Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-24
SCHOOLS IN China
They Have Curious and Strenu-
GUS Methods of Teaching.

- Nh4LCSC SII4ppaOCg SNNs vi OA-N -.A'N
morning when seven or eight years
old TO enter on his Institutional course.
He makes the most profound obeisance
10 his teacher His parents provide
the table at which and the stool on
which be sits. They 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 memorizing the books
given him. Perhaps a dozen boys.
each a 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 information es
capes his practiced ear. and correc-
ton is frequent
1t is a simple country house. with
its eartheu floor. its unglazed windows
and its air of utter poverty. Our
young hopeful. says the National Re-
view, in due time is introduced to the
''Trimetrical Classic" and the ques-
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. Il
is not meaning. however. that is the
object just now. but sound and mem
orizing.
Then he will be introduced 10 the
book Of surnames. 400 in number. as
another exercise in getting by heart"
after which in parts of the land the
Thousand Character Classic is set.
This is a book consisting of the num-
Der of characters named. no one OF
which IS ever used twice. Still no ex-
PLANTATION is vOuchSafed For all the
learning our youth is gaining he might
with equal profit memorize a 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 COnfucius. the Doctrine
OF the Mean" and the Book of Men
Gus"
As early ms thirteen, it may be. he
will have done the memory work Of
the four books and be capable Of reel
ing of yards. rods. furlorgs 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
weaTisome work in sight now.
As II 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
tTatiOns Of virtue. aims at the cOnstan
renewal of good and so at the attain
ment Of the highest excellence. It:
! ideal is a righteous government over {
( tranquil and happy people. The Doe
/ trfne of the Mean is more strictly in
/ dividua!istic. Correct conduct in ever,
/ stage Of life is its subject.
The chief competitive examination
ere three in number The irst. fo
/ the Situsai or B. A. degree. is held a
, the prefectural city: the second. tn
! Ku-ien. or NJ A. ut the provincial
capital and the third. the Tsiu-shi
or Ii. d. at Picking. In one or othe
Of these the clever youth whose ca
reer we are following may possibl,
find himself in peculiar position a
competitor with his own father or eveI
his grandfather. who. with more pei
severance than luck or brains. keep
''pegging away" year after year ii.
success arriveS-or death.
Many are the attempts at trickery
cribbing, bribery or whatever ma,
bring the candidate sufficiently nea
! the top 10 he one OF the favored fey
who pass" the percentage Of thes
being fractionally small at times. T
guard against fraud there are pre-
cautions such as could never have bee
suggested IN the west.
Every candidate has his own littl
cell In which he works during the day
Of the examination. Not a few di
under the ordeal. Amy essay is goo
which gives a man his NJ. A" say
the proverb, and 'if one comes on
frst on the dragon list there is a chanc
within ten years Of being in the PhOe
nix pool" which being irterprete
means that he who heads the NJ.
list is likely by and by to become
Hanlin. So. indeed. It happens to on
young hopeful now arrived at years O
much discretion. He even becomes tn
Shuang Yuan Of his year the laureat
or senior classic, as he might be name
IN the west
Whereupon on his return TO his ns
i've province he is received with tn
highest honors from the highest pee
pie. the viceroy aiding. and then
curious thing happens. Many OF tn
people Of the province having the sam
surname apply fer the honor Of bein