SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1937
PERHAPS
in no other country on the face of the globe has learning been more highly esteemed than in China. Since the time of the immortal Emperors Yao and Shun of the so-called "Golden Age" of the Middle
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH WEEK-END SECTION
A FASCINATING
ESSAY ON-
EDUCATION IN CHINA
and Autumn
which only
one
Examinations for the first two
of mecca
didates were expected to prepare
or two
BY -T. PAUL GREGORY
Kingdom (B. C. 2856-2205), advanced state of literary know. altould be clever in his school-work; yuch which is said to be an equl- knowledge has been con- ledge. This fund of learning of for in the Cantonese vernacular, valent of the western degree of from the given subject, two prose ing roofs of tile not unlike an out- compositions of about 700 words house la Western lands. Each the average Intelligent Chinese the word for onlon and that for Doctor of Philosophy. sidered the only veritable male of that day did not embrace cleverness or intelligence have the
each, and a poem of about 60 cha cubicle is a little higher than an about three racters in length. These had to be average man's head, power and thus has com- general information nor a know- same sound. Finally, the beatowal manded the supreme respect ledge of mathematics, geography, of the red hat-button was the sin- of these degrees word held in the completed within the given time, feet in width and perhaps a little
and, of course, the natural sciences, cere and heart-felt desire of the provincial capitals whilst the ethers and as the examinations commenced more in depth.
The "furniture" of these places of every rank of society but simply a fairly comprehensive parents that their son should grow had to be obtained by sitting in an very early in the morning usually from those effulgent days grasp of the Classica-those thir- up to obtain the most coveted of examination at Peking. Examina before daybreak and lasted until if such it might be termed, was of the ancient past down to teen works which formed the bud all honours--the proud distinction tions for the degree of Bachelor of sundown, the students if they were simply three or four pine-pinnka at all well acquainted with their which were cut to fit the length of the present epoch. wark of the educational system of of being a Mandarin, and enjoying Arts were held annually whilst that
Of old China. There works which the privilege of wearing one of the of Master of Arts were conducted Classics and reasonably intelligent the cell, and designed to be sup- were tavariably nssured of 4 ported upon narrow wooden course, the state of contem- collectively are known as the "Chin- buttons denoting the five grades of onco every three years. Canton, as the provincial capital of Kwang-
favourable result.
ledge let into the brick, so that the porary education in the land ese Classics" embraced the 32-ahue official rank.
course, the local
student could at them as he thought or "Four Books of Confucius and
The end of all learning, however, lung was
literary
(1 these gala has changed immensely Mencius, the Ng-king or "Five is of course, the advancement of n
proper, olther making them into a from that of former times, Classics," the Lai-kei or "Book of people, but the Chinese being an occasions of literary endeavour, but the process has been Rites," the Shi-king or "Book of eminently practical nation have and our Colony from its proximity may be interesting to recall kind of table and scat, or else a that the site of the provincial bunch upon which he could its down dictum to the City of Rams' was often ro- this upon
Canton was and sleep. exceedingly slow; for it is Poetry," the Shuc-ling or "Book of improved only since the abolition of "Spring
History," and the Ch'un-tr'an or by making learning the sole means presented by. Chinese lads of Heng- examination hall in
44 44 21 Annals." for those who aspired to govern kong birth who sought to tang that portion of Sun Yat-sen Univer- the age-old examination Besides there were
two other over their fellowmen. Moreover, want'ai, or "mount the cloudy lad-alty which is within the city itself. system in 1904, that a
volumes of minor importance, of none should occupy an official post der" and thus gain the sole entree This area is surrounded by a high
very strict and difficult to pass Empire, there were ono modern system based upon toned, and that
may be men- until he had passed through the into the official life of the Empire. wall, and during the time of the THE examinations were in reality is the famous ordeal of a competitive examina- The subjects for the literary ex-
pair of massive gates solidly con- sessions were conducted' without that generally prevailing in Tain-ta-man or "Thousand Charac- tion. Indeed, the world-renowneil aminations were invariably chosen back entrances and on the south a and it is rehted that none of the trucied of thick wood and rein- one or more suicides occurring in Indeed, the latter educational system of old China had from the Four Books and the can- the West has been gradually ter Classic."
the school-book
forced with bars of iron. In the the cells where the candidates were ተገ evolving.
ecllence of old China, and
centre of the place running from cooped up during the examining north to south was a sort of arcade, period. The old Chinese explana- There are residents of the Colony tically every person who boasted of who will perhaps recall the days any knowledge at all could recite
part of which is still standing, and tion for such a tragic event was on the eastern and western sides of that during the enforced toneliness there were of the stulents, those destined to thia brick structure, rows upon rows of tiny cella or take their own lives were haunted cubicles for the accommodation of by the ghosts of men who hnd beca the competitors in the literary ex- wronged by them either in this or It is said that at else during some other previous ar iuntions.
time there were one
about existence. In case of a suicide or 14,000
these kennel-like someone dying during the examina- edifices, arranged in serica of tion period, it was n strictly en- long rows, separated from one an- forced rule that the body should ather by narrow alleyways about he placed on the ground, wrapped four feet in width. Some of these up in a strip of matting, and after- student cells may sti bo scen on wards thrown over the wall; for the premises, and a description of the main entrances were considered their general appearance will not to be "royal gates" and the passage be amiss. All are constructed of of a corpse through them was con- brick plastered over with a coat sidered to be exceedingly insus-. ing of me, and covered with slop picious.
WLR
now half-forgotten when the Man- the
الله
الله
prac-
work memoriter. In fact, the Bole
chu dynasty was still on the dragon learning by heart was Brone of China, Same of rese method of gainlag enduring know- old-timers may
the
to and
committing remember ledge. even aceing in Hongkong Chinese offi- memory whole volumes of difficult cials clad in their picturesque classics was facilitated by the pro- Mandarin robes and wearing these cess known as pooi-shue, or "back- curious sunshade-like hats topped ing the book," ie. having the pupil with round buttons denoting off recite by standing up with his back cial rank. These old-fashioned towards the book. The latter was oficials were the product of a now held by the master, and woe betide defunct educational system and it the unfortunate youngster who had is a far cry from those days of a neglected to prepare the lesson; generation since to the present for he was liable to undergo a cud- when upon every hand we may be gelling at the hands of the irate hold the product of China's modern pedant. schools-alert and sophisticnied young men and women dreaming and planning for the incilable
☆ ✩ ☆
greatness of their country's fisture. IT is of interest to mention that one of the great days in the
Indeed, the contrast is so great life of a Chinese boy was that of that it may interest renders to step hoi-hok or his going to school for back into the past and consider the the first time. Even in longkong educational system of old China. there are now middle-aged Chinese It may be mentioned incidentally men who are able to recall with that during the time of the Empire, both pleasure and misgiving the four classes were conceived to be memories of that eventful day, and the foundation the lant, and of these classes the scholar or liferatus which is even yet observed in a comparatively less elaborate man-
was considered to be the head. ner amongst some of the more old- Indeed, he was held to be the pre: fashioned families of the gentry. mier in every circumstance, and
may seem the Chinese have a saying which Some of the customs
strange, and amongst them was the emphasised the superlative venera- tion and profound respect puid to one of leading the youngster to school blindfokled on his very first literary learning: "Maan-peou kani ha-pan, wai yau tuk-shur ko day. This was said to be due to the "All of the ten thousand occupa tions of this life are of low degree, save that of the scholar who alone is deserving of the consideration of thinking men."
desire of the parents of prevent- ing their young hopeful from seeing a dog; for the Chinese have the notion that the canine specics is the laziest of all living creatures And if the ind,should perchance let Although China has always been his gaze fall upon one, he might not his in a sense a land replete with learn. be as diligent in pursuing ing" and "learned nieu, education, studies as he ought. Another- however, was the privilege of the peculiar custom of popular obser- wealthy and aristocratic fow; for vance at this time was the pre- free schools such as those we know sentation of a slice of pok-ch'aàng,
fried glutinous rice, in the West were practically un- or
#1 And
Ted hat-bution known until comparatively recent onion
the boy. The yehrs. Nevertheless, a large pro- to
portion of portion of the population managed sticky rice was placed on the Ind's to acquire the rudiments of learn- stool so that it might adhere to his ing, and it was a common observa- trousers; for the Chinese anively tion amongst those foreigners whe reasoned that ns the rice so ad- happened to sojourn in the Middle hesively attached itself to the per- Kingdom as far back as the fifties son of the young student, therefore and sixties of the last century that knowledge should do so likewise. approximately half of the male in- The gift of the
ap
union was sym-
habitants possessed a comparative bolical of the wish that the child
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View of one of the examination balls" in Canton" referred to "in"the" accompanying article.
so much in it to be admired that it is really a pity that the vital points of the system could not have been salvaged and incorporated into the educational fabric of modern China, So equable was this method of selecting offteinls that one could in all truth paraphrase the words of Medhurst by saying "wealth, pai- rounge, friends, or favour were of no avail in procuring advancement: whilst talent, merit, diligence and perseverance, even in the poorest and humblest individual, were al most sure of their appropriate re- ward."
1.
K
✩ THEORETICALLY at least, the examination system of old China was entirely democratic, and open to every intelligent male sub- ject of the emperor. Yet, however, there were naturally some restric tions, as for example the ka-kau-lou or "the nine classes of people carrying on diahonourable profes slons" who, either themselves or their posterity for the space of three generations were not per mitted to sit in the examination hall. These excluded ranks were:
The physicians; 2. The divin
The ers; 3. The astrologera; 4. physiognomists; 5. The actors; G. The descendants of public prof titutes; 7. The executionera, Ilc- tors, and the undertrappers, con. nected with the Government offices; 8. The gaolers and torturers in. official employ; 9. The beggara. In addition, those who were be lleved to be of Tann-ka origin were. prohibited; for according to au im- perial deerce promulgated by the Manchu Emperor, Yung Cheng in the seventh year of his reign (1730) these bont-dwelling folk were ofdinlly adjudged to be b yond the pale of Chinese gentility.
There were four degrees open to successful competitors in the Ilter- Ary examinations and it may be interestfug to detail them here, The first degree was that of Sun ts'of whith corresponded somewhat to that of our Bachelor of Arts; the second of Kui-yan which approx Imated to that, of our Master of Arta: the third of Chun-sz or Dcc- tor of Laws; and the fourth that of the rare and highly coveted Chong-
of
TEST ANSWERS
Woek-End Problems
PROBLEM I
THE SATURDAY FOOTBALL LEAGUE
13 teams are playing in the League.
Last season there were 26 teams, and therefore 326 matelies.
This season, with 11 cams, there are only 78 matches.
Henec the total number of matches is down by 24770 per cent.
PROBLEM II. DOUBLE ACROSTIC
CARRLNE
O
W
D NO I G
S E I
GO
M
-<0-
NO
The one thing
You're looking very "attractive tonight
Mrs. Cartwright
THANATEX
{Solution)
Everything turned on the water dripping from the top of the car- boy--which, as we know, had not been touched. Playfair's experi- ment was to ascertain how long it took to reduce 1,500 cc. to the water's present level. Then, cal- culating backwards. he could ascertain the time of death. He found that the Professor had been shot at aboul 9.27, and this fact was the starting point of a chain of evidence which led to the con- viction of Cowreigh's murderer,
Note (1) C.O.D. (2) Hidden in Arnold. (3) Two meanings, (4) Hidden. (0) Two meanings. (7) Anagram..........ofite and also.
hidden.
I'm looking forward tremendously to this theatre party with the Cartwrights tonight, darling...
no woman
can hide...
Now then!
How then!
Horlicks every night Dailing, you look
Aren't you coming for a drink,darling?
No, I stay,
thanks THINKST
I look dreadfu beside that Cartwright
wonkan-so drawA and fired-looking. /even wake tired. I must see a doctor
wonderful! Batter than
Mrs. Cartwright?
--TWO MONTHS LATER
"SH WORRIED ABOUT WINNIE, MURSE, SHE FRETS FROM MORNING TILL HIGHT WHAT DO YOU ADVISE?
"Why, the poor little thing is consti pated. No wonder she's frotful. That in the chief tblog a mother has to guard agalmst, Mrs. Grant
**Kiddicadon't understand; they're no absorbed in their games, and often neglect Nature's call. Then they get bitious, lose their appetite and r come irritable.
"Show me your tongue, Wingle. Yes, it is coated a sure sign she's out of sorts. All she needs is "Cali- fornia Syrup of Figs, and she'll be us happy as a lark in the morning.
"You'll find it keeps the bowels regular, purifies the system and
and saves stomach upsets and biliousness.
"If children are to thrive and grow strong and keen witted, they must cat well and digest what they ca, There's no beller way than the regu Inr weekly dose of California Syrup of Figs. All children love it.
"If I were you, I would send for o bottle now and give Winnie a dose at once sure you insist on Califomis Syrup of Figs.' Mrs. Grant. Innaue prised that somp mothers are ready to experiment with cheap und drastic preparations. It's such a pity they don't realize that 'California Syrup of Figs is a perfectly safe children's laxalive. I know myself how curclully and scicolifically it is prepared."
California Syrup of Figs
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THINKS!
I've wat. I look about a hundred- wish I wasn't always so tired
WHERE TIREDNESS FIRST SHOWS
BULL
CIES
LOOK
3: PASTY SKIN
This waking tired tells on your whole appearance. Your trouble is you're Hot replacing the energy you use up during sleep, in breathing and other automatic actions, so of course you wake feeling and looking tired. It's Night Starvation. I suggest Horlicks regularly at bedtime...
Horlicks makes such a difference to the way you feel and LOOK
4. LIFELEST
HAIR
5. AGEING
A on your looks and personality. Taka ALWAYS feeling and waking tired tells
Horlicks--a cupful regularly at night- and end Night Starvation, You wake full- oflife-akin petal fresh, eyes bright. You have untiring sparkle all-day."
HORLICKS guards against Night Starvation
LITTLE
UINES