十九世紀香港華人女子教育發展的困境

The Dilemma of Chinese Women’s Education Development in 19th Century Hong Kong

1842年的中英《南京條約》後，香港成為英國殖民地。殖民地成立之初，香港政府對港政策，參考英國本土法案。因此，在思考和分析香港早期的教育條例時，必須把英國本土的政治和社會情勢納入考量。然而，英國和香港之間存在各種政治角力和文化差異，導致十九世紀香港女子教育政策，與同時期的男子教育相比，成效不張。此外，十九世紀的香港只是一個小漁村，華人社會惡劣的經濟環境，成為女童上學的阻力。最後，開埠初期香港的社會治安不穩，罪案頻生令家長不放心讓女童外出上學。最終，整個十九世紀女書院的數量和發展速度遠不如男書院。在思考十九世紀香港的女子教育發展時不可忽略當時香港的社會形態和情況。本文根據英國和香港的政府檔案、教會文件、報章等資料分析，得出政府和教會的角力、文化衝突、經濟和社會治安不穩，是導致十九世紀香港女子教育發展遲緩的原因。

After the“Treaty of Nanjing”in 1842, Hong Kong was established as a colony of the British Empire. At the beginning of the founding of the colony, the Hong Kong government’s policy towards Hong Kong was based on British domestic laws. Therefore, when we examine and analyze Hong Kong’s early education regulations, the political and social situation in Britain must be taken into consideration. However, various political struggles and cultural differences existed between Britain and Hong Kong, which led to the ineffectiveness of Hong Kong’s female education policy in the 19th century. In addition, Hong Kong in the 19th century was just a small fishing village. The poor economic environment of the Chinese society hindered the girls to go to school. Last but not least, Hong Kong’s social security was unstable and crimes occurred frequently. As a result, parents not allowed their girls to go to school. Ultimately, throughout the 19th century, the number and growth rate of girls’schools was far less than that of boys’schools. When we discuss about the development of female education in Hong Kong in the 19th century, we cannot ignore the social form and situation of Hong Kong at that time. Based on the analysis of British and Hong Kong government archives, church documents, newspapers and other materials, this article emphasizes that the struggles between the government and the church, cultural conflicts, economic and social instability were the reasons for the slow development of female education in Hong Kong in the 19th century.