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Show - 41 - Christian Education for the Edinburgh Conference declared, "This task of Christian Education is invested with more serious consequence when we realize the danger that superstition may be rapidly replaced by an aggressive spirit of scepticism and materialism. The Christian Church is confronted to-day with the greatest opportunity and the most serious problems which have ever arisen simultaneously in the history of Christian civilization." Again, "The fact is, to-day the leadeiship of Christian thought in the making of modern China is a possibility; but each year sees the opposing forces increase and pro-Christian influence by comparison grow faint." These utterances were made before the changes which ushered in new era in China and are many-fold more pertinent now than then. Dr. Pierson defines a crisis as ' t h e hour when the chance of glorious success and the risk of awful failure confront each other.* The chance of glorious success is ours if we can meet in a masterly manner the present opportunity. China's great reed is not the material equipment and organized forms of a new civilization, but the vital self-interpreting energy of a new and spiritual regeneration which lies back of and is the cause of all these. Dimly, leading c-tizens here and there ara coming to realize this, and to -whom else shall they go to but to the Christian Church ' Thou hast the words of eternal life." This is the challenge which confronts us, the challenge which opportunity always makes to ability. Looking now more closely at the year under review the general trend and direction of which the above will indicate, there are three outstanding events, significant for the possibilities which they open for the future. The first event is the formation for the station of the Educational Board created by the Mission at the last Annual Meeting for the care of the elementary education. No step taken in the way of advance has meant more for future efficiency than when the delegates of the churches of the field met last January and selected their members to this Educational Board. It is composed of five Chinese and two foreigners and has taken over the entire care of the schools of the station. They have given themselves with enthusiasm to the task of reconstruction. Many tasks are outlined for the future. Some of those already completed, or to which the Board has committed itself in the future are 1. A careful survey of the entire educational field of the station, the work being done and to be done. 2. An examination of all requests for schools, rejecting undesirable ones, granting permission to open, to those where the conditions are favorable, and handling all questions connected with the opening and financing of the same. 3. To familiarize themselves with the best educational methods for higher and for elementary education. 4. The better co-ordination and correlation of the schools. 5. The standardization of the work done so that the status of a school of a given grade shall be known at once. 6. A closer supervision and inspection of schools. A man giving his entire time to this work is planned for the coming year. 7. Not a little has been accomplished in helping teachers to better methods of teaching and school management. 8. The bi-monthly issue of a pamphlet for all schools and teachers, giving the latest helps in the educational work and any new' orders of the Government bearing upon schools of these grades, suggestive and helpful methods of teaching and management, and general conduct of the school, and finally the rulings |