INSTRUCTION 749
bringing them to Peking. One was a priest, Father Maximus Leontieff. Until 1 860 the members of the Mission acted as the official representatives of the Russian Government. At the end of 1918 the Mission, which is under a Bishop resident in Peking, consisted of a monastery, a hermitage, a nnnnery, 5 convents, and 32 churches, and numbered 5,587 baptised Chinese adherents.
Most of the aboriginal hill-tribes are still nature-worshippers, and ethnically are distinct from the prevailing Mongoloid population. There is also a poverty stricken group of a few families of Chinese Jews in K 'aiteng, capital of Honan.
Instruction.
For many centuries education of a purely Chinese type was general, and led through an intricate system of public examinations to all classes ot employment under the State. Being confined in its scope to the study of Chinese classical literature, this form of education was gradually undermined by the influence of increasing intercourse with other countries, until it vas completely swept away by a Decree of September 3, 1905, abolishing the historic system of examinations.
Since that date an enormous impetus has been given to the new edu- cational movement, schools for the teaching of ' western learning' springing up in every town throughout large portions of the Republic.
The education policy of the government divides the education of the country into secondary and primary, the former being directly under the central government, the latter under the provincial. Universities with their
Sreparatory colleges, technical colleges, and higher normal schools come irectly under the Board of Education of the Central Government ; middle schools, lower normal schools, and primary schools, while conforming to the general plan of the Central Government are managed and financed by the provincial governments. There are to be four universities, one each in the north, centre, west and south with a preparatory college attached ; capital cities of provinces will have technical colleges in law, industry, and medicine, and higher normal schools. Each district city will have its middle school and lower normal school, while primary schools will be established throughout the country. Primary education is to be compulsory. Under the new plan there are already 34 technical colleges (law, industry, &c.) operating in various capital cities, and 6 higher normal schools have been established. In Peking there is a Higher Normal School for girls. Financial stringency has hitherto delayed the carrying out of the entire plan of primary education.
The Peking Government University was established in 1898, and com- pletely reorganised in 1917. In addition to its general courses it has a post-graduate department for further research in the various sciences. The combined institution has 1,500 students and a staff of ninety professors and teachers. Foreign professors and western educated Chinese are employed in this institution and its preparatory departments. In February, 1920, five women students were for the first time admitted to the university.
By the energy of a British medical missionary, an important medical school was founded in Peking in 1906, for the training of Chinese medical students. The Government has undertaken to recognise the diplomas to be issued by this school of medicine, which is known as the Union Medical College, and has given an annual grant towards its expenses. This grant ceased in 1915 when the work of the College was taken over by the Chiua
