The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-05-17
TALK On PHASES OF
CHINESE EDUCATION

Rev. z. W. Thwing addressed the
Kamehameha students last evening as
follows on THE New Education in
China:
China by her educational, CONNER
cial and military development is pre-
pairing. in the near future, to take a
leading part in the affairs of the East.
China is so vast that she can put 4O,-
COO, 900 men in the field and still have
40, 100000 to cultivate the land.
THE millions of this empire have a
high decree of civilization of their
own, and are also now fast taking on
the education of the West
Take one province-out of the
twenty-one that make up the empire
and note the remarkable progress.
Chilli, the northern province, in which
is Peking, has now over nine thousand
new schools where Western learning is
taught. There are about $4,000 stu
dents in the public schools of this
province. There are nearly two hun
bred girls schools. There is a uniyer-
sity, a provincial college, as well as
higher normal schools, besides medi-
cal, engineering, agricultural and min
ing colleges. English is taught in
more than a hundred of these schools
and colleges. Manual training is an
important feature in the new educa-
tional system. Physical exercise, base
bail, football and tennis. are helping to
make new China. This is but one Prov
ince, and the same transformation is
taking place all over the empire This
educational reform is largely the work
of four or five years. since the inpe-
rial edict of 1905 doing away with the
old-style examinations.
There are some two hundred schools
in Picking. directly under the Board
of Education, which have over Il. 900
students. About the same number are
found in the city of Marking, where
III. e. Tuan FaEg takes a special in
terest in the new education He was
the special imperial commissioner who
visited Hawaii and the United States
in 1906, to study education and West
ern methods. He has a kindergarten
next to his own yamen, or official resi-
dence, in which he takes a deep in
terest. He believes in the education
of women. and that they make the
best primary teachers. He said:
Women make fine teachers; they are
real patriotic and are most loyal to-
the government
Reports from the far west in Sc
Chuen; from the south, Foochow and
Canton, tell the same story-that the
new education is in full force. The
old schools are no more; everywhere
one sees the young student in cap and
uniform. There can be no successful
reaction in China now.
Temples have been turned into col
leges. Many fine new public school
buildings are being erected in foreign
style In Tientsin, money wasted on
paper offerings for the dead has been
diverted to help the new education.
1T is difficult to realize or overesti-
mate the far-reaching results of this
modern education movement. 1t is de-
veloping a new national spirit A
common language, mandarin. viii
come into use to take the place of the
many dialects.
"A vast empire like China-not di-
vided, but bound together with thou
sands of miles of steel railroads, with
a common education, a common Ian
guage, and with her great resources
almost untouched--what is there that
she can not accomplish? It will take
time, but the progress is faster and
more amazing every year. China is
now awake. and in few more years,
with her new education, with her ma
tional spirit, and with her new army
and navy, she can take her right place
in the great family of nations.
China really feels most friendly to-
ward America. Her young men. more
and more. are being educated there.
Recently over one hundred Chinese
students were introduced to the Presi-
dent at Washington by the Chinese
Minister China and America are
| joined together by much of common
| interest. Trade and progress, with a
better understanding, will bring these
| nations still closer together. May this
| friendly alliance for mutual benefit
/ ever be the promise of the peace OF
the Pacific and the peace of tbs
| world!'