[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
[B]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[7665]
ナ
No. 1.
600
13726
[March 9.
SECTION 13.
19 APR 07,
(No. 28.) Sir,
*
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received March 9.)
I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith an interesting Memorandum by
Peking, January 19, 1907. Mr. Garnett, Third Secretary of His Majesty's Legation, on the progress of modern education in China. The materials for this paper have been drawn from the Consular Intelligence Reports, and they furnish by no means an exhaustive account of a movement which is destined to exercise a marvellous change upon the whole Empire.
The abolition of the old examination system, which had existed unchanged for many centuries, has been followed by a feverish desire for education on Western lines, which seems to be simply carrying the whole country by storm, and is causing serious misgivings as to whether the transition from the old system to the new is not proceeding with too great rapidity.
Japan is playing a leading part in the movement, and everywhere the students who have been trained either in Japan itself, or under Japanese influence, are largely guiding and moulding public opinion in the provinces.
The Chinese schoolboy or student of the old days was a sedate youth, who paid careful attention to etiquette, as understood in China, and eschewed foreign ways. that is now changed. Schoolboys even here in Peking wear foreign caps, march All through the streets in foreign uniform, and, what is more significant, insist upon physical drill as part of their daily curriculum. Even in missionary schools it has been found necessary to comply with this demand, which is attributable to the conviction that if China is to be strong, and hold her place amongst the nations, her young men must be prepared to take their part in the defence of their country. Bishop Scott, who has been in Peking for over thirty years, informs me that this feeling is taking a firm hold of the younger generation, and one cannot move amongst the people without seeing evidence of it in many directions.
This breaking away from the past is accompanied by many disquieting symptoms.! The conversions of the Buddhist temples into school buildings, and the confiscation of their property for educational purposes, has led to serious trouble. The letter from a missionary in Honan, copy of which I have the honour to inclose,† gives an account of the friction with which the attempt is being made in that province.
The whole question of education is in a very fluid condition at present. The old system has been swept away, and the suddenness of the change has made it impossible to organize or give proper direction to the new one.
American and British missionaries were the pioneers in the educational regenera- tion of China, and to the former must be ascribed the lion's share of the work. Both combined their forces in 1890, and formed the Educational Association of China, which is now deeply interested in the question of obtaining some form of Government recognition for the students trained in Christian colleges. They desire either that their colleges should be granted the power of conferring degrees, or that their students should be allowed to compete on equal terms with the students of Government colleges, and they have made informal appeals to the United States' Minister and myself to plead their cause with the Chinese Government when a suitable opportunity presents itself.
There is one point to which I wish to draw attention in connection with this question of Chinese education. It is the very small part which England is taking in it at present. The reason is that English education is too expensive, and beyond the means of all but the wealthiest class of Chinese. The English Professors at the Imperial University here, and many others competent to speak on the subject, assure me that numbers of Chinese wish to go to England to complete their education, and
* Not printed.
+ Dr. W. McClure, January 17, 1907.
[2418 ¿-13]
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.