1-12
Chinese Simikaiy
Bataria
231
ART. V Report of the Chinese Seminary, Parapattan, Batavia,
under the direction of the Rev. W. H. Medhurst, and others.
{We are always happy in being able to give our readers reports of Chinese schools: the following needs no comments from us. In laying such state- ments before the public, special care should be taken, not only to make them accurate, but to give them interest, by the detail of facts, showing what the school is in all its parts, and what are the advances mady by all the pupils. The education of Chinese youth, in European literature, and Christian know. ledge, and modern sciences and arts, deserves the countenance and support of all who love their fellow-men. More attention must be given to this sub- ject; and more teachers, and better books, must be had, and as the number of students in the language increases, we may expect an increase of facilitics for learning it; and this we are gratified to know is to some extent the case.]
At
THE above Institution has been in existence about three years. first it contained 24, and latterly 34, Chinese boys, born in Batavia, who have hitherto been boarded, clothed, and educated in it. They reside and study on the mission premises, and return home only once a fortnight, and at the year's end. They are employed solely in learning, which cccupies them about twelve hours every day. They have one English master, and two Chinese teachers, to suit the two different dialects spoken by the boys. The Chinese lessons are given early in the morning and late in the afternoon, while the English studies occupy the rest of the day. In Chinese, are employed as schools books the New Testament and the works of Confucius; in English, the New Testament, Martinet's Catechism of Nature, a Catechism of Geography, the English Grammar, and the spelling- books of the British and Foreign School Society are used. The boys translate everything they learn in English into Malay, and are employed every morning in rendering the Chinese Testament into English, or the English Testament into Chinese. They have com- mitted to incmory Watts' First and Second Catechism, together with a scheme of Christian doctrine drawn up by some clergymen of Cal- curta. They attend morning prayers in English every day in the chapel, when they alternately read a portion of the New Testament and answer questions on the same. In the evenings they join in Malay worship, besides attending every service, English, Malay, and Chinese which are held on the mission premises.
An examination in Chinese was held on the 25th of January last, when they stood the competition with the boys of several indigenous chool who learn only Chinese, and carried off a fair proportion of
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