p. 18 | Our Schools in Other Lands by H. R. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 18, 1911

Our Schools in Other Lands

By H. R. S.

Prof. B. F. Machlan writes from Australia: “You will be interested to know that our school is full to overflowing. When those come who are booked for the second term, we shall have no more room, and shall be compelled to refuse admittance to any who desire to come.”

From Prof. C. P. Crager, principal of our school in South Africa, comes this report: “The opening day of our school, January 25, found a good company of young people here ready to enroll at the very beginning. Others have come in since, until our home family is nearly as large as it was at the close of last year. We are still expecting a good number, and our entire enrolment is as large as at any one time last year.”

In a letter from Prof. J. L. Shaw, he says: “I am sending you a brief announcement of a school which is to be started for the children of our missionaries and English-speaking believers in India. For some time there has been a desire to start such a school. We passed a recommendation at our last general meeting, authorizing the opening of a school of this character, and at the same time requested that a teacher be sent out from home to conduct the same. It has seemed best, however, to undertake to conduct the school with the workers we have in the field. We have asked Sister Edith Bruce, who had eight years' experience in school work in America, to take charge of it. I thought you might be interested to know that in the Himalaya Mountains there is a school being started in the English language, where the principles of education as we understand them will be carried out. We shall not have over ten or twenty students to start with, but hope that the school may grow as it becomes better known, and proves itself a success.”

Speaking of the importance of the educational work in mission fields, Brother Shaw says, further:— “We are finding that school work is one of the most effective means of carrying on missionary effort both in India and Burma. The schools form a common meeting-ground for the heathen people. They are anxious to learn; and when schools are opened, parents are willing to send their children, and have them taught the Bible. This gives us an opportunity to give instruction from the Word of God in many villages. We are increasing the number of out-schools at the different mission stations as fast as we have competent teachers to take charge of them, and find suitable places to conduct them. I presume if we had teachers and buildings in which to hold schools, we could have two or three thousand children and youth under our influence in our mission schools. As the work grows and develops, and more teachers are found to take charge of the native schools, I look to see the school work greatly strengthened. Recently at Karmatar ten villages clubbed together to put up a schoolhouse and a house for the teacher to live in. The work is not yet completed. They expect from a hundred to one hundred fifty students will attend. I might mention many other openings. Brother James has tried the experiment of operating schools with native heathen teachers. He writes that several of these teachers are requesting baptism.”

The report of the church-school in Bermuda, where Brother Roland Loasby is teaching, is interesting:— “Two months ago there were but eight students; now there are twenty-four — twenty girls and four boys — with ages varying from six to eighteen years. These compose six different grades, from those who are being initiated into the mysteries of A B C to the class of three girls who are taking a course in general history and advanced Bible and grammar. The school is very cosmopolitan, the children being English, Portuguese, and colored. They are bright, and willing to learn,—so much so that when it was thought to give them a week's vacation at Christmas, the public schools having two weeks, they said they preferred to come to school, as they enjoyed it much better than a holiday. The schoolhouse is an empty store; it is quite convenient, though it might not appeal to one as being elaborately furnished. Neither are the desks and forms of the latest American pattern, but of that most strong and stout kind,—the amateur's make, minus the paint. But with the flowers the children bring, and their bright faces, everything seems to be just right.”

Besides his church-school work, Brother Loasby takes the Sabbath and Sunday-night services, and holds Bible readings during the week. He has also organized an active young people's society in the church. H. R. S.