schools and of the university is paid once in each school term. School authorities have the right to remit either wholly or in part the tuition fees of poor students and of those who make the best record in school work, and to make other modifications, provided permission is received from either the local government or the Minister of Education.

School Records

All schools are required to keep at least two records of individual students, one of conduct and one of scholarship. The conduct record is to be kept under four grades: A, B, C, D. A student making a record of C or above is regarded as having reached the standard. To those meriting A the head of the school may issue a certificate of commendation. The student's records in conduct and scholarship are both taken into consideration in the determination of promotion or graduation. Those whose scholarship record falls below the standard by one-tenth but whose record of conduct is A or B are entitled to promotion or graduation. On the other hand, those whose record of conduct just meets the requirement and whose scholarship is ranked as D may be denied promotion or graduation. Such cases, however, must be discussed at the teachers' meeting before action is taken by the head of the school. Regulations relating to students' conduct in special schools may be drawn up by the head of the school in accordance with local conditions.

The scholarship record of the student is of two kinds, the daily record and the examination record. The daily record is based on the earnestness with which the student pursues his studies as well as the quality of his work. The examinations are of three kinds: term, annual, and graduation. In addition to these, there are also examinations of admission, of promotion, of enrollment, and of transfer from one school to another. In determining the scholarship record, four grades are to be used, A, B, C, D:

A signifies a grade above 80 per cent.

Grades above C are regarded as fulfilling the requirement; D is regarded as failure. Those reaching the standard are pro

moted or graduated; but those who do not reach the standard are retained in the same grade or class. Those failing twice to reach the standard are asked to withdraw from school. Detailed rules are laid down by the Ministry of Education as to how to compute or determine the pupil's record for the term, for the year, and for graduation.

Control of Text-Books

Under the new conditions the preparation and publication of text-books and teachers' manuals are left entirely in the hands of private individuals, but as in the pre-revolutionary days all such books must receive the approval of the Ministry of Education before they are allowed to be used in schools. In each province there has been established a text-book commission charged with the duty of selecting, from the approved list of books drawn up by the Ministry of Education, such as are suitable to the conditions in the province and of recommending these to the school authorities for adoption. Minute rules regulating the certification of text-books and the organization of provincial text-book commissions have been promulgated and are being rapidly put into practice.24

"Educational Ordinance No. 18, 1914.

For detailed information see Educational Ordinances, Nos. 9 and 10, 1912.

CHAPTER VII

PRESENT-DAY EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS OF NA

TIONAL IMPORTANCE

The story of the origin, development, and reconstruction of the Chinese educational system, which we have attempted to record briefly in the preceding pages, has given rise to many problems of vital importance aside from those which have already received our attention. The factors involved in these problems are so numerous and their interrelations are so complex, that it is extremely difficult to suggest ways of solution which would be entirely satisfactory. Nevertheless, there are sufficient data at hand to warrant at least the mention of a few of the more important problems and to indicate some possible olutions.

Relation of Missionary Education to the Public Educational System

One of the problems of growing importance has to do with the educational work undertaken by missionaries from the West, both Catholic and Protestant. This work, inspired by evangelistic and philanthropic motives and begun in a humble way, has in recent years so developed in scope and character that it has come to exercise a considerable influence over the progress of new education in China. In the year 1912 there were in China under the various Protestant missions alone, 3,708 primary or day schools with 86,241 pupils enrolled and 5,537 intermediate and high schools with an enrollment of 31,384 pupils.1 As many as thirty institutions have assumed the name of college, and nine of these have even adopted the name of university. Statistics of the educational work of the Catholic missionaries are not available, but it is generally known that it is not so highly developed as that of Protestants. The schools which they have established are the "prayer-schools" in which

1 China Mission Year Book, 1912.

136

the Christian children learn to read; normal schools for the training of catechists and Christians of higher standing; seminaries for the education of the Chinese clergy; and convents for the training of nuns. Certain missions in which there has grown up a Christan élite have opened for its benefit colleges which are nearly always under the direction of congregations of teaching brothers. A few years ago twin universities were created in Shanghai known respectively as the Dawn (Aurore) and the Morning Star (Etoile du Matin). Statistics showing the combined educational force of the Protestant and Catholic missionaries are also not available, except that it has been roughly estimated that there are 100,000 pupils enrolled in the mission schools of China.3

The strong desire of the Chinese people for modern learning and the fact that the government of China has seriously undertaken to provide this education on a national basis, have begun to affect the status of missionary education in more than one way. To say the least, they have convinced the missionary body, as well as the home boards of foreign missions, of the necessity of reconsidering their educational policy and of placing their work on a firmer basis. As a result, various educational organizations, commissions, and committees have come into existence, and the subject of missionary education has received special attention in most of the important religious conferences and conventions held during the last few years. The aims of missionary education have been more clearly formulated; its results, defects, and causes of failure are being pointed out; and recommendations to meet the new demands have been strongly urged. The importance of union and cooperation among the different denominations engaged in educational work, the necessity of unifying and standardizing the work of the different grades of schools, the need of avoiding wasteful overlapping and competition, and the desirability of having better teachers and other educational leaders, have been the cry of the day, and already steps have been taken to put into effect some of these timely and important suggestions.

The Chinese Recorder: October, 1913, pp. 624–625. 'The International Review of Missions: October, 1912, p. 587.

Cf. Report on Christian Education, American-Canadian Commission; Christian Education: World Missionary Conference, Vol III.

The question naturally arises: "What attitude should the Chinese government take toward missionary education, which is being strengthened and improved?" Under the Manchu dynasty graduates of missionary schools were debarred from receiving degrees and titles from the government, and the schools were not even asked to register. When the franchise for the election of representatives to the provincial assemblies was given to certain classes of people the graduates of government institutions were included, but not those of mission colleges. This discrimination was made, no doubt, on account of the desire of the government to preserve the national character of the new educational movement, and was neither anti-Christian nor antiforeign, as it has sometimes been thought. The establishment of the republic has changed the whole situation, though thus far no definite action has been taken by the new government regarding the relation of missionary education to the governmental system. It was reported, however, that the Ministry of Education in 1912 sent a special deputy to Japan to study the method adopted there for recognizing the work of mission schools.

5

The question before us seems to involve at least three considerations: first, the sort of system of recognition and control which the government should adopt; second, the probable attitude of the missionary body toward such a system; and last, the advantage to the government of having such a system. In regard to the system of recognition and of control, the situations in Japan and India throw some light on the problem. In Japan there are three positions that a Christian school may hold in relation to the government. The first is that of merely having government sanction to carry on a certain kind of educational work. This involves practically no regulation or inspection of the schools, and of course imposes no restriction on religious teaching. By the second form of recognition a school is ranked as giving an education of a certain government grade, and this recognition implies certain privileges and imposes certain conditions, but permits full religious freedom. The chief privileges are the postponement of military conscription, admission to the higher government schools, transfer to and from government middle schools, and the one-year volun

The Chinese Recorder: September, 1912, pp. 525-528.