The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-01-05

, culture. hand work or business, and
English. Children are Obliged 20 at
tend school from the ages Of six "a
fourteen, inclusive
Normal schools. middle schools and
higher girls schools must be main
tanned under the supervision Of provin
cial officers, and there can be one OF
more of each Of these schools, accord
ing 70 circumstances. Each community
pays for its own schools.
There are at present higher girls
schools in almost every district. There
is also higher woman's 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 aim,
of course, to develop the heart as well
as the head-to turn out good, all
round Christian women. The main ques-
tion they have been and are solving is,
How shall this be accomplished
Shall course of study similar to that
offered to American girls be adopted,
and if not, where shall it differH The
conclusion which has been reached in
most of the schools is the sensible one
that local conditions must decide what
course is to be adopted. japanese girls
are to be trained to live in Japan, not
in America, to conform to japanese
rules of etiquette, not to American, to
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, but to
have instilled into them principles Of
truth, honesty, nobleness - of real
Christianity-and the desire to 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
neglecting 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 influ-
ence over their own people than they
would have had if they had had the
usual polite manners of the japanese.
Flower arrangement and ceremonial
tea can not afford to 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 languages are
taught, but in the majority of the mis-
sionary schools, English takes their
II, ~
French and German with us. This
seems far more sensible than the for
mer. Mathematics are not liked gener-
ally by japanese girls, most likely be-
cause they, as n class, are decidedly
lacking in ability to pursue this line
of work, but in some of the schools, a
decided effort is being made to have
them overcome this inaptitude.
A very important thing to be taught
is the idea of the dignity of labor.
Most Orientals feel that any kind of
manual labor is degrading, and a little
learning soon makes them feel above
such labor. In this point, the mission
airy schools are strong, and have done
an inestimable service to the whole
country.
The music which the japanese girls
are taught in the mission schools is of
great value, especially to those of the
girls who take part in Sunday school
and church work. We all know the
Japanese are not specially noted fol-
their singing, and girls trained in the
mission schools are the main depend.
ence for this work. 1t seems to me also
! that this musical training is very i'm
. IN, n, 20 ha ut n
| placed upon the women by the men.
Surely a woman who is able to play
some instrument well and to sing well,
can not help but be more highly re-
garded by her husband than she would
he if she did not possess this ability.
We all know that japanese men look
upon their wives as inferior beings, ana
anything in the educational line that
will help to break down this feeling
can not help but be of great value.
1t is difficult for Japanese women ia
assert themselves in any way, to stand
up tor their own principles if they are
with persons who think differently from
themselves. This 10 easily understood
when we remember tnat they have been
! taught for centuries to have no will
apart from husband or brother or SON
They have been and are still taught in
their homes, from earliest infancy, to
subdue their wills entirely; never to
show the least sign of passion or re-
sentiment or displeasure, no matter how
trying the circumstances may be; and
not only must they conceal their true
feelings entirely, but they must even
smile and appear pleased. This is really
the secret of japanese politeness, and
women, especially, are supposed never
to vary from this ruls.
The large number of schools in Japan
will probably be surprise to many OF
us. There are 27,010 primary, Is blind
deaf and dumb, "a normal, higher nor.
NAL, 243 middle, 20 higher girls s high
> universities, 81 special, 40l technical
and l474 others; total of 1885. OF
course only small part of these ar,
Christian schools.
An effort was made to bring the gooC
news of Christianity to japanese womel
in 1895, but the way was not then open
and not much was accomplished till tel
years later, when Miss Mary +. Kid
der went to Japan as missionary teach
err. She established school which
now the Ferris Seminary at Yokohamg
Since that time many other mission