Page:Japan by the Japanese (1904).djvu/290
The Bulletin of the College of Agriculture is the periodical of the college for the publication of original researches carried out by the professors. The four volumes already published are well known among the specialists of agriculture and veterinary medicine. Besides the regular course, subsidiary courses in Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine have been established, each of which extends over three years, and is open to the graduates of the middle schools.
The graduates of the colleges whom the faculties concerned consider sufficiently qualified to pursue further studies, may, on application, be admitted into the University Hall, where the student is required to select some subject of investigation to be undertaken, generally under the superintendence of a professor. No regular courses of lectures are given in the University Hall, and the student is free to pursue the study of the subject. At the end of the five years he may send in a thesis on the subject; and if it is found satisfactory, the second degree of Hakushi, with the prefix of Hogaku, Igaku, Nogaku, Ringaku, or Yakugaku, Kogaku, Bungaku, Rigaku, or Juigaku, according to the nature of the subject, is granted by the Minister of Education.
The tuition fee paid by the student of the University is only 25 yen (about £2 10s.) per annum, excepting in the Engineering College, where a further sum of 10 yen is charged for materials used, such as drawing-paper, pencils, etc. The fee is certainly very moderate, and some educationalists are for increasing the fee for the purpose of augmenting the University income, which is sadly too small for the great work expected of it. The other point of view is that there are a great many University students who can ill afford the additional burden on their purse, and the fee had best be left as it is.
The University needs an increase of buildings for lecture-rooms, seminaries, laboratories, hospitals, etc., and a dormitory is sadly needed. Additional ground is needed for these new buildings. It is estimated that all this can be accomplished for about 12,000,000 yen (about £1,200,000), and, further, an increase of about 50 per cent. of the present annual income would not be too much to satisfy the pressing needs of the University.
To show the inclinations of the Japanese student toward different professions, the following table is appended: