SCHOOL LIFE IN. CHINA.

Western Star, Issue 1539, 25 February 1891, Page 3

SCHOOL LIFE IN. CHINA.

Very much is thought ‘of education in China', and a poor ’oo3’ takes literary honours he can'fill as high position as though Jig were a boy of rank. All boys, especially in the south of China, are expected to go to school, but fccsuled the mission schools there are not very many for girls. A tutor has not only to teach boys how to read and to write, but politeness forms the basis of Chinese education, ancrtlie many ceremonies belonging both to public and private life have to be learnt at school. Very much trouble is also taken with the writing lei Sons, “ an elegant pencil ” being thought of great consequence, and all the mistakes made in the writing lesson the master corrects with red ink. v Like boys of Japan, the Chinese learn thoir’lessons out loud, and sometimes make a great clatter in the school-room while doing so. But boys may not talk together in school, and to prevent their doing this the desks are arranged some distance from one another. When a lesson is known the boy takes his bonk to the master, bows, turns his back and ■repeats it. This is called psy-chou, or “ backing the book,” and is to prevent the boy from reading the lesson, which the characters would make it very easy for him to do. The way that the Chinese are taught is on a very different system from ours. They learn by heart first, and then have explained to them what they have learnt. Their first lesson is on filial piety, and throughout life the Chinese boy, and girl, and man, and woman are noted for their love towards parents. .They then learn the Sacred Trimetrical book, which treats of the nature of man, modes of education, social duties, and many other things. In ext come the four classical hooks, and then the five sacred, so when Chinese boys go to school they are well set to work. Unlike the Japanese, however, they do not think that they have anything left to learn .from other nations.