1930–1950年代香港基礎教育的發展與挑戰：中文剪報鉤沉

過往人們研究香港的教育發展，多從官方資料入手。官方資料雖然重要，但畢竟只是歷史建構的多種根據之一，只能提供一個角度。另外，1974年中文成為法定語言之前香港官方的資料單以英文表述，反映了英文所負載的利益和觀點。本文嘗試從民間和中文的角度去建構1930–1950年代香港教育的發展，透過對中文報章資料的系統分析，探討了這時期香港教育量的發展、公私營學校的消長、質的改善、教育機會與甄選、學生的精神面貌等方面的情況，揭示了少為官方資料所反映的社會各界人士的所思所想和所作所為，相信對更清晰地瞭解這一時期香港教育發展的來龍去脈，具有積極的作用。
In the past, researchers tended to rely heavily on official documents to study the development of education in Hong Kong. Though official documents are important, they constitute only one of numerous sources of evidence and give only one perspective in the construction of historical events. In addition, official documents, written in English only in pre-1974 Hong Kong, essentially reflect the interests and viewpoints of those that operate in that language. This article attempts to construct the development of education in Hong Kong in the 1930s to 1950s from an unofficial and Chinese perspective. Through a systematic analysis of relevant Chinese newspaper reports published in that period, it discuses the quantitative development of education, growth and decline of public and private schools, quality improvement, educational opportunities and selection, as well as students’ attitudes and behaviors in Hong Kong during that period of time. The article reveals the thinking and doing of a wide spectrum of Hong Kong society little reflected in viewpoints of official documents, and helps contribute to a better understanding of the development of education in that period in Hong Kong. Copyright © 2007 香港中文大學香港教育研究所.