The following Report was ordered to be published by the Committee of the Chinese polytechnic Institution at a meeting held on the 4th of February.
"Tu accordance with the permission granted by the Committee at the meeting of the 15th of May, 1894, preparations were at once commenced for establishing a series of Saturday evening free classes and lectures of a scientific character to be conducted entirely in the Chinese language. Owing, however, to the war going on between China and Japan, affairs were so unsettled that it
commencement could ily be made. was not till the beginning of 1895 that a "Carryingout the plan, of which the rough outline was presented to the Committee, the syllabus of a series of lessons on scientific subjects was carefully drawn up and ar ranged, covering the six general departments of the proposed studies. Advertisements explaining the object of the classes and the essential qualifications in candidates for admission were inserted in the native papers. Thoroughness in reading and writing the Chinese current literary style, and a good general knowledge of the principles and methods of arithmetic were Indispensable requisites.
large number of applicants came to the institution to make enquiries, many of them registering their names and submitting to a preliminary examination. It was found that although as a rule their Chinese scholarship was sufficiently advanced, their Knowledge of arithmetic was extremely defective, even according to the native systems of calculation. On this account a preparatory class in arithmetic had to be established of the comparatively few who were willing to plod steadily through the full course and work up to the required standard. Beginning with about twenty students on the 11th of May, 1895, the class gradually increased till the numbers were too considerable to be taught by one person without assistance, The more advanced pupils were therefore drafted off to take their turns in teaching the class of new comers, which they were perfectly willing to do. In this manner about fifty young men have been through a course of instruction in arithmetic, terminating on the 26th of January last, when the final examination was held, and the Chinese New Year vacation commenced.
"The method employed in conducting the preparatory closees has necessarily been limited and adjusted to suit the peculiar instances of the case. About 15] after original problems in arithmetic have been printed and issued every Saturday evening as home work for the next week. The students have had to purchase their own text books and read up very carefully all that concerned these problems. Forms have also been issued, on which the solutions have been written and these papers have been delivered to me for correction on the next Saturday evening. Every Saturday evening's work has consisted in explaining and working in full on the black-board one of the previous sets of problems. Where 2 student has shown ingenuity or excellence in working a problem, he has been asked to stand out from the class and explain his methods and reasons on the black-board for the benefit oF criticism of the others. thoroughness has bess obtained, and a.
is way rapid progress combined with foundation laid for future scientific pursuits. At first all the examples were worked both on the papers and on the black board in Chinese numerals and signs; but as many of the students seemed to prefer Arabic numerals and English signs, these are now generally used; but it is always left to the option of the students to employ which they please.
"The examinations have been carried on with the utmost strictness and care in my presence. About fifteen. problemé have been given on each occasion, embracing examples requiring a thorough knowledge of the principal rules of arithmetic for their solution. These examinations have been quite ona par as regards difficulty with those of the principal colleges in England and America. In fact most of the questions given were adopted from papers set in colleges at home. Seventy-five per cent of
been fixed as the lowest standard for which the highest possible number of marks has a certificate of competency; ean be granted. Seventeen of the students have now thus successfully graduated in arithmetic and will commence algebra or other studies after the Chinese New Year vacation, "The certificates which have been issued are in the usual form, resembling documents used for similar purposes at home, They are printed, however, in Chinese above and English below. The English portion reads a8 follows:—
CHINESE POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.