SCHOOLS IN CHINA AND JAPAN.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1413, 19 November 1904, Page 4

SCHOOLS IN CHINA AND JAPAN.

When a little Chinese boy is six years old he is sent to school. This is a very important event, and often a'fortune-teller is consulted, that. a lucky day may be chosen. When the selected day arrives at last the boy lias his head clean shaven and his pgtail nicely plaited. Then, wearing perfectly new clothes and carrying in his wide sleeves his book, slate and favorite toys, he walks gravely beside his father until the school is reached. Arrived there, he marches up to the stern-looking man who sits before a large desk". This is the teacher, and every newpupil offers him a present. Next the little stranger burns some incense before a tablet bearing the name of Confucius. After this he is ready to take his seat, and lie is given one of the small desks with a high stool Hx-hind it. Upon this desk an; a little camel's hair brush, a cake of. Indian Ink, an ink stone and a small jar of water. When he learns to write it will not be with a pen, but with the camel's hair brush, which he will dip in his ink after it has been wet in the water and rubbed off on the stone. Nor wiil he learn an alphabet f\s we do,

but there arc about two hundred root words, or sounds, which he must get into his poor little shaved head, and after all that comes memorising; theclassic writings of Confucius .and other authors. His studying and reading are done in iho noisest way possible. Ifo will shout his lessons at tho top of his voice, and as each of his companions will do the same, it is small wonder that a stranger passing a school in China thinks Seuclilf is let loose. The little Jaaanese also reads in this' fashion, and like his Chinese cousin he begins at the right hand column instead of the left, at the ijottom instead of the top, and at the lust pagu of a book instead of it he first. All of which would puzzle a little New Zealandcr sadly. His writing is also done with brush and Tndia ink. He copies the characters which his teacher traces on the blackboard, going over them many' times, until they are well fixed in his memory.