The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-01-03

! anu l~%S--
The ordinary. modern schools Of
Japan are. iusT as they are here. under
! department Of education. and are OF
several kinds: primary normal. middle
and higher girls schools. Aside from
these there are private schools The
primary schools. which must be main
tanned throughout ali the districts. are
Of TWO kinds. the ordinary and the
higher. The former has q fOur-years'
course and the subjects taught are
morals Il. politeness). reading. arith-
metic. gymnastics, drawing, singing or
some kind of hand work. AID for girls.
sewing NAV be added. In the higher
primary schools-time, Two 70 four
| years-there are given lessons IN agrl-
| culture. hand work or business, and
English. Children are obliged 10 at
tend school from the ages of six 10
fourteen, inclusive.
Normal schools. middle schools ana
higher girls schools must be main
tanned under the supervision Of proyIn-
ciaI officers. and there can be one or
more of each Of these schools, accord
ing to circumstances. Each community
pays for its own schools.
There are al present higher girls
schools in almost every district. There
is also higher woman normal school
which trains women TO teach IN the
higher girls schools. So much for the
ordinary opportunities of receiving an
education in Japan These are public.
The private, missionary schools are Of
special interest TO Us. They were the
pioneers in Introducing anything like
higher education for women. They ann,
OF course. to develop the heart as well
as the head-to turn out good, all
round Christian women. The main Ques-
ton they have been and are solving Is,
= How shall this be accomplished2 !
Shall a course of study similar TO that
offered 10 American girls be adopted, !
and If not. where shall II differ? The |
conclusion which has been reached inH
most Of the schools Is the sensible one
that local conditions must decide what j
course IS 10 be adopted. japanese girls |
are TO he trained 10 i've in Japan, not |
in America. TO conform 10 japanese
rules OF etiquette, not TO American. 70 /
become wives Of japanese men. most Of /
whom have very few, if any, American.
ideas. These girls are not to be edu-
Gated away from their people. hut 70
have in1-iiiel into them principles Of
truth. honesty. nohleness - Of real
Christianity the desire 10 raise the
standard Of ideas and of living among
their own people.
At first many Of the missionary
schools of Japan made the mistake OF
negleeting to instruct their pupils in
japanese pOliteness. so that when these
pupils left the schools, although they
had made great strides, intellectually
and morally. they were considered very
crude from the japanese standpoint,
and on account OF this. had less intiu-
ence over their own people than they
would have had If they had had the
usual polite mann rs Of the japanese.
Flower arrangement and ceremonial
tea can not afford 10 be omitted from
the curriculum of the missionary
schools: they are far more important
for japanese girls than Greek and
Latin There Is one girls school IN
Japan where these two language are
taught. but IN the majority of the miss
sionarv schools. English takes their
place. and Chinese takes the place of
French and German with Us. This
seems far more sensible than the for
ner- Mathematics are not liked gener-
lily by japanese girls, most likely be
.ause they. as class. are decidedly
aeking in ability TO pursue this line
IF work. but in some of the schools. a
decided effort Is being made to have
hem overcome this inaptitude.
A very important thing TO be taught
: the idea of the dignity of labor.
Most 0rientals feel that any kind of :
manual labor is degrading, and a little
earning soon makes them feel above
uch labor. In this point the mission
nv schools are strong. and have done
IN inestimable service to the whole
The music which the Japanese girls
ire taught in the mission schools Is of
great value, especially TO those of the
urls who take part in Sunday school
md church work We all know the
Tarlnese are a2t specially noted for .
heir singing. and girls trained in the
mission schools are the main depend
nee for this work. II seems to me also :
hat this musical training IS very i'm ;
'ortant in helping 10 raise the estimate
laced upon the women by the men. I
surely a woman who IS able TO play ,
Ome instrument well and to sing well,
an not help but be more highly re- :
,arded by her husband than she would ,
'e If she did not possess this ability. .
Ne all know that japanese men look
pon their wives as inferior beings. ana
-nything in the educational line that
vii help 10 break down this feeling {
an not help but be Of great value
II IS difficult for japanese women to
ssert themselves in any way, 10 stand I
p for their own principles if they are :
Nth persons who think differently from p
themselves. This Is easily understood \
rhen We remember that they have been :
aught for centuries TO have no viii Y
part from husband or brother or son. p
hey have been and are still taught in y
heir homes, from earliest infancy. TO I
ubdue their wills entirely: never 10 :
how the least sign of passion or re- n
eminent or dIspleasure. no matter how 7
rylnE the circumstances NAV be: and e.
OF only must they conceal their true T
ceilings entirely. but they must even i