Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-10
EDUCATION IN CHINA
Remarkable Progress Made
in the Recent Movement.
TEACHERS IN DEMAND
OFFICIALS MUST BE ACQUAINTED
WITH SCIENCE AND HISTORY.
Examples of the Topics Discussed by
TEACHERS I'M DEMAND
Examples of the Topics Discussed by
the enthusiastically of the
Proper Text Books.
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star and
| Chicago Record Herald
AT SEA. August TO- 1904.
A craze for modern education has sprung
up in China within the last year or two
which is due not so much to a desire for
| learning, but to the fact that the govern
| ment is carrying into effect an edict issued
| by the emperor in 1S97-and revoked by MS
| aunt few months disappointing that
candidates for Office should after three
| years be examined in the modern languages
| and sciences instead of the maxims of Con-
| fucius and the wisdom of the ancient sagas
| This Is the most radical and remarkable
change that has occurred in China for
many years. 1t means that the methods
| used for centuries have been discarded and
| those practiced by the despised foreign
devils to be substituted. In some of
| the provinces the change has already taken
| place. While it is not expected that the
ethics and morals taught by Confucius will
be ignored the fiat has gone forth that the
future rulers of the empire, from the mem
bers of the ministry to the lowest mag1s-
trate, must be familiar with modern his
| tory, geography, political economy, finance
and the applied sciences. Hitherto the gov
eminent has selected the captain of ship
| because of his knowledge of literature and
ethics instead of navigation, and the COM
manderS of it's army have been chosen be-
cause of their profound learning instead of
their courage and knowledge of military
| tactics.
The Empress Dowager Yields.
Incredible 1t may SEEM the empress
dowager has actually adopted this and
other reforms proposed by her unfortunate
| nephew in 1893 at the suggestion of kang
Yu Wei and other "progressives' whom
she has since banished or beheaded in order
to extingush the fires they kindled But
that heroic remedy failed While the origi-
nal reformers were practically extermi-
mated, the ideas they advanced and circu-
lated are immortal and have spread so rap
idly in China that the stubborn old lady
dare not attempt to resist them. She has
yielded at last, how reluctantly no one
seems to know. Her change of policy
seems to be genuine and permanent because
she has ordered the establishment OF
schools and colleges throughout the entire
empire in order that candidates for office
and degrees may have an opportunity TO
prepare themselves for the examinations
by acquiring western learning.
These examination are held all over the
empire once a year under the direction OF
! special examiners appointed by the govern
ment at Picking. At the provincial capitals
| are gathered the officials, of the highest
grades and scholars of the greatest learn
ing, but the larger number of candidates
/ appear at the capitals of the several pre-
tectS
of September each year all candidates for
| the degree of B. A.-which a must
| hold to be eligible to offlce-appear at the
| capitals of the projects, and men who hold
| B. A. degrees appear at each of the eigh-
| teen provincial capitals for examination for
| the NJ. A. degree, which is necessary for
| appointment for higher offices. And so the
examinations continue as long as there are
candidates, up to the very highest grade or
office.
Candidates Write Essays.
They are conducted very much differently
from ours 1t is not customary to ask ques-
lions, either oral written, but each candi-
date is furnished with a series of topics
upon which he is expected to write essays,
and he is marked according to the merit Of
his composition, judged from their literary
style the penmanship and the information
they convey The examination halls are sur
rounded by one-story buildings partitioned
off into little cells like those in a peniten-
tiary. Each candidate takes his own food
and bedding and is furnished with a chair,
a able a pen, a tablet of ink and guam
tity of stationery of peculiar style and
quality which cannot be initiated. And he
must remain in his cell until he has COM
pleted his essays. Every possible precaution
is observed to prevent candidates from OBJ
tanning a permanent knowledge of the sub
jects to be written upon, or communicating
with sources of information on those sub
jects outside. They are not allowed to see
any one or consult any works of reference,
but in preparing their compositions they.
must depend entirely upon their memories
and their general knowledge. When they
have completed their essays they hand them
in to the presiding officer, who occupies
central pavilion. Their names and addresses
are recorded by the clerks with number
corresponding to that placed upon their
essays. After the close Of the examination
the manuscripts are read by a board of
professional critics and. examiners, and
each is marked according to their judg
Of it-v To nh tair
to become eligible for an Office, candidate
must have very high marks, and of the
| total of 10000 candidates who appear an
nually not more than per cent are sue
cessful.
Ignorant on Modern Topics
| Last year the number was even lower, be-
| cause the questions in several of the prov
| inces related to modern subjects upon which
| the candidates had very little information
For example, in the province Of Human
which is the most primitive and backward
| Of all China so far western learning and
| customs are concerned one of the questions
| upon which every man had to write an es-
| say was as follows:
1.-The sovereignty of Russia Is absolute, of
| England limited of America elective. Which
| of these would be the most useful and which
| the most Injurious to China?p
| Another perplexing topic proposed at the
| examinations in the province of Hupah was:
when Japan reformed her government
| after western methods some say she was
| right, others say she made mistakes. Ex-
plain the mistakes clearly, define the advan-
| tages gained by Japan and show how China
| should proceed to derive the greatest de-
gree of benefit by initiating Japans exam
| pie" fet
In the province of Kiangsu these two
| questions were asked:
| when did the gold standard arise In
| commerce and why is gold getting dearer?
Who are the leaders of gold and silver
standards?" So
According to international law, has one
nation any right to interfere with the in
| ternal affairs of another nation, and if so
( under what circumstances?
| At Fukein the questions We're:
What advantages are to be derived from
the study of foreign agriculture, commerce,
| industries and systems of government
! (Which western nations have paid the
| most attention to education and what has
/ been the result in each?"
| (Which are the best coloniZers?'
"Why is the government of Switzerland,
| though weak, independent of the surround
ing great powers? Is 1t due to the education.
| the industry and the patriotism Of her peo-
| ple?''
In Hupah province the candidates were
| asked:
What were the educational systems of