EDUCATION IN JAPAN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 308, 22 September 1908, Page 8

EDUCATION IN JAPAN.

AN INTERESTING REPORT. •The .thirty-third annual report of tho Minister, of State' for Education in Japan shows that the zoal of the Japanese for education continues unabated.. The Japanese .recognises that education is not merely the collection of information, it involves the preservation and the development of tho national consciousness and.the making of men and. women of high cultureand social refinement, fitted to take'an efficient part in the work of the.world,'and'inspired with high ideals of civio and national duty. Bearing this in mind, the' Minister says that he issued an instruction to tho' effect that the spiritual education' should be. so encouraged■that tho sentiment of fidelity to the Emperor and love for. tho country—the two choice flowers indigenous to the soil —might grow stronger, and that , upon this sound basis all kinds of education should be built. He proceeds 'to ' show the ' developments which have taken place" in general and technical . education.' The universities of Tokio and Kyoto have' been developed in their various departments, and in each of these the engineering colleges form tho crown of tho technical education of tho country. These colleges are now as complete as a German technical high school, and are doing excellent work, but, after all, it is only a small part of tho technical education which'is being carried on; A large number of institutions aro to bo found m all parts of the country which are intended to give a useful training for those who propose to engage in productive labour," such as manufactures, agriculture and commerce. There are five kinds of technical schools — namely, industrial, agricultural; commercial and nautical ' schools, and . supplemental schools for technical instruction. Tho schools '.for sericulture, forestry, veterinary medicine, ' and marine products are looked upon as agricultural schools. The schools, of- a technical nature numbor 3031, of which 12 are Government institutions under the direct control of the Department of Education, 2887, are .public institutions suppprted by the localities in which they aro situated, and the remaining 132 are private institutions. -Ten. of the 12 Government' institutions are of superior grade— namely, tho Sapporo Agricultural College, tho Morioka Higher School of Agriculture and Forestry, tho Tokio Higher Commercial School, the Kobe Higher Commercial School, the Nagasaki Higher Commercial School, the Yamaguchi Higher Commercial School, the Tokio Higher Technical School, the Osaka Higher Technical School, the Kyoto Higher Technical School, and the Nagoya Higher Technical School. Tho two others are the Apprentices' School attached to the Tokio Higher Technical School and tho Supplementary" Industrial School attached to the institute for tho training of industrial school teachers. In looking ovor tho report wo aro struck not only with the completeness of the arrangements for technical instruction, but also for com- ' ircrcial education, an aspect of tho subject which is still very much neglected in this country.—" Engineering."

In French cafes ono fools that tho papers and conversations are the chief business, drinking an accompaniment. .In Germany the newspapers and talk arc as important as the beer. In Italy or Spain tho dark, cool wine, shops ' are filled with pooplo playing games or reading ovor their glasses. In England talk is only allowed to ho an accompaniment to drinking.—"Daily Mirror." Mr. Goodall holds an auctioD sile of drnpory, boots, etc., in his mart to-day. at 2 o'clock.