New-York tribune., 1906-07-01
CHINA LOOKS WESTWARD.
Prepares to Educate Her People by
Modern Method.

China is becoming fully awake to the fact that
her future commercial Importance will depend very
largely on the education Of her people in the ideas
Of the West from which so much Of her trade must
be drawn The government. realizing this. is
making active efforts TO establish educational
methods which will open to its subjects the paths
of business on the treading of which in the future
the nation has resolved and the indications are
that In the very near future &c will be quite as
easy for the average business man to transact his
business in China as It is now IN other foreign
lands.
The Peking government took it's first new edu-
cational step in 19O3 when a commission Of one
Manchu and two Chinese high officials. was ap-
pointed TO study the situation and :report as to
the most feasible course for China 70 pursue. The
old method Of comforting literary degrees by hold
ing biennial and triennial examinations as means
to encourage self-education was abolished in No
vember 1905, and the authority TO coafer degrees is
now vested in the university and colleges to be es-
tablished under the control of the government in
Peking board of education has been created to
devise means to introduce Western education and
an elaborate system of schools Of different grades
has been established. The plan is TO have one or
more elementary schools in every magstracy, mid
die schools in prefectuTes, colleges at the capitals
of the provinces and university at Peking in ad-
dition to normal schools for teachers at points
which may be Judged advisable. In view of what
Japan has accomplished in recent years, China is
looking to her model and for help, and it has
been openly announced by Chinese statesmen that
their aim is to pattern the university OF Peking
after the Toxic University.
Under the present law of China education is not
compulsory. Chinese boys when they reach the
age OF years are eligible to enter elementary
schools, which are divided into two grades. the
first and second, with five and four year courses
tary school includes eight different subjects, moral
training. Chinese classics, Chinese literature, arith
metic, history. geography. sciences and gymnastic
exercises. In addition TO these the second class
ject Instruction is given in these Schools in the
mandarin dialect and no foreign language is taught
The 1ve-year curric ulum in the latter includes
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student. The curriculum also includes physics,
After being graduated from the middle school the
student can apply for for Admission % , TO- M M;6ege where
in which specialized courses Of law, medicine and
English is compulsory in the college. the other for
eign languages being elective The courses as
practical technical professional instruction but
theoretical stage the university still lacking appa
ratus and instructors; its proposed housing being
These Chinese schools are not public schools in
me AegicanI sense Inc matter OF support is Ieit
vncial officials. in turn leave it to the officials OF
now existing in line with this plan of education are
supported largely by tuition paid by the pupils, by
and by any other means which may be available. In
taxes is set aside 'or the establishment and
maintenance Of the schools: In practically all of
port is more or less precarious and unsatsfactory
No doubt one reason why more Chinese students
have visited the United States in the last year
is because of the immigration restrictions. 4 year
ago there were about twenty-five hundred Chinese
students in japan. and there fully a
thousand more. There Is, on the part of the Chi
nese officials concerned a strongly marked dsposi-
tien TO send students who intend studying abroad
to Japan rather than to European countries or the
United States The anti American feeling OF the
last ten months has been furthered by students
more than by any other element, The business re-
threatened more by this non commercial part of
TaSlllf OT
the adoption OF this new system Of education ought
be tantly increasing demand for all classes
Of foreign goods. for foreign books instruments and
appliances and for machinery Of all kinds; indeed.
fer all those articles Of foreign manufacture which
go make up Western civilization at the present
time. general demand for such goods must not
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