and the masters. this institution, and to hat high positions of responsibility and trust many of its pupils have attained Such a list would justify the head- master in exclaiming, in the words of the Latin poet, somewhat modified-Quae regio in Oriente nostri non plena laburis. And now, boys, I mast address & few word to you. The results of your examinations show that most of you have worked hard, and in so doing so you have shown your wisdom at an early age. The Chinese proverb says:"If you do not work when you are young, what will you do in old age?
You also seemed to have realised at x very early age the wisdom of the Chinese pro- verb "Learning is more precious than gold." But while you have worked hard, I hope yon have not neglected to play hard. (Applause.) If you have, it is at any rate not the fault of your master, Mr. Wocdoock, who, as Dr. Wright has pointed out in his report, has been so successful and energetic in organis-
Continuing. Dr. Wright said it was a matter of general regret that His Excellency the Gov eruor was deterred by sickness—a severe attack of bronchitis-from being present that day. Those who atte nded the prišo distribution last year would remember that he looked forward with very great pleasure to performing the same kind aot in 12 month's time. It was, how- ever, very appropriate that the Hon. J.-H. Stewart Lockhart should take His Excellency's place, not only as Colonial Secretary but as chairman of the go erning body of the College. Mr. Lockhart had always been closely connected with the college and bad had considerable se- guaintance with its working. In fact »Mr. Lookhart's connection with the educational work of the college might be said to go back to 1892, wheɛ he was »ssociated: in: the considers- tion of financial and other matters of disen-sion which were engaging the attention of Govern- ment. They, therefore, welcomed him -voog
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