The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1917-12-27
Meeting China's Need
For Vocational Training
(By Roy Ovid Hall, Editorial Depart
ment, Alexander Hamilton Insti-
tute, and Formerly Principal
of the Peking School of
Commerce.)

| In the past 1000 years the tradi-
tions in Chinese education have been
almost entirely literary and philoso-
phical. In China, where the rank of
scholar is held in such esteem, it is
but natural that much emphasis, if
not at times sole emphasis, should
have been placed on the assimilation
by China's youth of literary and phi
losophical classics. Earliest childhood
used to find the Chinese child learn
ing by rote and storing away in his
memory much that took EcarG of
growth to understand. And there is
much to be said in favor of the sys-
tenn, though it has given way, and
must give way completely to the needs
of the new China. The coming Of for
China has created need of young
men trained in vocations, and it is safe
to predict that the next few years
will see a strong tendency toward the
schools and the broadening Of those al
ready established.
Though there is tendency notice
able already among the government
and mission schools and colleges to
undertake vocational training, they
have for the most part chung close to
the old type of education, differen-
tiating only among the lines of medi-
cine, law, science and engineering. AS
in other countries, however, China ;
private schools are blazing the trail Of
vocational education, and perhaps the
prime leader in this movement has
been the y. M. G.. A.
1t was Robert r. Galley of the Pek-
ing Y. NJ. G.. A. who dreamed the
dream Of vast chain of vocational
schools which would reach out from
Y. M. c. A. centers all over the
country to offer young Chinese the
tools with which to build a new indus
triel China. His plans for CONNER
ial, industrial and agricultural branch
es, and although schools of commerce
have already been established and are
in flourishing condition in Shanghai
and other centers, the Peking school
Of Commerce at present stands head
and shoulders above the rest.
! Beginning in 1914 with 80 students,
the Peking School of Commerce en-
rolled 260 last year, a number which
would have been greatly augmented
but for the disturbed political condi-
tions. Students are already coming
from the most remote provinces, and
the school promises to have a very
rapid growth. Princeton is for the
most part represented on the teaching
staff, but Columbia and other Ameri-
can universities, as we'll as some mis-
Courses in English, bookkeeping, type
writing, banking, accountancy and
other commercial subjects are in COM
petent hands, and the demand in busi-
ness offices for graduates of this
course speaks well for the efficiency
of the methods employed. The two
classes already graduated were all
placed in positions shortly after their
graduation. Among foreign employ
ers of these graduates are the Inter
national Banking Corporation, the
Standard Oil Company, tn cBritish-
American Tobacco Company, Cook :
Tours, the China American Trading
Company, and the American Legation.
They arc employed not only for the
different functions Of business Of
flee, but also as interpreters and
"mddlemen."
| The Chinese are natural born stu
dents, and undoubtedly take to com
mcrcial education for the love of il;
but the fact that commercial graduates
command comparatively high salaries
has contributed appreciably to their
cagncrness to learn. At any rate
there is a growing demand for more
schools Of this sort and the govern
mcnt schools are following the exam
pie Of the private chools. The higher
normal schools in Pcking has a model
course in industrial work; the prepar-
atOry school of the Government Uni
vcrsity at Peking is installing a de-
partment Of commercial cducation;
and there are growing up under gov
ernment care innumcrable schools for
the teaching of the cotton industry.
Here, also, the Y. NJ. c. A. anticipated
the trend; for tho Peking School of
Commerce has had for some time as
adjunctS an Industrial school teaching
machine shop work, drafting and de