Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-27

which the japanese attach, and rightly, the
greatest Importance at the present time Is the
detached series OF normal schools Plenty Of
So,petent ana well-trained teachers in elementary
schools tnat Is what they need above all things,
and That they are in n fair way to secure soon
Ihere IS higher normal school In Tokyo, and an
oIuInary normal school In each city and depart
nent. The former educates teachers for the lat
yer, ana the latter educates elementary school
@ lac course is three years for the higher
ana lour years for the ordinary school Candi-
uaCes are selected with great care be-
tween the ages OF seventeen and twenty,
all their expenses personal as well as aca-
| demic, even In their weekly allowance OF pocket
money, being borne by the state or the public
taxes, and In return male graduates OF the nor
MAJ schools are under obligation 70 serve IN
schools for ten years after graduation and for
tnree years In any school TO which the department
or eefation may appoint them ana t Iea ve
years and two years respectively. There Is one
hgher normal school and one female norma!
school at Toxic, and sixtythree In other parts OF
Japan, OF which fourteen are for women; the total
number OF pupils Is 1915 male and $50 female;
anu the Uotai public expense OF tnls Drancn
last census year was 612,0So yen, or f94, l67.
Finally beside all the foregoing, there are no
fewer than 103 special schools, with 5S3 instructors
and S,9l3 pupils. OF these, belong TO the gov
eminent, 40 are public and 80 private and among
them may be mentioned the Tokyo Foreign Lam
guage school, the Tokyo Law School, the Tokyo
Industrial school, the High Commercial School,
the Gymnastic Institution, and the Institute OF
Music. or the old miscellaneous schools over all
Japan, which the department or education declines
10 classify, and most OF which teach japanese and
Chinese literature there are about 1900.
THE SPIRIT OF EDUCATION.
As regards the spirit OF Japanese education,
that was summed up for me In three words by II.
E. Count Mort, minister Of education. "It is our
aim" he said, ito inculcate and develop three
qualities In our peopie-obedience, sympathy, ana
dignity" and have since found these words re-
curing like a shibooleth through all the publica-
tons OF his department.. obedience" his excel
lency added, "0ecau5e only through obedience
come regularity and. serenity OF lfe Our people
rebellion ten years ago has been widespread,
Ior one thing, In making them so. There
lore obedience ranks first among the quail
ties they need sympathy We must inculcate,
because IL Is the GROWING virtue Of civil
ization, and the Indispensable basis OF the
democracy we hope, like other nations to become.
Ism 10 possess sympathy in any great degree, and
without sympathy the best man is but a savage.
Finally, dignity Is the handle OF all the blades OF
character. The Japanese are an impulsive people
ana now That they are about to meet the outside
world on equal terms for the nrst time, the value
OF dignity cannot be OyereStimated. These three
again, are the Characteristic OF an ideal army
lnyarlable obedience, perfect sympathy OF high
with low, and low with high, equal dignity in
victory and In defeat. TO aid in their development
therefore, We have established military drill In
our schools" IL will be seen from this the re-
good hands.
PROMISE FOR THE FUTURE
This Is how the statesmen OF Japan are fulfilling
their seif-lmposed task OF educating the nation,
anu certainly IL Is an astonishing spectacle or en-
lghtenment and perseverance. Other nations
have an educational system which has grown up
WITHIN theln during nany years; their common
people have been familiar VITA school needs and
school duties from childhood; neghbO-ing ma.
lions furnish perpetual educational challenge.
Japan had none or these advantages. Alone of
Asia she determined that all her people should
have the Know ledge OF the West aud the power
that western knowledge brings, and SO she has
thrust aside all difficulties In devlslng and develop
ing her eclectic system, and Is now supporting
IL with such persistence and generosity as pntS
more tnan one European Ldilon 10 shame.
Nothing that i have seen In Japan was more
striking or more significant than the class OF
thlrLy-nve girls taught by an American lady, from
AZ 10 ID perhaps, writing excellent English on
the blackboard, and little Miss TOnJa reciting
In her low, sweet voice and with a delicious
little IOreign accent and piJiful HtOue, Il am
hungry, UeTy hungry, said the spider TO the
n.y. AT the university itself / saw ia vacation
time dozens OF young men eng ged In indepen-
cine and Chemistry and pyslc; / visited laborato-
rle> ntted with apparatus Tor studying any problem
known 10 the scientific world to-day; found thac-
IN I'VE years time there VIII lot Oe position
involving high practical scientific knowledge filled
b. "a foreigner In Japan-the architects, the naval
anu sanitary engineers, the chemical and agricul-
turdl experts, the physicians and surgeons, all
VIII be the graduates OF this Toket Daigakko; 1
walked through the great hospital Of the Medical
school, with It's long wards and pretty whlte-r obed
nurses, and i received u nundredweigLt of the
Journals OF the different branches or the univer-
silly, nlled with articles In English and French and
German on subjects the very titles OF which
lncomprehenslDle. But always came back TO the
thought OF sweet little Miss IOmita and her uerU
hungry spider, as the Que Thing which implies aud
PROMISES most for the civilization and the future