Results of French Education in Cochinchina (1862-1886)

to train interpreters to meet the communication needs of the French army in Cochinchina, later called the Interpreter School, opened in Saigon; The second type was a number of schools opened in the provinces to teach the national language and mathematics to adults and children, later classified as primary schools [106, pp. 32-33]. However, according to Vial, “The initial situation of the schools was indeed difficult. The people had just been conquered and had not yet adapted to the attention of the governing officials, did not understand and could not understand our very generous ideology. Therefore, the calls to the heads of families to send their children to school were considered a way to conscript soldiers, the village chiefs conscripted children like people conscripted taxes” [cited in 9, p. 38]. The opposition of the people together with the inherent limitations in the way education was organized led, according to Luro's assessment, to "The truth is that the results of our schools are almost nothing" [cited in 9, p.45]. If they wanted to continue their career of "spiritual conquest", the French needed to reorganize education, and first of all, they had to solve the problem: the level of existence of Confucian content in the new curriculum.

On November 17, 1874, Rear Admiral - Governor Krant signed a Decree to reorganize the educational system with 4 clauses and 23 articles, of which the contents to note are [see 32, pp.697-701]:

Article 1. Education shall be free and open to Asians in colonial schools.

Article 3. No private school may be opened without permission from the government (…). Article 9. Schools teaching the Latin national language shall be established by the colonial government in communes and villages.

now abolished. Pupils from those schools, if they so request, will be sent to primary schools whose curriculum will be determined.

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Article 10. Primary schools will be established in each district (later province), but for now they will be temporarily located in the following places: Saigon, Cho Lon, Vinh Long, Ben Tre, Soc Trang. In other districts, Latin-language schools in the communes and villages will be grouped into one school in the district and continue to operate in the old way until further orders.

Article 15. The Pedagogical School in Saigon is now abolished to establish a school called the Native High School (Collège indigène) to teach the secondary level, the curriculum of which will be determined later.

The duration of study is 3 years… this school is run by a French official, with European or Annamese professors under his command.

Decree dated November 17, 1874 regulating the main curriculum

Primary School Curriculum

Practice reading and writing Latin and Chinese characters - Learn French, Basic French tips - Basic math - Basic geometry - Basic measurement concepts - General concepts of history and geography.

Secondary School Curriculum

Study French thoroughly - Introduction to French literature - Essay writing in French, national language and Chinese characters - Concepts of ancient and modern history based mainly on the role of France - General geography - Introduction to cosmology - Mathematics (according to the later program) - Basic algebra - Geometry - Measurement of area and volume - Land surveying and drawing maps - Elementary physics and chemistry - Introduction to natural sciences - Bookkeeping - Painting.

After 13 years, if counting from the time the first school was established, the education system in the South was organized according to a charter with specific regulations on the system of levels and curriculum. Accordingly, the total study time was 6 years, through 2 levels: Primary (3 years), Secondary (3 years). The curriculum not only included mathematics and the national language as stipulated in the Decree dated July 16, 1864, but also included a clearly defined system of subjects. Chinese characters, which had been opposed by priests and a part of officers under Bonard and eliminated under De La Grandière, had a certain position in the curriculum at both levels. However, Chinese characters and the national language were only taught at the primary level, and essay writing at the secondary level. The advantage in the language field belonged to French, which students studied thoroughly throughout their studies. In addition to reading, writing, and essay writing, the secondary school curriculum also included: An introduction to French literature.

This curriculum provides students with a large but comprehensive amount of knowledge, unified in content: knowledge of grammar, mathematics, geometry, measurement, history and geography at the elementary and general level at the primary level becomes the foundation for receiving expanded knowledge, the number of subjects added at the secondary level; and to a certain extent, what has been learned can be applied in practice. An important content related to the issue of organization that needs to be noted is: Private schools in the regulation "No private school may open without permission from the government" (Article 3) do not include schools of teachers because right after listing educational institutions not covered by the above provision, the regulation clearly states: "Free primary schools operating in communes and villages, commonly known as schools teaching Chinese characters, are exempt from permission. The prefect will control those schools" (Article 4). The French authorities recognized the existence of Confucianism in legal documents with a favorable attitude: "Teachers of Confucianism who teach the Latin national language will be rewarded with an additional 200 francs per year" (Article 4). Thus, up to the time

Currently, in Cochinchina, there exist two parallel educational systems with two different curricula organized by the authorities at the district headquarters (later the province) and by teachers established according to the traditional model in the communes and villages.

Applied in Cochinchina in the years 1874-1879, the new curriculum, although having many advantages, was almost completely modeled after the French curriculum and textbooks, so it was not suitable for the students' ability to receive and at the same time did not satisfactorily resolve the most erroneous point that Luro pointed out: "demanding to completely replace the entire education system of this country with the study of Latin" [cited in 9, p.41]. Therefore, the situation of students studying in schools organized by the French, as commented by Piquet, was still: "I am sure that in most of our schools, many students are now poor children that the commune and village have to hire to go to school" [cited in 32, p.701]. The education system of Cochinchina again posed a demand for reform.

On March 17, 1879, Governor of Cochinchina Lafont signed the Decree on educational reform. Used to replace the Decree issued by Rear Admiral Krant five years earlier, the 1879 Regulation redefined the educational organization system and built a new curriculum, expressed through the following provisions [see 32, pp.702-707]:

Article 4. In principle, primary and secondary schools established under the decree dated November 17, 1874, are abolished and replaced by primary, secondary and high schools. (…)

Article 5. Each of the following centers shall establish a primary school:

Saigon, Gia Dinh, Cho Lon, My Tho, Vinh Long, Soc Trang, Ben Tre, Bien Hoa, Long Xuyen, Go Cong, Trang Bang, Can Tho, Tra Vinh, Sa Dec, Tan An, Chau Doc, Ba Ria, Thu Dau Mot, Rach Gia, Ha Tien and Cai Be.

Each of the following centers will establish a secondary school:

Saigon, Gia Dinh, Cho Lon, My Tho, Vinh Long, Soc Trang and Ben Tre.

These schools will be opened gradually and in the above order depending on the budget.

permission

Article 6. Chasseloup-Laubat School becomes a high school.

During the transition period, until further notice, the school will teach according to the curriculum.

level 2 …

Article 20. The educational program in Cochinchina and study time are prescribed as follows:

after:

Primary School - Duration: 3 years

French class

1.French language factors

2. Arithmetic: four operations and comparative measurement system; correlation between French and Vietnamese measurements (not proven)

Chinese and Vietnamese class

- Book of Four Books, annotations, practice writing Chinese characters

- Practice telling stories in the national language

- Practice reading Vietnamese characters

During the third year, teachers will emphasize spoken French and, if possible, gradually introduce spoken French into French lessons.

The classes teaching all subjects are divided as follows: three classes for subjects taught in French, one national language class and one Chinese language class.

Secondary School - Duration: 3 years

French class

1. French: French grammar, reading, writing (emphasizing spoken language learning); storytelling and essay writing; translation from Vietnamese to French and from French to Vietnamese (emphasizing Vietnamese to French translation).

2. Arithmetic: Four operations; system of measurement; fractions; rates of ternary; discount; interest and guilders.

3.Basic and practical geometry; measurement of area and volume (not demonstrated) 4.Geography: General idea of the five continents of the world (emphasis on France and the

French colony)

5. Drawing practice: straight lines and artistic drawing (elements)

Chinese and Vietnamese class

The Four Books: Explanations, annotations, commentaries, stories, either in Chinese characters or in the national language; history and geography of Vietnam

Every week there will be 2 hours of Chinese characters and Vietnamese characters, the other hours will be devoted to language classes.

France.

High School - Duration: 4 years

French class

1. French: Full grammar; essays by topic

2. Arithmetic: Learn to multiply and subtract cube roots, approximate decimals and related calculations (proportional errors)

3. Plane geometry, except that which requires knowledge of quadratic equations; area and volume

4.Algebra: Up to quadratic equations 5.Trigonometry: How to solve plane triangles

6. Measurement: Measuring planes with conventional tools, measuring balance; concepts of graphic geometry

7. Drawing: Applied to drawing planes; watercolor drawing 8. Bookkeeping (single and double entry accounting)

9.Geography: Five continents of the world; significant rivers and mountain ranges; political divisions; climate; major products (more details on France and French colonies)

10. Cosmology: General Concepts

11. Chemistry: Elements; general idea of the most commonly used and well-known substances

12. Physics: General concepts, applications in industries (telecommunications) 13. Biology: Animals; plants; geology (general concepts)

Chinese and Vietnamese class

- Four Books: Commentaries; annotations in Chinese characters and national language

- Learn common Vietnamese scripts (contracts, etc.)

- History and geography of Vietnam

Each week there will be one hour of Chinese and Vietnamese classes. The other hours will be for French classes.

In comparison with the 1874 Regulation, we can see the difference in the regulations on the education system and the curriculum. According to the new regulation, the total study time is 10 years (an increase of 4 years), including 3 levels of study: primary level (3 years), secondary level (3 years), high school level (4 years). If we note that, until De La Grandière replaced Bonard as commander-in-chief, in Cochinchina, in addition to the Interpreter schools, the authorities only established a number of primary schools and the 1874 Regulation also only established 2 levels of study with a modest duration of 6 years. Up to this point, it can be seen that the public education system in Cochinchina under the responsibility of the French had achieved completeness in terms of organization and rationality in the division of levels and study time for each level. The curriculum was re-established in the direction of simplifying the number of subjects but still ensuring

comprehensive and consistent in content across all levels of education. At primary level, students only learn basic knowledge of French, Arithmetic, Chinese characters and the national language. These subjects will continue to be taught at secondary level but will be expanded and enhanced, with the addition of several new subjects such as Geometry, Geography, and Drawing. Corresponding to the 4-year duration, there are up to 13 subjects that students must study at high school. Similar to the secondary school curriculum of the 1874 Regulation, these subjects will provide a comprehensive amount of knowledge in many fields enough for students to be accepted into colonial administrative agencies after graduation to work as clerks (lettres), interpreters, and real secretaries. Even if the Brevet supérieu (College degree) is excellent, students can receive financial support from the government to study abroad in France (Article 15). The curriculum showed attention to “the psychology of a nation with a long-standing civilization” [cited in 9, p.49] when Chinese characters were still taught throughout the 10 years of study and students were, although not in much time, able to learn about Vietnamese history and geography right from grade 2, continuing in grade 3. However, like the 1874 Regulation, French still held absolute superiority over Chinese characters and the national language, and a paradox was that: while the study of the Four Books, a very important content of Confucianism, was increasingly advanced (mentioned in grade 1, “annotation, commentary, storytelling” in grade 2, “commentary, commentary” in grade 3), the study time for Chinese characters and the national language, which was already very little, was reduced from 2 hours/week in grade 2 to 1 hour/week in grade 3. Therefore, the study would certainly not be effective. Another noteworthy point is that the 1879 Regulation reaffirms the freedom of teachers to establish schools in Article 3: “(…) Elementary schools that have been or will be established in villages and are commonly called schools for teaching Chinese characters are also exempted from permission. The commissioners will encourage and facilitate the establishment of such schools in each village. The commissioners, the inspectors of native affairs and the directors of education have the duty to inspect these schools” and at the same time encourage the teaching of the national language and French: “Teachers of Chinese characters and those who familiarize students in such schools with the national language and a little French may be rewarded, with bonuses depending on the number and learning ability of the students they train” [see 32, p.702].

In the context of Cochinchina being a French colony, a curriculum based on the 1879 Regulations certainly did not satisfy the local people, but was still acceptable. If there were any difficulties in the application process, it was due to the lack of strictness in the organization. However, when issuing the Regulations, Lafont did not fully anticipate the shortage of teachers, poor quality teachers, lack of textbooks and teaching aids for learning, and the lack of

clearly defined the type of writing that students would learn at the cantonal and communal schools [9, pp.49-50;106, pp.61-62]. The 1879 Regulation was implemented in Cochinchina until 1917, although Lemyre de Viler, Lafont's successor, intended to apply an education with the same content as in France but taught in the national language, with Chinese characters almost completely abolished [9, p.50].

2.2.4. Results of French education in Cochinchina (1862-1886)

It should be recalled here that, when establishing a new education system in Cochinchina, the French wanted to have administrative staff, spread Western civilization, eliminate the existence of Chinese characters and the influence of the Confucian scholar class among the people. In comparison with the above-mentioned purpose, French education in Cochinchina met almost all of them, although at different levels for each issue. Schools taught according to the program of the 1874 Regulation, and then the 1879 Regulation, trained people capable of working in the public apparatus. Through the study content, students began to approach the scientific knowledge of Western civilization. Officially recognized in legal documents, the Confucian schools still had a large number of students. However, Chinese characters gradually lost their basis for existence. The Confucian examination system was abolished in the Eastern region of Cochinchina after the Tan Dau examination (1861) and in the Western region of Cochinchina after the Giap Ty examination (1864). The most decisive was the Decree of April 6, 1878, the content of which was an announcement that after 4 years, the remaining prestige of Chinese characters in the administrative field would be abolished:

“Article 1. From January 1, 1882, all official documents, decrees, decisions, orders, judgments, directives... will be written, signed and published in Annamese Latin script.

Article 2. From the above date, no recruitment shall be carried out, no promotion shall be allowed in the prefecture, district, or canton ranks for anyone who cannot write in the national language” [see 106, pp. 39-40].

However, if the evaluation criterion is the number of students studying at educational institutions, then in 1886, the proportion of students studying at French schools was less than 1% (the population of Cochinchina at that time was about 2 million people) while Confucian schools still existed with nearly 8,496 students and 426 teachers. The results of opening schools throughout Cochinchina by 1886 were listed by Paullus and Boinais as follows:

“There are 17 schools taught and managed by Europeans, including 10 schools for boys and 7 schools for girls. In the 10 schools for boys, there are 48 French teachers and 78 teachers

Vietnamese teachers teach 1,829 students. In 7 girls' schools, there are 25 French teachers and 13 Vietnamese teachers teaching 992 students.

There are 16 district schools with 24 French teachers and 51 Vietnamese teachers teaching 1,553 students.

There are 219 general schools with 270 Vietnamese teachers teaching 10,441 students. There are 91 communal schools with 91 teachers teaching 3,416 students.

Total 27,473 students” [cited in 106, pp.62-63; see 9, p.53].

In terms of school size by administrative level, if only counting schools from district to commune level throughout Cochinchina in 1886, the figures given by Paullus and Boinais are:

- Number of schools at all levels: 343 schools

- Number of schools in general and commune: 300 schools

- Number of Vietnamese teachers: 503 teachers

- Number of students at all levels: 18,231 students

On average: Each district school has nearly 100 students, taught by about 3-4 teachers. Each commune school has nearly 50 students, taught by about 1-2 teachers. Each commune school has nearly 40 students, taught by 1 teacher [106, p.63].

The success or failure of an education system is determined by the curriculum, and teachers and teaching conditions are also important factors. Until the 1879 Regulations were issued with an acceptable curriculum in the colonial context, the difficulties with teachers and learning facilities had not been resolved. Vietnamese teachers, either those who concurrently held secretarial jobs for the Department of the Interior or those who were not qualified, due to their lack of pedagogical training, all school regulations, including curriculum and timetables, were arbitrarily determined by them [9, pp.50-51]. The curriculum according to the 1874 Regulations and the 1879 Regulations both required providing students with a large number of textbooks as learning materials. However, the lack of textbooks remained a difficult problem. This situation has led to a limitation in the quality of training, according to Cultru's comments, coming out of the French school gates are only "a few hundred Annamese people speaking French, a few thousand people speaking French incorrectly, they are waiters, rickshaw pullers...", and "the Annamese people still speak their language, but cannot read or write" [cited in 9, p.54].

The land of Cochinchina, due to historical circumstances, was the first place in Dai Nam to receive a new education system, established by the invaders, with many novelties. The organization of