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48 CHINA MISSION VP^AR BOOK.learning so many things, literary elegance may be sacrificed to some extent, and this may be carried so far thatofficial documents and books will demand a less rigidconformance to high standards than formerly. It ishardly probably that the best style of writing can beacquired by those who have so many new subjects to bemastered, while at the same time they are expected tobe men of good physique. The introduction of sportsand games, while adding to the physical strength ofpupils, takes away from them time which was formerlydevoted to poring over books. If a stalwart race ofmen, who know something about life and itsresponsibilities, can be produced, there will not be muchwailing over the loss of an elegant method of expressingideas of supererogation.From the large number of students who have goneto foreign countries to pursue courses of study, it mighthave been expected that the supply of well-qualifiedteachers would be proportionate to the demand, butunfortunately such is not the case. Only a very smallnumber of returned students devote themselves to thework of teaching. Even those who do find positions inschools rarely expect to devote their lives to teaching,but only make it a stepping-stone to other more lucrativeemploy ineiit. This is to be expected in the case ofteachers of elementary schools, but not in the case of thehigher schools. These should be able to secure andretain permanently the services of men who have received thorough training. It should have been possibleby this time to secure returned students as teachers inevery important position in all Provincial Colleges.The Board of Education at Peking and the ProvincialBureaus of Education should also have had a goodsupply of them for their work. Up to the present,however, it remains true that this class has not contributed any appreciable influence toward the spread ofthe new education of which they themselves are theproducts. Too little of the altruistic spirit has been