( 9 ) 
was true only of schools conducted by Missionary 
bodies, whose members gave their services as 
teachers for nothing or for less than the market 
late. As early as 1878 the High School, Malacca, 
managed by a Committee of Malacca residents since 
it had succeeded an old Dutch school in 1826, had 
been taken over by the Government at the request 
of the Trustees. The 1902 Commission recom- 
mended that Government should take over not only 
Raffles Institution but also the Free School, Penang, 
the first school opened in the Colony under British 
auspices (1816) and free only in the sense that it 
was open to children of all religions. The Commis- 
sion found that the staff of both schools needed 
strengthening, that masters for technical classes 
were required and that the Free School ought to 
be largely rebuilt and its play-ground extended. 
Only Raffles Institution, however, was taken pver. 
The Commission noted that the Chinese of Penang 
had always supported the Free School in a way that 
the Chinese of Singapore had never supported Raffles 
Institution. “ When recently, it was found neces- 
sary to increase the pay of the masters considerably, 
the Chinese contributed $32,000, of which $20,000 
was invested. This timely help coupled with the 
fact that the fees were increased enabled the Com- 
mittee to carry on for the moment, but without 
constant appeals for special contributions it is feared 
that the same difficulty will again arise. The 
teachers compare their pay and prospects with those 
of teachers in Government employment and are 
dissatisfied. As in the case of Raffles’ the question 
of pension is the chief difficulty.” In 1902 “ the 
.Straits Settlements had acquired a bad name in 
English scholastic circles ” and European masters 
were hard to recruit. Local teachers were worse 
u*4$lno 
