Edward Alexander Irving (24 July 1870 – 24 January 1958) was a British colonial official. He was the firstDirector of Education of Hong Kong, serving from 1909 to 1924. Before that he was the Inspector of Schools from 1901 to 1909.
Irving was born in Bukit Tunggal,Singapore on 24 July 1870. At the age of 21, he joined thePerak Civil Service as a junior officer. He was qualified in law during his service in theMalay States and acquired a knowledge of Malay, Hakka, and Cantonese. He filled various appointments in Perak andSelangor in the Mines Departments and Chinese Protectorate.
Irving was assigned to Hong Kong in April 1901 asInspector of Schools. He also acted asRegistrar-General and member of theLegislative Council of Hong Kong on several occasions.[1] He wrote a report titledThe System of Education in Hong Kong in 1902. On the matter of mixed race schools, Irving thought that the school should be reserved for "scholars of European British Parentage exclusively."[2] He went on to become Hong Kong's firstDirector of Education in 1909, in which he held the position until 1924.
During his stay in Hong Kong, Irving resided at "Kinta,"the Peak.[1] He died on 24 January 1958 in Richmond Road Kingston, Surrey, England. Irving Street onHong Kong Island is named after him. He married Dorothy Mabel Bray and had children named Archibald Denys and Rachel Mary. Archibald was the Second Lieutenant of the 82nd Brigade of theRoyal Field Artillery. He died of wounds on 16 September 1918 inSomme, France.[3] Rachel was one of the first three women admitted to theUniversity of Hong Kong in 1920 withIrene Cheng and Lai Po-chen.
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| Preceded by | Inspector of Schools 1901–1909 | Succeeded by Himself asDirector of Education |
| Preceded by Himself asInspector of Schoolsn | Director of Education 1909–1924 | Succeeded by |