The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-04-25
SCHOOLS IN CHINA
They Have Curious and Strenu-
Gus Methods of Teaching.
AMAZING FEtTS OF MEMORY.

For Years the Pupils Are Kept "Get.
ting by Heart" Books Of Which They
Have No Understanding, After
Which Comes the Explanation.
A Chinese schoolboy sets of one fine
morning when seven or eight years
old to enter ON his instructional course.
He makes the most profound obeisance
to his teacher. His parents provide
the table at which and the stool on
which he sits TLey also supply the
-four precious articles" the ink slab.
the ink cake. the pen or brush for writ
ing and the paper.
He will have no need at first Of the
writing materials. all his time being
employed in memolizing the books
given him. Perhaps a dozen boys.
each class by himself. are busy on
his entry. Each is shouting his task
at the top of his voice. the teacher
sitting at his table in all the SOM
nolent wakefulness Of a judge. No
wrong pronunciation or intonation ,es
capes his practiced ear. and correc
ton is frequent.
1t Is simple country house. with
it's earthen floor. its unglaZed windows
and it's air of utter poverty Our
young hopeful. says the National Re-
view. in due time is introduced to the
''Trimetricai Classic" and the cues
tionable statement. which forms its
very threshold. that "men at birth are
radically good" so set in classical
| form that he has no more idea Of its
| meaning than If it were in Greek. 1t
is not meaning. however. that is the
| obje;-t just now. but sound and mem
| orizing.
Then he will be introduced TO the
book of surnames. 400 in number. as
| another exercise in getting by heart"
after which in parts Of the land tie
Thousand Character Classic" is srt.
| This Is a book consisting of the Nun
| ber Of character; named no one If
which is ever used twice. Still no cz
| PLANTATION is YOU; hsafed For all The
learning our youth is ginning he might
with equal profit memorize number
! Of auction catalogues. He is given in
varying order according to the custom
followed by his teacher. the four sacred
books-the Great Learning" also
known as The Door Of Virtue" the
"Analccts" of Confu.ius. the Doctrine
of the Mean" and the Book of Mem
cius''
AS early as thirteen. it may be. he
will have done the memory work Of
the four books and be cami!e Uf reel
ing off yards. rods. furlon"s or miles"
OF learning. Then enlightenment in
the form of explanation begins Dark
ness is made visible. and education
may be said to have begun There is
wearisome work in sight now
AS If the books themselves were not
Of sufficient difficulty. there are end
less commentaries after the fashion of
/ our own on the Bible or Shakespeare.
The Great Learning" provides illus
| trations OF virtue. aims ut the constant
renewal of good and 50 at the attain
ment of the highest excellence. Its
ideal is righteous government over a
tranquil and happy people. The Doc
trine Of tho Mean" is more strictly in
dividualistic Correct conduct in every
stage Of life IS its subject.
The chief competitive examinati tons
are three in number The first for
the Situsai. or B. A. degree. is held at
the prefectural city: the second. The
Ku-jen. or NJ. A.. at the provincial
capital. and the third. the Tsin-shi.
or LII. D., at Peking In ono or other
Of these the clever youth whose ca
reer we are following may possibly
find himself in peculiar position as
competitor with his own father or even
his grandfather. who. with more per-
severance than luck or brains. Keeps
''pegging away" year after year till
success arriveS-Or death
Many are the attempts at trickery.
cribbing. bribery or whatever may
bring the candidate sufficiently near
the top to be one Of the favored few
who pass. the percentage of these
being fractionally small at times To
guard against fraud there are pre-
cautions such rs could never have been
suggested IN the west.
Every candidate has his own little
cell in which he works during the days
of the exa wination Not few die
under the urdeal ANY essay is good
which gives n man his NJ A." says
the proverb. and .'if one comes out
first on the dragon list there Is n chance
within ten years Of being In the Phoe
nix pool" which being interpreted
means that he who heads the NJ. A
list is likely by and by to become
Hanlin. So. indeed. it happens 10 ou'
young hopeful now arrived at years OF
much discretion. He even becomes tut
Shuang Yuan of his year. the laureate
or senior classic. as he might he named
IN the west.
Whereupon on his return tn his ma
tive province he Is received with The
highest honors from the highest Deo
pie. the viceroy leading. and then 1
curious thing happens. MANY Of thu
, people Of the province having the sam'
surname apply for the honor Of bein.
permitted to worship at the ancestra
ball Of the successful genius and &C
: company their appeals with yaluabl
persuasives They thus establish
claim to relationship with the ami
. | ahlo doSiro cf having a friend at court