The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-19

DC dl all CTeultdDle, and under the impress
sion that native aspirants would be glad to
give it decent patronage, the government
revived it at Calacca last year. A building
was prepared on the sea front, and induce
ments put out for students. BY June the
attendance had reached thirty-four, TWEEN
ty-four of whom were to be trained for the
service of the colony. with an allowance for
each of 81 per month for board. to be fur
nished at that price on the premises, and
$50 each per month for pocket money. For
the remaining twelve, to be prepared 10
teach in the native states, the government
contributed SO per month on account OF
each, Of which $3.50 was to pay for tuition,
the students to have the remainder. At the
examination in November the best student
got 331 out of a possible 40 marks and four
were dropped on account of poor work. One
had been dismissed for bad behavior. AT
about that time beri beri appeared, caus-
ing the death OF two students.
In spite of the appearance of disease and
of examination results far from satisfac-
tory, the head of the college seemed toler-
ably pleased with results. He thought beri
beri might be successfully combated there
after by the construction of native huts for
lodging, the boys having previously slept
on mats spread on European floors. He be-
lieved room might be had for ten such
huts without undue encrOachment on the
football ground. 1t pleased him to report
that the students had taken eagerly to foot
ball, having beaten both local teams and a
team up country. They also enjoyed sew
eral outings into nearby districts. He hoped
to start a gymnasium and a boat club for
them. If they could only have good health,
he saw no reason why the college should
not be a great success, and fully repay the
government for the money expended on it.
1t cannot be said that this optimistic view
is enthusiastically shared in any quarter,
except in respect to the games, regarding
which there is no doubt that the boys will
make fine progress. But as the rest does
rot much matter, no one is losing sleep
over it.
CHINESE KEEP I'll BALANCE.
Malay neglect, fortunately, is not fatal to
the general school balance, for the Chinese
right it. They wish to know everything
useful that can be learned. and especially
English. One of the merits of a Chinese
coolie is that he intends his son to be an
improvement upon himself. He will trudge
cheerfully through life Juggling baskets at
llIC 0Odk TIC - VI bNAiNAAS Aio
under truck yet more mental, and will pay
out all his scant earnings above bare living
allowance, if thereby he can fit his boy to
enter a commercial house or make a start
on his own account in a small business.
Straits born Chinese, with very few ex-
ceptions, trace back to a coolie ancestry.
They fill places of trust, supply the colony
with the bulk Of its revenue and the mar
kets with most of the business that the
colony yields in native and neighboring
trade, and constitute the landlord class in
every settlement. They were educated in
the local schools. The great mass of coolies
know only their own dialects, but the
Straits Chinese speak English and keep in
touch with current local affairs. Many
Chinese boys attend Chinese or vernacular
schools, which open at Z in the morning.
By special arrangement they may be ex-
cused after about three hours, and get the
benefit of attendance Of nearly two hours
at English schools. Many Of them do 1t,
and keep at it until they finish all the
ordinary grades.
Their purpose is wholly utilitarian. It
means dollars to them. Beyond prepara-
ton for dollar-making few nave cared to
go, but it is the testimony of teachers that
in order to learn what they wish to know
the Chinese children are more industrious
than any other class. They have to pay
fees when they attend other than vernacu-
lar schools, and a single case is yet to be
reported in which a Chinese did not devote
himself with all his might to getting the
worth Of his money. In some of the schools
provision has been made for commercial
classes, which, it is believed, the Chinese
will favor, although the movement is not
made specially in their behalf. Stenog-
raphy, typewriting. commercial arithmetic
and composition are to be taught, with
such other training as may fit students for
clerkships. This work is yet too new to
speak definitely of results, classes having
been announced in only two schools; but it
is in the line Of Chinese aim and predic-
ton Of support from that quarter is quite
safe. There are about 5000 Chinese of
school age in the colony, and except in
the country districts, or wherever else
schools may be inaccessible, the schoo at
tendance among them is fully up to the
normal, according to modern standards.
This appears in the public resigsters which
show the poulation of school age, aside
from Malays and Chinese, to consist of 242
Europeans, go Eurasians and 3.422 Tamils.
Since the public school attendance is about
1900, and is normal for Eurasions and
Europeans, and below normal for Tamils.
the Chinese at school number at least as
many as the Malays. If the hordes of
Chinese who enter the colony every year
as coolies brought with them their fam
lilies the schools could not axe care of the
children OF that race alone; but as the
coolies come only to earn enough for an
easy spell at home the proportion of women
and children arriving newly is very small.
School maintenance amounts in silver to
less than 1872, 900. Of this amount about
$4,000 was paid IN grants to aided schools.
S22,J0 went toward the support of govern
ment English schools, the Malay vernacu-
lar schools received more than $50, 900, and
the Malay Teachers College more than
$4,000. School outlay amounted to less than
3 per cent. of the revenue of the colony.
Government thus paid out on the educa-
ton of Malay children an average of some
thing in excess of 50 per head last year.
Attendance and outlay run about the same
every year.
EURASIANS A HINDRANCE.
In the English schools. while no fault is
to be found on account of attendance. the
Eurasian element appears to be a him
drance to progress in the primary grades.
/ MANY Of +haza -,,;re 5--oo-I - -.