AN AUCKLAND DIVORCE CASE.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1030, 4 May 1883, Page 2

AN AUCKLAND DIVORCE CASE.

— * [per press association.] AUCKLAND, May 2. Henry Mills, stovemaker, has taken steps to secure a divorce from his wife on the grounds of adultery. The co-respondent is alleged to be a leading xxxedical man. Petitioner, who has been married since 1853, alleges iix his affidavit that he has lived with his wife until the last few days. On the 15th February he became aware of his wife’s bad conduct. She was ill, and fearing death, confessed to a priest that she had for some time past been improperly intimate with the doctor. Petitioner claims £suo from the corespondent.

establishing schools in their respective provinces. Thus, when the Imperial Government, in 1868, took over the territories of these feudal lords, there were few schools inTokio, the capital (formerly called Yedo) compared with the number existing in the provinces. Under these circumstances, the Government decided to open a central college or university at Tokio, to which the best pupils from the provinces flocked in great numbers, thus showing the desire for western civilisation which distinguished the Japanese from other eastern nations. So great was the number of applicants, that there was not enough room for them in the College; whereupon several private schools were opened by Japanese companies who engaged foreign teachers. These speculations, however, were not profitable, and soon, but two of the eighteen opened, rema'aed. These two schools were superintended by Englishmen who taught the higher classes, while the lower ones were in charge of Japanese who understood the English language well. The course of study was simple ; including spelling, writing, reading, and conversation. The terms were equal to two shillings per month for each subject, for day scholars, and six shillings per month extra for boarders. Neither board nor lodging was particularly good. There was, however, at Tokio, a private school for the nobility and gentry, to which the brother-in-law of the Mikado was sent. The fees in this case amounted to £3 and £4 per month of our money, and this was accounted expensive. Here Chinese, the ancient classic of the nobility, was taught, as well as English. There were also several smaller schools in which English was taught by Japanese teachers, the terms being two shillings per month ; and there were also some 200 pupils under English and French missionaries at three shillings monthly. In Jan., 1872, the mikado called an assembly of the ex-daimios to inaugurate the opening of the colleges of Tokio, and addressed them on (he necessity* of studying western civilization by going abroad, and establishing schools and colleges at Home. He dwelt too, on the deficient intelligence of the women, and urged that the education of the children was intimately connected with that of their mothers. He therefore counselled men to take their female relatives abroad, so that they might learn the right system of educating their children. He begged them to give the utmost attention to these matters, so that the Japanese might keep pace with other nations. For the furtherance of these plans an educational department was established, and the islands, 3850 in number, were divided into seven circuits each, one having a high school. Inspectors were appointed, each one taking charge of from twenty to thirty schools. All who went to school, whether nobles, . gentry or peasantry, were to report the fact to the Inspector; and, if younger children did not attend, the reason was to be given. The time of study was five hours daily for six months. The schools were divided into high, middle, and primary ; and teachers were qualified by certificates from the University of Tokio. A certain number of students were to be educated abroad at Government expense. So rapidly were these ideas put into effect that in eighteen months Tarnnaka, the Vice-Minister of Instruction furnished a detailed statement showing that there were 1799 private, and 3630 Government schools, with an attendance of 338,463 males, and 109,637 females ; adding to this 30,000, pupils attending the higher schools made a total of 480,000, or one in sixty-eight of the population. Since this date the proportion has been increasing without any falling off of -the average attendance. Thus, although education is not altogether compulsory, the poorer classes show 5 a greater desire to have their children educated than like classes in England do. The approximate attendance for 1880 was 700,000. The university- of Tokio includes separate colleges of medicine, -jurisprudence, philosophy, mining, engineering, and agriculture; and also a polytechnic college, There is also a naval,college, preparatory' school, and a special school for the English language, which was formerly part of the school for foreign languages, but which has been separated now on account of our language having become of more importance than all the others combined. At'this* school there are on an average 300 pupils taught by ten English and three Japanese masters. Pupils enter by examination, and are expected to stay three years. Pupils are divided, according to pecuniary ability, into three classes, the first paying a sum equal to eight shillings, the second a sum equal to four shillings, and the third a sum equal to two shillings per month. Most of the pupils coma from the provinces, and belong to the third class ; but this distinction is not known outsidothe director’s room ; and no boy, whatever his rank, receives more favour than another. As a rule, Japanese boys are polite, studious, and cheerful ; but as unlike English boys as could be imagined. Many are obliged to wear spectacles through having overworked their eyes; and others, in their anxiety to get on, ruin their health, and sometimes become insane. Most of the schools established on the European systems are for teaching languages, but some teach other subjects, such as arithmetic, geography, &c. The great aim is to give pupils the power of speaking and writing English with fluency. ■ Half-yearly examinations are held, and the best pupils are promoted to higher classes, or to the Imperial College. The Naval Preparation School has ninety pupils and two teachers. As the pupils are fit for promotion they are sent to the Naval College. The Foreign Language School has four divisions : first, the German, with 200 .'pupils and fivoTeachers ; second, the French, with 150 pupils and four teachers ; third, the Russian, with 7q pupils and two teachers ; and fourth, the Chinese, with 40 pupils and one teacher. Till recently', teaching in the Imperial College was carried on in the German, French and English languages ; but, for the future, English only is to be used. This decision marks the victory English has gained over its rivals in Japan. Its students in the Government schools number about 3000, and, in private schools, 5000 and both are increasing. The combined number of pupils studying French or German is about 4000, or half the number of those learning English. The Minister of Education and his colleagues in the Government, have formed the code on a,secular basis, so far as is consistent with tenets of the Sintoo faith—the ancient religion of Japan. But no schools were opened for theological study, nor were any arrangements made for it in the ordinary schools; Sintoo and Buddhism being taught by the priests, many of them of noble and even imperial rank, in the temples. From this sketch of facts regarding Education among the Japanese, we may fairly conclude that this extraordinary people will very' soon have added to its already vast stock of Eastern lore all that Western nations can teach. W.L.W.