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This is one of the surprising features of Chinese Universities the generous scale on which staff is provided. Another institution we came upon later had thirty-three members twenty of whom were full time for eighty students. It is true that the College was being reorganised and that expansion was likely to occur, students were liberally provided for.
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but even so the
In the department of Education, the staff of which consists of 38 members for 289 students, we met the Dean who was about to depart for Europe to study the condition of and the organisation of school administration in different European countries. Five Chinese were going on a tour of inspection as suggested by the League of Nations Experts already referred to, in order to get acquainted with models other than those provided by the United States, whose influence the League of Nations mission says prevails to a great, not to say an alarming extent in Chinese education.
The effect of such influence is to impose a system of education on China which is too highly specialised and which therefore provides a body of knowledge which has little value outside the class which acquires it. There is a danger of creating an intelligentsia which is cut off from the people from whom it ought to emerge and whom it ought finally to serve.
It was quite evident that on the occasion of our visit to this University, all was not well; there was obviously a state of tension prevailing in connection with the appointment of the new President who, being appointed for political or social reasons, was bound to offend some section of the University. The trouble became overt when a week later the new President entered the University and was severely injured by the students in being dragged from his motor-car and beaten. The university was then closed down, and I have not heard whether it has since been reopened. The vast body of students gave one the impression of being an amorphous mass, only capable of being galvanised into united action by the stimulus of discontent.
Owing to the low educational standards of the midle or secondary schools, many find their way into the university without adequate preparation, and also because of the low standard of admission, incapable of benefiting by higher education. It is a very desirable thing to get into a university, for it removes one from the realm of industry, agriculture and manual work in general; and at the same time ensures a measure of dignity and respect. The tradition is strong a scholar in the past was one who wore a long coat, long finger nails, spectacles,
The west had even and was in every way unfitted for physical effort.
a stronger aversion to manual work and so invented machines and won control over the forces of nature in order to escape the unpleasant
The necessity of having to earn its living by the sweat of its brow. inducement to get into the student ranks is therefore very strong in China, for the student inherits the esteem bestowed upon the ancient scholar and gains still further merit by acquaintance, however slight, with the new learning.
But the fault in Nanking was not all on the side of the student. The staff had been on a subsistence allowance for several months, during which time their salaries were in arrears, and naturally were not in a cheerful mood though it was surprising to see how loyally and keenly many of them were working. It was also a matter of deep concern to them, who should be appointed chancellor or President, for their tenure of office depended on his goodwill. Appointments to the senior staff are made by the President, for one year or two years at most and so there is no security of tenure. The result is that many of them have to earn as much as they can by lecturing in as many places as possible. They are therefore rather detached in their attitude towards the University and the students. They change frequently and look for political posts.
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