It is the plan of the government to found three new universities, one in Nanking, one in Wuchang, and one in Canton. In the meantime the Peking University is being reorganized. Professional Schools The object of these schools is to train for some special profession or vocation. They may be established by the central government, by the provincial authorities, or by private enterprise. Graduates of the middle schools or those with equal qualifications may be admitted. The classification of these schools is as follows: 1. Law 2. Medicine 4. Agriculture 5. Commerce 8. Music 9. Applied Science 10. Languages Normal Schools Normal schools are divided into the following kinds: boys' normal school, girls' normal school, and higher normal school. The aim of the normal schools is to train elementary school teachers; that of higher normal school is to train teachers for the middle and normal schools. Normal schools, like middle schools, are to be established by the provinces. It shall be the duty of the governor to determine the location and number of schools required, and after making due report to the Ministry of Education to establish the schools as planned. For special reasons a district may, after receiving the sanction of the Ministry of Education through the provincial authorities, establish normal schools to be known as district normal schools. Two or more districts may likewise establish normal schools conjointly. Private individuals and corporations may also, after receiving the sanction of the Ministry of Education through the provincial authorities, establish normal schools. Higher normal schools are to be regarded as national institutions, and are to be established by the central government. The Minister of Education shall after due consideration of the need of the nation as a whole, determine the location and number of higher normal schools and have them established. The expenditure for normal schools is to be met by the revenue of the provinces, and that for the provincial higher normal schools by the national treasury." The salary schedule of normal school principals and teachers is determined by the governor, in accordance with the standard drawn up by the Ministry of Education.12 All students of normal and higher normal schools shall be exempt from tuition. Each student shall also receive from his school an allowance large enough to cover the necessary expenses in the school. The normal schools are, however, permitted to receive students who prefer to be self-supporting. An elementary school shall be attached to each normal school, and each higher normal school shall have one elementary school and one middle school attached to it. In the case of normal and higher normal schools for girls, besides the necessary elementary 11 The date for the enforcement of this rule is yet to be determined by the Ministry. See Educational Ordinance No. 14, Art. 12, September 28, 1912. 12 Ibid. school and middle school, kindergartens shall be attached to them. Under special conditions a normal school may also conduct teachers' institutes for those who possess certificates to teach in elementary schools. In the case of girls' normal schools, special courses in practice teaching may also be offered to those who wish to become kindergarten teachers. Higher normal schools, both for boys and for girls, are permitted to organize special courses and also courses in investigation or research work. The teaching positions in normal schools are to be filled only by those who have been recognized as possessing the necessary qualifications by the Association for the Examination and Certification of Teachers. The date for the enforcement of this rule has yet to be set by the Ministry. Industrial Schools It shall be the aim of the industrial school to impart the knowledge and skill required in agriculture, trades, and commerce. There shall be two kinds of industrial schools, A and B, the former giving a complete general industrial education, and the latter an elementary industrial education or training in special trades as demanded by local circumstances. Industrial schools include schools of agriculture, trades, and commerce, industrial continuation schools, and the like. Apprentice schools may be regarded either as trade schools of the elementary kind, or as trade continuation schools. Girls' trade schools similar to those for boys may be established if local conditions warrant. Industrial schools of the A grade shall be established by the governor of the province; those of the B grade by districts, by cities, towns, or villages, or by bureaus of agriculture, trades, or commerce, but these may also be allowed to establish industrial schools of the A grade if local circumstances permit. The location of schools established by provinces and districts is determined by the governor and the district official respectively. Industrial schools are named by their source of support, such as provincial industrial schools, district industrial schools, and the like. The establishment, alteration, or abolishing of provincial industrial schools must be reported to the Minister of Education, but in the case of district industrial schools must receive the approval of the governor and then be reported by him to the Minister of Education. In the case of industrial continuation schools the only requirement is that a report be made to the governor. If local circumstances permit, the tuition required of industrial students may be remitted. The New Curriculum With the reorganization of the school system a new curriculum has been introduced which differs from that existing before the revolution, involving in more than one respect radical departures from the traditional standards. We shall make a brief examination of the curricula of primary schools, middle schools, and normal schools, noting a few of the more important changes that have been effected. Curriculum of the Primary Schools The course of study for the lower primary school continues to cover four years. The subjects required are as follows: morals, mother tongue, mathematics, hand-work, drawing, singing, and physical culture. One or more of the three last mentioned subjects may be temporarily dropped, in case of absolute necessity. Sewing is added to the program of girls. This course of study differs from the old one in several ways. Chinese classics, history, geography, and nature study, found in the old curriculum, have been left out. Hand-work is made compulsory instead of optional. The number of hours per week for the first year has been reduced from twenty-four to twenty-two, that for the second increased from twenty-four to twenty-six; and the number of weekly recitations for the third and fourth years has been reduced from thirty to twenty-eight for boys and twenty-nine for girls.13 The course of study for the higher primary school has been reduced from four to three years. The subjects to be taught are as follows: morals, mother tongue, mathematics, Chinese history, geography, physical science, hand-work, drawing, singing, and physical culture. Agriculture is added to the studies of boys, and sewing to those of girls. If local conditions demand, agriculture may be left out or be replaced by commerce, and English may be added to the curriculum. In case of absolute necessity, hand-work and singing may also be temporarily left 1 For full program of the lower primary school, see Appendix, Table I. out, and English may be replaced by another foreign language. Special courses for making up deficiencies in school work may be offered. If a child is found physically unable to pursue a certain subject of study, he may be exempted from taking it. With the sanction of the chief of the local administrative officials, the subject matter of the curriculum may be increased or decreased to suit local conditions. This new course of study is conspicuous by the absence of Chinese classics which used to occupy one-third of the total number of school hours. It is also marked by a decrease in the number of recitations. Instead of thirty-six hours per week throughout the course, the first year now has only thirty hours and the second and third thirty for boys and thirty-two for girls.14 Curriculum of Boys' Middle Schools The course of study for the middle school has been reduced from five to four years. In place of the two courses of the system introduced in 1909, only one course is now offered. This must be regarded as a step backward in that it does not seem to be in keeping with the modern tendency in secondary education, namely, to provide more diversified courses of study to meet the varying needs of pupils. The new curriculum prescribes the following subjects of study: morals, Chinese language, foreign language, history, geography, mathematics, nature study, physics, chemistry, government, economics, drawing, hand-work, music, and physical culture. This list differs from the one existing before the revolution in the absence of Chinese classics and the addition of hand-work, showing a victory of the more practical subject over the linguistic or the classical. The number of recitations per week is reduced from thirtysix throughout the course to thirty-three for the first year, thirty-four for the second, and thirty-five for the third and the fourth.15 Under special circumstances the head of the boys' or girls' middle school may increase or reduce the number of hours for particular subjects in the various school years, but the total number of hours in a week should in no case be less than thirty-two, and in none more than thirty-six. 14 For full program of the higher primary school, see Appendix, Table II. "For full program of boys' middle schools, see Appendix, Table III. |