Education.

The " English School " system in this Settlement has been going through a crisis,
owing in great measure to the protracted illness and subsequent death of Mr. Thomas
Smith, the headmaster, who had been in charge of the Free School for upwards of 12
years. An endeavour, shortly before this event, to introduce school fees as at
Singapore and Penang, aggravated the crisis. By the close of the year the numbers had
fallen to about half the former average, many of those who had left the Free School
having gone to the small Roman Catholic Mission Schools, already much
overcrowded, in which no fees were charged.

The Inspector, after holding his annual inspection, drew the attention of Government
to the generally unsatisfactory state into which the English boys' schools of the
Settlement had fallen ; for some years past the results of the inzipection have been
growing more and more unpromising, and the Committee of the Free School finding
itself unable to meet the financial and other difficulties of the situation, and in view of
the growing expenditure necessary to meet the increased numbers and the modern
require.. ments, resolved to offer to the Government their school, school buildings,
and school funds. This resolution having been submitted to and approved by a public
meeting called together in accordance with the original procedure when the School
Committee was first created in 1825, was forwarded to Government shortly after the
inspection.

It is satisfactory to observe that, although the well-to-do Chinese here are very
obstinate in regard to paying fees, and not very generous subscribers to an institution
which has done their community such important benefits, they are still anxious that
their boys should receive English instruction of some kind. The total number
attending school is as large as iormtrly, and now that attention is being given to the
whole subject, it may be hoped that the quality of the instruction will be improved. It
seems unlikely that this can be effected in Malacca without Government interference
and support to a degree unnecessary in the other Settlements
In the vernacular (Malay) schools things are going on more satisfactorily. The
experiment of employing a Malay Inche " as visiting teacher of these schools was
introduced by the Inspector of schools last August, and the result has hit her to
answered expectations. The numbers have already increased from 643 in 1876 to
about 800 in 1877, several fresh schools have been opened, ants the Malay visitor, as
was expected, proves himself to possess an advantage over the European in his
facilities for explaining the objects aimed at by these schools, and the rules under
which they are managed.

The difficulty referred to in last year's report with respect to obtaining competent
Malay teachers is still experienced, but it may be hoped that the Singapore Training
College will shortly diminish it by supplying qualified assistants. At the same time it
must be understood there is little interest taken in education even of the simplest
vernacular character by the parents in most of our Kampongs ; and a very large
majority of the Malay paddy planters, and even of the poorer Portuguese children in
the town, are likely to remain destitute of any education until some general system is
introduced on a basis of more or less direct compulsion.

In fact, it begins now to be clear, after more than five years experience, that however
successful one of these Malay schools may be at its first start, it will inevitably fall
away in its turn. Bandar Ilir, Pengkalan Rama, Trangkera, and Bukit China have all
followed a similar course in this respect. These Malay schools have not originated in
the spontaneous desire of the people, and they can only be supported by the personal
influence of the Inspector and his visitor. They can have no solid and permanent
footing until the system is settled on a more practical basis than this ; and if the
Government earnestly desires to make education general, some form of school cess
must be adopted, as in other Eastern districts.
These considerations sufficiently explain the fact that only 2 per cent of the Malay
children are at present receiving education. The most satisfiictory as of education in
Malacca at the present time has regard to the girls schools. Both the Protestant and the
Roman Catholic (convent) schools are making solid progress in every respect, which
is the more satisfactory that neither of them was opened until some three years ago.