Overcoming the Language Difficulty: London Professor on Headway Being Made Professor P. M. Roxby, lecturing] to the Liverpool Education Relscarch Society at' the University, on "The Problem of Education in China," deplored the fact that the majority of Englishmen were only aware of one aspect of modern China—her civil wars and—political anarchy. Among many really constructive forees, of which little was heard, none was more interesting and ultimately more significant than the educational movement which, in spite of the handicaps of militarism and Political chaos, had made remarkable progress.
The lecturer dealt first with the place of education in the traditional Givilization of China, and emphasiz-Jed the deep-rooted Chinese respect for learning. He pointed out how radically the old system had to be altered if China was to hold its own in the modern world, and discussed the difficulties involved in the in-reduction of Western science and social subjects, such as economics, and more particularly in the development of mass education as distinct from the training of a limited num-her of scholars, Here the language difficulty was supreme, but it was being success fully attacked in three ways:—By substituting the vernacular, or, was coming to be called, the Tanguage, for the old books on. modern subjects; by the adoption of the housund Characters" scheme for text-books used by primary students, who now numbered nearly seven and by the introduction of "Mandarin," the official language, into all schools, so that China might have a common "Li essential to her ultimate consolidation. Tu this and in other ways the! movement known as "The Chinese Renaissance," which derived its inwk, was having an int ense influence.
Professor Roxby concluded by emphasizing the paramount importance of education in the turbulent period of transition through which China wax passing, and pleaded for a sympathetic understanding between! the British Univers and the! leaders of the educational movement in China ax one of the factors on which the future relations between Rritain ai would depend. "Once enlist the friendship of those who are moulding the student world of China," he on the way to securing the onad will of the Chinese people.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.