After the performance the curtain rang up again to discover on the platform, grouped around arable of prizes, the Chairman of the Municipal Council (Mr. W.G. Bayne), the members of the Educational Com. mittee, Mr. G. Lanning, (Principal) and Mr. G. M. Billings (Vice-Principal.)
atr, Bayne had some interesting remarks to make about the school. He said Before proceeding to the distribution of prizes, I must ask you to allow, me to say few words in explanation and appreciation Of the work which hasbeen done by the committee of the Public School. The growing prosperity of Shanghai has brought with it a considerable increase of population, and an increased demand for cleric cal Inbour. In order to allow the children of parents who have not the inclination, or perhaps the means, to send their children fo be educated at home, in order to allow these children to enter into the clerical competition,.it is the endeavour of to committee to provide on the spot the kind of education required to qualify for the higher branches of commerce, to fit—as one of the committee so aptly, puts it—to fit the children to become, if not the captains, at least the lieutenants of industry. This is the work to which the Public School Committee have addressed themselves during the past nine months. With what energy they have pursued their labours and with what singleness of they have approached their task, only those who have been occasionally allowed to peep behind the curtain can know anything about. And what has been done? Their first endeavour has been to unify and simplify the course of instruction. First of all a standard had to be set, and accordingly the Cambridge local examinations was, not as is sometimes erroneously stated, but "adapted" to meet local requirements.
The selection of a British standard is not to be taken as implying the inferiority of any other system of education. But clearly some choice had to be made, To attempt the amalgamation of any two differing systems, say the British and the American, would only have led to confusion. In' selecting the British the Committee were guided by considerations such as these:—{1) There was no school in existence where a purely British education could be obtained. American, German, and French schools were already" established, of which some are subsidised out of public funds, where an excellent course of education, approximating to their respective national systems, was to be had. (2) The Committee had' the less hesitation m coming to their conclusion since it was ascertained that out of every nine scholars eight were the children of British subjects.
As far as we can judge the action of the Committee appears to have been justified by the result. There may have been some natural reluctance to change to be overcome in the first instance, but, once finally determined upon, "both teachers and taught loyally accepted the new <urriculum and entered upon its study with zest. That it has met with the approval of parents may be gauged by the number attending the school which, far from showing any diminution, is slightly increased. We are encouraged to expect, therefore, that, as the merits of the hew system become better known, they will be better appreciated, and that as the standard of education 1s gradually raised an increasing number of scholars will be found to take advantage locally of educational opportunities which could formerly only be obtained at greater expense elsewhere.
So much for general principles. But, of course, the time and attention of the Committee have necessarily been largely occupied with the consideration of questions of detail. Did time permit. it might ye useful to touch upon some at least of these, such a8:
(a) Increase of staff. Change of status of irasters. Increases of salary. Municipal privileges.
(v) New and uniform series of textbooks in place of the previous medley. eched staff as formerly.
(c) Independent examiners instead of
(a) The improved education and the increased expenditure would appear to justify a slight increase in the school fees. which will probably be brought into force at the beginning of the year.
I should like to read you a memorandum sent mo by one of the members showing the intentions of the members. "The School Committee will not, consider its Iabours are at an end until it has established at the S. P. S. the best and most modern system of commercial education which can be found, and with this in view it is constantly enquiring into the new and improved methods which obtain at, similar institutions at home. What it has done so far, is merely the laying a foundation on general lines:"" I think this will chow not only their but the honesty of their intentions. I have however taken up too much of your time—and I will now only add that I am pleased to have this opportunity of thanking the Committee and the masters of the Public School, for all the good work they have done on behalf of the ratepayers, the parents and the children of Shanghai in the important matter of education, and I am sure you of will join with me in tendering them most hearty vote of thanks.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.