_SYSTEM OF EDUCATION_
THE STUDENT
When a child in China reaches the age of five or six years, his parents,
no matter what their position may be, begin to think about giving him
a master, so that his education may be commenced. Although instruction
is not compulsory in China, I do not know of any children who do not go
to school. Of course, more or less time is spent there by the different
scholars, according to their several intelligences or the position of
their parents.
A lucky day at the beginning of the year is chosen, and on this day the
child is sent to some celebrated man of letters to receive his first
lesson, which consists in learning the three first lines of an elementary
book called San-Tse-King, in which every sentence consists of three
syllables, and which resumes the history of China and the duties of man.
This task having been accomplished, the boy is sent to school, where
his real instruction commences, for the course we have spoken about is
a mere preliminary formality, undertaken by an honorary professor. As
soon as he has got safely through the San-Tse-King, the boy passes on
to a second book, called the Tsien-Tse-Weng, a work which contains one
thousand different letters. At the same time, the scholar has to paint
over in black letters drawn in red in his copy-book by the schoolmaster.
At first the child is taken on the knees by his master, who guides his
hand, but little by little he is left to himself. Later on, he is given a
copy to trace through transparent paper, and so on. A more serious course
of instruction, including the four classical works of Confucius and of
Meng-Tse, and the five King, or sacred, books, follow this preparatory
course. Whilst these studies are going on, the professor instructs his
scholars in the poetry of the land. As an exercise, he gives as a daily
task a line of seven words, the child having to compose a parallel verse.
As an example, heaven, earth, mountain, water, and so on. When a child is
able to give the parallel of a line of seven words his intelligence may
be considered to be fairly well developed, as we shall see.
I remember one day at school the professor gave us the following theme,
which in Chinese is a line of seven words, and which was suggested to him
by a phenomenon which he had just witnessed:—
“The flexible body of the bee bends round a drop of dew on a flower.”
My comrade, whose turn it was to answer, reflected silently for a long
time, until at last, Providence helping him, he cried out, seeing before
his eyes a scene that was being enacted in the garden outside—
“The oblique eye of the sparrow stealthily watches the caterpillar curled
up in a leaf.”
I need hardly say that he was vigorously applauded by his comrades, and
handsomely rewarded by the professor.
As soon as the books mentioned above have been done with, besides certain
selections from historical and literary works, the scholar begins to try
his hand at difficult composition, which is preparatory study for our
general competitive examinations. These dissertations are composed after
the method of the Bakou, which are the eight rules to be followed in
composition. Subjects are taken from philosophy or politics, being always
chosen from celebrated classical authors mentioned above, and especially
from Confucius. Concurrently with these the student practises his hand at
poetical composition, very difficult tasks being set.
The young candidates have to present themselves, in the first place,
at the annual examination, which takes place at the sub-prefecture—this
examination being for the degree of bachelor of arts. The examination is
a written one. Candidates must, before attaining this degree, undergo
another examination before an Imperial examiner, specially commissioned
for this purpose. The examination for the licence, or second degree,
only takes place once every three years, as does also the examination
for the third degree, which is that of doctor. The two examinations do
not, however, take place in the same year, or at the same season of the
year. The second examination is held in the autumn in the different
provincial cities, the third being held at Pekin in the following spring.
It is a very usual thing to see a young man, who has passed these three
examinations one after the other, return home in triumph to his parents,
who up till then have been occupying some very humble position; for in
China these competitive examinations are open to all except such persons
as have followed dishonourable trades. The family of a common workman,
who have had the good fortune to possess a son who has passed these
examinations, becomes noble _de jure_, and the same honours are paid
to the parents as to the son. In order to understand to what a degree
public sympathy and encouragement are with a successful candidate, and
the anxiety that every student has to pass to get his degrees, one must
see the reception given to the successful students. When the names of
the prize-winners are made public, the official employés come up in
great state, carrying the nominations of the winners printed on huge
pieces of red paper, which they stick up on the houses of the lucky ones.
They are received with crackers and squibs, and candles and incense are
burned before the ancestors and the light of day, in token of gratitude
for the distinguished favour accorded to the candidate. A day is fixed
for the due celebration of the victory, and all the candidates who have
passed are present at this feast. From early dawn the families of the
successful ones decorate their houses with flags, and await the arrival
of their friends and neighbours, who come to bring their congratulations.
The candidates go round in person to pay calls on all their friends,
riding in sedan-chairs, and dressed in special clothes sent them by their
parents-in-law, or in the case of bachelors, by their nearest relations.
Those who have won the degree of bachelor wear a blue silk dress, the
licentiates one of darker blue, while the doctors wear violet silk. A
stiff kind of cape, embroidered in gold and coloured silks, is worn over
the shoulders, and two sprays of flowers decorate the hat. In front
of the sedan-chair men walk, carrying banners of red silk attached to
bamboos still in leaf, while the musicians play their most joyful airs.
The auspicious day is called the Day of the Reception of Flowers. For it
appears that formerly women used to strew flowers in the paths of the
young scholars. The procession fills many hearts with envy. How often
have I not heard mothers saying to their children, “Your turn will come
some day if you will only work.”
Success at these examinations opens every door to the young man, and the
only thing that is feared is non-success. Once the examination passed,
the career and the fortune of the young man are assured. The bachelor man
of letters will at once receive offers of marriage from rich families.
This will explain why no laws of compulsory education are necessary in
a country where, by study, a man may from one day to another transform
the social position of his family. Ambition urges people on to secure a
good education for their children. Our students are sober folk. There is
no Latin Quarter for him to frequent, politics disturb him not, and the
only amusements that he knows of are poetical competitions and excursions
into the country. His life is one of work and retirement, but he is never
heard to complain, and has indeed no reason to do so; for the future
smiles upon him, and the dusty volumes with which he is surrounded hold
out to him the promise of what a familiar locution describes as “the
highest honours, the most beautiful women, and the happiest life.”
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