In one respect Shanghai stands in an unenviable contrast with other English communities in the East. Wo have perhaps boon a little too much addicted to speaking of ourselves as the " Model Settlement," and have too readily '000 the inference that we had little more to do to maintain our character than to bestir ourselves about what has become the crying evil of the place, the want of an English school. The necessity for such an institution has grown on us by steps ea small as to be imperceptible. At first, the community was young, rough and ready. Times were good, and after few years the English resident, did he not succumb to the unfavourable conditions of the place, was able to go home, get married and raise a family in the midst of home contorts. It is scarcely necessary to point out how changed are all these conditions. The local conditions have been so much improved that the climate of Shanghai has been proved to be not inimical to Jong residence, and those who in former days would have hurried out of the place now remain, and to a great extent settle down. A few years ago, when the Public Garden was first made, the community felt surprise at the number of infants who thoro found a breathing place; now many of those infants have developed into children, a great proportion of whom their parents are unable to gend to Europe for education. Many, too, finding no in-juncus effect to the children from the climate, naturally prefer to keep them near them till the exigencies of comploting their education necessitate their departure. It is scarcely creditable to the community that, for the education of their children, not an English school exists. If we look to Hongkong or Singapore, we shall find more strenuous efforts made for the education of youth. Yokohama, of more modern date than Shanghai, and with a much less number of English residents, has established a school, but Shanghai has as yot taken no step. Yet, the English community of Shanghai is little inferior in numbers to that at Hongkong, and certainly exceeds the other two places named. Some years ago, the Church Missionary Society did establish the Anglo-Chinese schoo), an admirable institution, and one of which we have often had occasion to speak with approval. The aim of the school'has been, however, rather to teach the English language and literature to Chinese children than to take up the education of the children of English residents. In Hongkew, through the liberality of Mr. Hanbury, a school was started for Eurasian children; but unfortunately the name first given it, casting as it did obloquy on the children attending it, was found seriously to interfere with its usefulness; and fow parents of children who wished to advance them in life cared to have their self-respect injured by their acceptance of a title conferring a certain amount of opprobrium. The usofalness of the school has been considerably hampered, there is no doubt, by this somowhnt sentimental objection, as alto by the idea convoyed that the institution was more or leas of a "charity school." Still it has done good service, and we believe if it wore somewhat changed and brought into accord with a general scheme, it would do good service in the way of affording good preliminary training in those cases where parents are not in a position to afford it at home. So, too, the Anglo-Chinese School affords a pattern for middle education, and the system adopted there of separating religious and secular educa. tion would afford a safe basis for establishment of a first rate public school for the education of English speaking children. Looking at the financial considerations of the question, we seo no great difficulty. We believe that the community would need to find suitable site and school buildings, for private enterprise cannot be expected to undertake this portion; but beyond this there is no reason why the institution should not be self-supporting. We believe that the Anglo-Chinese and the Hongkew schools are both conducted without calling on external sources for contributions, and we have little doubt that a thoroughly good English public school would eventually be found self-supporting. At the same time we think that the education of youth is one of the most legitimate charges on public revenues, and that the community would willingly make good any deficit should it be found necessary.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.