September 4, 1909.]
THE CANTON CHRISTIAN
· COLLEGE.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The work of the College is definitely planned to fit students to become Christian men-leaders of the Chinese people in advancement. Pro- ficiency in the Chinese language and literature is therefore insisted upon before graduation from
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most useful organizations in the College. It is hoped also that it will, be made use of by the coolies and villagers nearby, when its policy is understood.
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The Canton, Christian College has been the Preparatory School, and every effort is made it may be assumed that athletic sports are very d
located for five years on Honan Island, two and one-half miles east of Canton. Here it has become a community by itself, with its buildings clustered on a slope overlooking the Pearl River to the north and the White Cloud range beyond. From the crowded city far on the left the view sweeps down the busy river to two stately pagodas on the right, and blue hills may be seen
to the south across the narrow thread of the river's lower reach.
This site, now covering about forty acres, is therefore an auspicious one for the growth of a college for South China, and, as its name suggests, the South China College is the first, and as yet the only, school in Kwangtung that attempts to do work of collegiate I grade. Incorporated in 1892 by
the Regents of the University of the State of New York as an inter-denominational Christian college, and with five years of ex- perience in temporary quarters in Canton and Macao, the school made a vigorous start on its permanent site, and has not ceased to grow in equipment, efficiency and usefuless.
A large brick and reinforced concrete building was at once erected at a cost of $40,000 gold, and this furnished a chapel. seven class-rooms, two laboratories, rooms for bookstore, library and of- fices, leaving one entire floor for the rooms of the unmarried teachers. The building was planned to be proof against fire and ants, and to secure the largest benefit from the south-eastern breezes now blowing straight through the wide open rooms which are only one deep and connected solely by the broad verandahs on the north and south. It was also intended to fit into a carefully planned architectural lay-out which allows for another building of the same sort on the west with a separate chapel building between at the head of the avenue of approach.
Mr. Chung Wing Kwong, Chu Jen, the able head of the Chinese department, has secured from officials and other Chinese gentlemen subscriptions for over $35,000 Mex. toward the $60,000 needed for two permanent fireproof dormitories, and the first of these is to be begun at once.
This will be one of a group, each housing 110 students and 5 teachers, to be erected behind the space reserved for college halls. Money has also been set aside for the immediate building of two
to secure an increasingly thorough life preparation in this most important side of a Chinese youth's education. The knowledge of Chinese required for entrance to the Elementary School (the mini- mum age is 14) is considerable, and Chinese (including Mandarin) is continued throughout this school and the four years of the Prepara- tory School. In the Elementary School 16 hours a week are devoted to Chinese lan- guage and literature, 8 hours to Western subjects in Chinese, and 10 hours to Eng- lish. In the first year of the Prepara- tory School 9 hours are given to Chinese, 21 hours to Western subjects in Chinese, and 21 hours to English subjects. In the second, third, and fourth years 9 hours are assigned to Chinese and 24, 20, and 20 respectively to English subjects. Furthermore, while a few students enter with advanced standing in the study of Chinese and so finish their required work before the fourth year, no student is allowed to take English work in a class higher than that in which he is studying Chinese.
All of the foreign faculty and two of the Chinese teach in English. The English subjects have been carefully organized and co-ordinated with a view to developing proficiency in the use of the English language and giving a broad training for life. The Bible is taught through out the entire course for the first 23 years in Chinese, and thereafter in English-one, half a day being the time given to this in the Preparatory School. English grammar is finished in the third year Preparatory, and the following year rhetoric and composition are studied with chief emphasis on reading courses in Dole's American Citizen, Ball's Starland, and some of the English literature required for entrance to American colleges. English litera ture is continued in the Freshman year chiefly as a preparation for study in America, but those intending to take the University Medical School course may substitute biology and another science for literature.
When students will take up manual training,
popular. Before breakfast all appear for setting up exercises, and between five and six in the afternoon all are expected to take regular exercise in some form. Football and swimming are the favourite pastimes, but other sports are not neglected.
The students at the Canton Christian College
have been perhaps more generally touched by foreign ideas than those in many parts of China Exactly twenty-five per cent. of them are now without queues, though not all of these wear foreign clothes. The desire to study in American is also very general. To facilitate the personal touch between teachers and students one hour on Friday evening is left free for volun- tary visits in the teachers' rooms.
On Sunday morning the student body is divided into group Bible classes led by the foreign teachers and three of the Chinese, and these are followed by a preaching service in Chinese for the whole school, or in English for the higher classes, and in Chinese for the lower. This direct religious work is very much assisted by the Student Young Men's Chris- tian Association, which is wholly in the hands of Chinese. Aside from the curriculum Bible study, ninety students are studying the Bible in Chinese in nine voluntary classes, led by as many of their own number. Sunday evening meetings attract many that are not Christians, and some of these are also active in teaching in a nearby village school, The reading-room and a village teacher are supported by the Associa tion, and some members also engage in occasional evangelistic work.
School is now $70 a year, and the total cost Although the tuition fee in the Preparatory outside of travelling expenses and clothing is from $204 to $240 a year, the number of appli- cants for admission is rapidly increasing, and were there dormitory space enough a much larger number could be taught. It is planned gradually to raise the standards and increass the number of classes in the College proper. The University (of Penn.) Medical School, affiliated, will probably offer its first courses in the autumn, and when practicable the College. will begin teaching pedagogical and engineer-
Ancient history is covered in the fourth year Preparatory, the history of Western Europe (medieval and modern) in the Freshmen year, and English constitutional history is offered in the Sophomore year. A further course in pre-ing subjects. sent day problems in the Orient is offered in
These, then, are the things that the Canton
permanent teachers' residences, and the first the same year, for those who wish to elect it, College has accomplished, and the plans that it
will be under way this summer. As these buildings are completed they will be occupied by the student body and a part of the teachers now living in temporary structures.
The two appointments just made in New York will add one to the number of the resident
staff in the fall, making it eight beside the College Physician and the second doctor of the University (of Penn.) Medical School, who will also reside on the compound. President C. K. Edmunds is now at home on fur
time lough, and expects to return some in 1910. Another member of the staff will also return from furlough next year. Mr. W. K. Chung, who has organized and directs the work of the Chinese department, is also a full member of the faculty. In addition, there are six Chinese instructors, two of them graduates of our own Preparatory School, and five student assistants.
With this force, the College is giving tuition to 170 students, divided into an Elementary School with one class in two sections, a Preparatory School of four classes, and a Freshman class in the College Department. The aim is to separate the two Schools and the College as soon as practicable, but at present they are in many particulars treated as a whole, all being required to attend chapel, in the morning in English and in the evening in Chinese, and the Freshmen only being exempt from military drill in uniform. The whole school is under military discipline in charge of the Commandant, a member of the foreign staff. To control the behaviour of the students when it does not come under the notice of the staff, and to encourage the spirit of self-Government, there is a Self-Control Association of all the students, with a regular system of laws and fines, and an Appelate Judge on the faculty.
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instead of analytical geometry. Elementary American history is required for summer reading early in the course, and historical matter divides with geography and elementary science the reading work throughout.
The latest methods have been adopted in the study of mathematics. After the completion of arithmetic, algebra and geometry are studied together, and during the first semester of the Freshman year trigonometry is given. Short courses in elementary science in the third a thorough year Preparatory lead up to laboratory course in Chemistry in the Fresh- man year and in Physics in the Sophomore year. The laboratory equipment for both of these courses is very complete. Physiology is taught in the fourth year by the College Physician.
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An interesting phase of the work that has grown up during the
year is the manual training. The Chinese are obviously in great need of instruction in how to use their hands, and they need encouragement in the development of practical manly qualities as well as respect for labour and independence. So a small class in carpentry, a persevering group much interested in practical gardening, a somewhat larger number in a and class in photography have been working in close intimacy with industriously and several of the teachers. Beside this, a short time was spent with one class in plane table map sketching of the surrounding country, But especially important has been the formation of the Students' Bank of the Canton Christian College. This is organized like a corporation, with the usual officers and shareholders, and depositors can withdraw money only by cheque. The students have shown much interest in the undertaking, and it bids fair to be one of the
confidently hopes to realize in the near future. During the year not a single student left to enter another school in South China except when requested. With such material to work upon, and it is of the best, some assurance may be felt that this institution will be of over enlarging usefulness and Christian service to the Chinese people Educational Review
A CUTTING AND WOUNDING
CHARGE.
A native, who was charged before Mr. J. Ba Wood at the Magistracy on Aug..3) withoutting and wounding a countryman, had a strange story to tell of the cause which led up to the quarrel. It appears that three men whom he knew slightly informed him that they intended to establish themselves as a gang of pickpockets. The defendant approved of the scheme and wished to join the partnership. But the trio, it was stated, declined to admit him, notwith- standing that he demonstrated to them that he was fairly expert in the light-finger business. The men quarrelled and the defendant drew a knife which he plunged into the complain- ant's hip. The latter was removed to hospital, where he has been treated for several days. The defendant, it was discovered, had several previous convictions for pocket-picking, and had not long returned to the Colony after five years' banishment. He informed the police that he had been living on what he removed from other people's pockets since his return, but had not been so successful as in former days.
His Worship, on hearing the evidence, sen- tenced the accused to six months' imprison- ment with hard labour.
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