养女子之性，强民族之魂 : 林文庆论女性教育 = LIM BOON KENG ON FEMALE EDUCATION

Abstract

Born in Singapore, Lim Boon Keng (1869-1957) was a third-generation of Chinese immigrant in the British Straits Settlement and the first Chinese to be offered the Queen's Scholarship and enrolled to the Medical School in Edinburg University. During his 88-year lifespan, he devoted 37 years to education especially female education. In 1899, he co-founded the Singapore Chinese Girls' School which was the first girl school set up by the Chinese in Singapore. He only left the school after he assumed the presidential role of Amoy University in China. The University admitted both female and male students. This can be said to attribute to his emphasis on the female education as the university used to only taking in male students. However, there is not much discussion about Lim's views on female education; most of the scholars only pointed out that he valued female education since he co-founded the Singapore Chinese Girls' School. Thus, this thesis aims to further examine his views about female education. As Lim supported the Hundred Days' Reform in China, is it the case, as some scholars claim, that his opinions were under the influence of Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao who led the reform and also highlighted the importance of female education? As for those who went through the British education system but turned out to be a supporter of Confucian education like Lim, would they have similar views about female education? Gu Hongming is a case in point for examination. This thesis adopts a comparative approach to answer these research questions. Chapter one introduces the education backgrounds of Lim, Kang, Liang and Ku. A comparison of Lim and Kang, Liang on how to educate females will be included in the following chapter. As Kang, Liang were supporters of the first Chinese girl school in Shanghai, Chapter three will compare the constitution upon which the schools were founded by Lim and Kang, Liang respectively. Chapter four will then compare Ku and Lim's views on females. Finally, this thesis will analyze Lim's thoughts on female education after he served as the Chancellor of the University of Amoy in Chapter five. This will be followed by a conclusion in Chapter six. This thesis concludes that Lim believed that Confucian moral education is the most important part of female education regardless of the girl schools being in Singapore or China. During his days in Singapore, Chinese women gambled and smoked opium. Being ignorant, they hindered the progress of economic success and ruined social representation of the Straits Chinese. Lim suggested that girls should be taught to be a good mother and dutiful wife and thus they should learn Confucian rules for females. On the other hand, females in China were facing the danger of national subjugation, Lim supposed that they should be taught with moral ethics of Confucius like loyalty, love, benevolence and righteousness. He believed that female education could achieve ethnic and/or national strength, not just for females' own good.Born in Singapore, Lim Boon Keng (1869-1957) was a third-generation of Chinese immigrant in the British Straits Settlement and the first Chinese to be offered the Queen's Scholarship and enrolled to the Medical School in Edinburg University. During his 88-year lifespan, he devoted 37 years to education especially female education. In 1899, he co-founded the Singapore Chinese Girls' School which was the first girl school set up by the Chinese in Singapore. He only left the school after he assumed the presidential role of Amoy University in China. The University admitted both female and male students. This can be said to attribute to his emphasis on the female education as the university used to only taking in male students. However, there is not much discussion about Lim's views on female education; most of the scholars only pointed out that he valued female education since he co-founded the Singapore Chinese Girls' School. Thus, this thesis aims to further examine his views about female education. As Lim supported the Hundred Days' Reform in China, is it the case, as some scholars claim, that his opinions were under the influence of Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao who led the reform and also highlighted the importance of female education? As for those who went through the British education system but turned out to be a supporter of Confucian education like Lim, would they have similar views about female education? Gu Hongming is a case in point for examination. This thesis adopts a comparative approach to answer these research questions. Chapter one introduces the education backgrounds of Lim, Kang, Liang and Ku. A comparison of Lim and Kang, Liang on how to educate females will be included in the following chapter. As Kang, Liang were supporters of the first Chinese girl school in Shanghai, Chapter three will compare the constitution upon which the schools were founded by Lim and Kang, Liang respectively. Chapter four will then compare Ku and Lim's views on females. Finally, this thesis will analyze Lim's thoughts on female education after he served as the Chancellor of the University of Amoy in Chapter five. This will be followed by a conclusion in Chapter six. This thesis concludes that Lim believed that Confucian moral education is the most important part of female education regardless of the girl schools being in Singapore or China. During his days in Singapore, Chinese women gambled and smoked opium. Being ignorant, they hindered the progress of economic success and ruined social representation of the Straits Chinese. Lim suggested that girls should be taught to be a good mother and dutiful wife and thus they should learn Confucian rules for females. On the other hand, females in China were facing the danger of national subjugation, Lim supposed that they should be taught with moral ethics of Confucius like loyalty, love, benevolence and righteousness. He believed that female education could achieve ethnic and/or national strength, not just for females' own good.