The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-05-22

founded by the late Fukuzawa, the
Gladstone of Japan" and the Waseda
University, founded by Count Okuma,
the Jefferson of Japan"
How thorough these various schools
may be in their work. and how nearly
they approach western standards is
not easy to determine. Much of the
elementary education is necessarily de-
voted to teaching the children to read
and write, for the first thing required
of Japanese student is the ability to
store in his mind a mass of some 5000
to 10000 Chinese characters. This is
an undertaking in itself which would
stagger most Occidentals. By the time
the stage corresponding to the Amer
lean eighth grade is reached, the pupils
are required to begin the study of
English. From that time on the course
in school is quite like that of American
schools, except that English is sub
stituted for Latin. and later on, other
modern languages for Greek.
The Japanese schools care for the
physical as well as the mental we'll
being of their pupils. While the sys-
tenn of gymnastic instruction and medi-
cal examination is not as thorough as
in New York city or some other great
American cities, it must be remember
ed that the Japanese system extends
all over the empire and reaches the
most remote rural community. Thus
the Japanese department of education
is able to tell how MANN children are in
school in the Empire, how many are
robust, medium or weak, how many
have defective eyesight, and what dis
eases are the most prevalent at differ
ent ages of school life. The depart
ment can also tell how many children
in school at the age of fifteen years
were $50 centimetres tall, how many
weighed forty Kilograms and how many
had a chest measurement of seventy
two centimetres. 1t can also tell the
averages of all these statistics and the
percentages of robust boys or fat girls.
The education Of both boys and girls
is practical in essentials from the be-
ginning. the boys being taught BUSH
ness methods and the girls housekeep-
ing from the lowest grades to the high
est. The higher education of girls is
something entirely foreign to the an
Client Japanese notion OF the sphere of
woman, but under the fostering care
of American missionaries several large
schools have been built up. The gov
eminent recognized the good work done
by these Institutions and established
Imperial schools on the same order.
The visitor in Japanese city like
Toxic is apt 10 think that all the peo-
pie are going TO school. The smaller
boys In their sober uniform kimonos
OF blue cotton with white dots are
never out OF sight In the streets. Their
elder brothers. In the glory OF their
wide trousers. are also ubiquitous.
These wide trousers, really flowing
bifurcated skirt, are ceremonial and
correspond In the Japanese code of
polite dressing With the fruck coat OF
western countries The respect paid
to education II Indicated by the fact
that all higher school students wear
this costume Co school.
The Japanese school girl II the only
Japanese woman who wears skirt.
The sklrt Ia usually Of red, although
sometimes OF purple, cloth, u II tied
loosely about the waist and the strings
are on the outside, ny the sign Of the
red or purple skirt one may know the
Japanese school girl anywhere, She II
a dainty little creature and h always
happy, being, as someone has said, the
twin sister OF the Muse OF laughter,
As has been said, Japan believes IN
education, II has accomplished much
In the eighteen years since the EN-
peror founded the present system by
his oft-quoted reseript hut now the
leaders In the work see the money OF
the people going to buy guns and bat
tleshlps and. despite their intense 10y
atty. they are sad In heart. for tho
schools are all too Door