Training the Heavens

Chapter 251 Jiang Yixu

Xuhui Public School was later renamed Xuhui Middle School. It was only two kilometers away from the Shanghai Film Studio where he often went when he was studying in Shanghai. It was even closer to the villa where he lived. He often strolled around the neighborhood when he had nothing to do, so he felt somewhat familiar when he saw it now.

This school is one of the earliest schools in China established according to the Western model of education. It has a special place in the history of modern education. It has trained historical figures such as Ma Xiangbo, the founder of Aurora University, Fudan University, and Fu Jen Catholic University, Weng Wenhao, one of the three great men of Chinese geology, and Fu Lei, a famous translator.

Knowing that he had come to Xuhui Public School, Zhang Xingjiu felt a little more at ease. He knocked on the door, showed his letter of introduction, and went to the reception room to wait. After a while, a middle-aged man wearing a religious robe and a cross on his chest walked in.

The visitor first introduced himself. His name was Jiang Yixu. He was a priest of the church and also the current principal of St. Ignatius School.

In the Church, the clergy are divided into three levels: bishop, priest, and deacon.

Bishop: The highest clergyman in charge of leading a diocese, who possesses all the powers of a priest and the power to ordain priests and bishops, which a priest does not have.

Priest: The lowest rank of Catholic clergy who is authorized to celebrate Mass and is responsible for the teaching, sanctification, and governance of parishes.

Acolyte: Also known as a deacon or deacon, he is responsible for singing the Gospel during the High Mass. He can also perform baptisms, administer the Eucharist, weddings, and funerals. It is a transitional priesthood, and the vast majority of deacons will be promoted to priests.

Skit Level 4: Attendant, Exorcist, Reader, Doorkeeper. The specific duties of these positions may vary depending on the region and church.

Jiang Yixu has been the principal of St. Ignatius Public School since 1880, and it has been more than ten years now. However, the students admitted by the school are either children of church members or children from poor families who have nowhere else to go. Zhang Xingjiu is the first one who has a certain social status and is willing to come to study on his own initiative.

Therefore, he attached great importance to it and regarded Zhang Xingjiu as an opportunity for the church to open up the circle of Chinese literati. He wanted to follow the example of Matteo Ricci and others in the past and expand the influence of the church through Zhang Xingjiu.

Zhang Xingjiu sensed his thoughts and said straight to the point, "I came here mainly to learn Western scientific knowledge, and I have no intention of joining a religion."

Jiang Yixu was a little disappointed, but he did not ignore Zhang Xingjiu because of this. Religious people like him have never lacked patience. He thought that he should accept Zhang Xingjiu first and let him study in school every day. After a long time, he might change his mind.

"Mr. Zhang, don't worry. Our school never forces students to join the religion. We also very much welcome students of appropriate age to study science. As long as you are willing to do so and are willing to abide by the school's rules and regulations, we will accept you. Mr. Zhang, please come with me for a tour of the school first."

"Then I'd rather obey than submit!" Zhang Xingjiu agreed and followed Jiang Yixu out the door.

As they walked, Jiang Yixu introduced to Zhang Xingjiu that the history of St. Ignatius's School can be traced back to 1850, when Xujiahui suffered a flood and many children were displaced and ended up in the church.

Chao De, then president of the Xujiahui Jesuit Society, allocated several thatched huts to serve as classrooms. Seeing that most of these children were smart and studious, he changed the temporary shelter into organized teaching and established a school. Because St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuit Society, was the patron saint, it was named St. Ignatius Public School.

A patron saint is a saint established by the Church, a saint or saintess chosen to intercede before God for an individual, country, diocese, parish, profession, etc. When a saint is canonized as a patron saint, it means that the saint's intercession in a certain aspect is particularly effective.

For example, St. Francis is the patron saint of journalists; St. Thomas is the patron saint of university students, professors, and doctors; St. Luke is the patron saint of doctors; and St. Christopher is the patron saint of drivers. Ignatius of Loyola, originally a Spanish nobleman, founded the Society of Jesus in 1540 with the support of Pope Paul III. As Xuhui Church is a Jesuit property, he is the patron saint of the church.

The main body of the public school is a four-story building, which was built more than ten years ago. When Zhang Xingjiu was studying in Shanghai, the building was still there, so he recognized it at a glance; many years later, when he was studying at the Jiaotong University, he lived here and took photos.

Inside the building, there are rooms for teachers and offices. Through the windows, you can see many children studying inside.

Jiang Yixu told Zhang Xingjiu about the curriculum of the public school. Freshmen would study Chinese exclusively. The school had special Chinese teachers, one of whom was even a juren. Those with better grades would also study French, Latin, music, science, etc.

"The public school does not charge tuition. Mr. Zhang, you are a scholar, and your Chinese language skills must be good. If you are interested, you can also serve as a Chinese teacher." Jiang Yixu was afraid that Zhang Xingjiu would run away, so he arranged a job for him.

The salary at the public school was quite considerable. Jiang Yixu asked for six silver dollars a month. The public school also provided food and accommodation. The food standard was good, and there was a separate lounge, so he didn't have to sleep in a dormitory with other students.

The church is indeed rich, Zhang Xingjiu couldn't help but complain in his heart.

The school's teaching work is very strict, and the assessment of students' performance is divided into three categories: monthly points, interim examination scores, and semester examination scores.

Each semester is usually calculated as sixteen weeks, which are divided into four academic months. The monthly points are the accumulation of daily topic exercises, which are done independently in the study room after class within a specified time. The four-month points account for two-tenths of the total score.

Interim examinations are also called weekly examinations. One or two major subjects are tested every week. Each major subject is divided into two cycles in each semester. In this way, each major subject has two interim examination scores, accounting for four-tenths of the total score.

Semester examinations are the same as those in ordinary schools and are held at the end of the semester, accounting for four-tenths of the total score.

The above is only the written test part. For major subjects, there is also an oral test, which is conducted twice, one between two temporary examinations and one at the end of the semester at the same time as the written test. The ratio of the oral test score to the written test score is one to two.

After hearing this, Zhang Xingjiu thought he was back to his senior year of high school. Even in the senior year of high school, there was no oral exam. Perhaps such strict teaching was the reason why Xuhui Public School could continuously cultivate talents.

After the tour, Jiang Yixu looked at Zhang Xingjiu expectantly, "Mr. Zhang, what do you think?"

Zhang Xingjiu didn't agree immediately, but looked hesitant, which made Jiang Yixu even more nervous. After whetting Jiang Yixu's appetite, he asked, "If you have excellent grades in school, can you go study abroad in Europe?"

"The public school strongly supports students studying abroad and is willing to provide all kinds of help from recommendation to funding!" Jiang Yixu said without hesitation.

The public school spends so much manpower and material resources every year, isn't it just to expand its influence? Zhang Xingjiu's question can be said to be exactly what he wants.

(End of this chapter)