Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-28
EDUCATION IN JAPAN
NEARLY $1,000 ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS IN THE EMPIRE.
Extraordinary Facilities for Secondary
and University Instruction
= Pupils Enrolled.
Prom the New York Sun.

Prom the New York Sun.
The extraordinary facilities for ele-
mentary secondary and university fnstruc-
ton now offered in Japan will be found
described in the latest annual report pub
lished at Toxic by the minister of educa-
tion. The signer of the report, Baron XII
kuchi Dairoku, not only graduated some
thirty years ago at the University of Cam
bridge England. but took a high place In
the wranglers' list. After his return to his
native country he became professor of
mathematics at the University of Toxic,
and is regarded as the highest Japanese
authority In educational affairs. The facts
set forth in his report are likely to surprise
many persons unfamiliar with the efforts
that have long been made to extinguish
illiteracy in the mkado's empire.
1t appears that in Japan, during the
school year just ended. the percentage OF
children Of school age receiving the pre-
scribed course of elementary instruction
was 90.35 for boys and III for girls The
total number of elementary schools was
nearly 81 900. The number of teachers fell
but a little short of $4,000 and the total
number of children in the schools exceeded
1853, 600. The percentage of the enrolled
pupils who attended daily was 81 per
cent These are remarkable figures, and 1t
is no less noteworthy that the training of
both male and female teachers for the ele-
mentary schools receives careful attention.
and that the appliances and hygienic con-
ditionS of the school buildings are under
going continual Improvement.
Special Schools.
As regards the next higher grade of in
struction, there are now seven secondary
schools. in different parts of Japan, which
are intended as preparatory for the uni
versities There are also number of spe-
cial schools in which the direct practical
applications of the subjects studied are
kept in view. Thus in the Toxic Foreign
Languages School the following eight Ian
guages are taught: English. French, Ger
man. Russian. Italian, Spanish, Chinese
and Corean. The Toxic Fine Arts School
provides five courses of study, including
painting, designing, sculpture, architecture
and Industrial fine arts. The Toxic Acad-
envy of Music furnishes complete 1nStruc-
ton in both Japanese and foreign music
There are technical schools intended to pre-
pare men to take charge OF industrial oper-
atoms. Thus the agricultural school at
Supporo is designed to train agriculturists
for the Island of Yezo which is to japan
what Alaska is to the United States. The
Toxic Technical School trains managers
and foremen of factories. and similar in
stitution. already fully equipped has been
started in Osaka Even the commercial
aspect of education is not overlooked; the
higher commercial school in Toxic has fif-
ty-three instructors and 666 pupils.
Universities in Japan.
There are in Japan two universities,
namely, the Imperial University of Toxic
and the Imperial University of Kyoto. The
former comprises university hall and six
colleges of law, medicine, engineering lit
erature, science and agriculture. The Col
lege of Engineering offers nine courses, to
wit: Civil engineering, mechanical engi-
neering electrical engineering, naval archi-
lecture, technology of arms, civil architec-
ture, applied chemistry, technology of ex-
plosves and mining and metallurgy The
total number of resident instructors is 222,
and there are thirty-five assistant profess
studying in foreign countries The
students number 2, $50, and include eleven
foreigners, one of them a native of the
United States. The University of Kyoto.
though founded much later than that of
Toxic includes. besides the university hall,
colleges of law, of medicine and of science
and engineering. The College of Science
and Engineering provides courses in mathe-
MATES, physics, pure chemistry chemical
technology, civil, mechanical and electrical
engineering and mining and metallurgy.
There are already twenty-five professors
and 1856 students.
When we add that there are laboratories
for special purposes and many public libra
ries, are in a position to appreciate the
astonishing progress in education made by
JaDan within thirty wears