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"?"264 GENERAL AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONfiw Mioi EducationsterDuring the period under review a changeof Minister of Education took place. Mr.^, T ,. ,, vr . . ., XChang I-lm, the new Minister, is Iroin an oldofficial family President Yuan strusted men, and on the President has leaned forof Kiangsu.whomHe is one ofadvice on educational affairs for years. Since he took uphis duties as Minister of Education, Mr. Chang has bent hisenergies in re-organizing the provincial boards of education,educational bureaus in the districts, in extending the workof public libraries, and establishing schools for adults,whose early education was neglected, to learn to read andwrite. Though his avowed purpose is to stress socialeducation, yet he gives very great importance to primaryeducation.The Government has decided to change theprovincial educational bureaus into educa-Admmistration .. -, n ATof Provinces tional departments, as during the Manchuregime. The country is to be divided intoeight educational districts, each of which is to be presidedover by a high chancellor appointed by the President. Theaim is to distribute the responsibility in supervising thework of education. Local education has also received muchattention. The country is to be divided into six universitydistricts, each of which will comprise three or four provinces,and in each of which a university will be established. Eachprovince will be divided into sixteen, twenty-four, or thirtyhigh school districts, in each of which a high school will bjestablished. Each hsien district will be divided into ten,eight or six primary school districts, in each of which alower primary school will be established.The Government had decided that some-Unfversa! thing should be done to give the rising genera -Education tion f China a universal education. Thedividing of the country into school districts,each of which is to be held responsible for carrying outeducational affairs within its area for the establishment ofthe necessary number of schools and to raise the necessaryfunds for their upkeep is a preliminary step for introducing compulsory education. January first of this year waschosen to make a beginning. It was hoped that by putting