Islam, Turkey, and Armenia, and How They Happened/Chapter XXII
CHAPTER XXII.
TURKISH HIGHER SCHOOLS.
1. The Essence of Turkish Institutions of Education. Education is not obligatory in the Turkish empire; therefore, the number of the public Turkish schools and the students is considerably smaller compared with other European countries, or even with non-Moslem communities of the empire. During the last twenty to thirty years the government established some public schools in four grades: a primary school for each town, a higher school for each county, an academy for each State and three to four highest institutions in Constantinople for the whole country. The approximate proportion of the numbers of the institutions to that of the population cannot be more than one primary school for 10,000, one higher school for 100,000, one academy for 1,000,000 and one university for the whole population.
The grade of these schools also is very inferior, because with the exception of some Christian professors in the university (?) all the teachers and superintendents are Mohametan fanatics or infidels, unworthy of their position. In the system of instruction there is no radical improvement and can not be as long as the spirit and practice of Islam prevails. That is why the Mohametan students in European institutions, though very few in number, are generally becoming abject infidels in their hearts and heads, an element which does not seem more favorable to the Christian civilization and a better illustration for the re-entrance of the evil spirit into an empty heart. Hence all the outward appearance of the Turkish education and progress is a total farce, and an extra burden upon the long oppressed and impoverished Christians (for they must contribute to support) and a serious danger for Christian civilization.
2. A Closer Investigation of These Institutions. The buildings are better than the common schools, but not as good as one might expect for the large sums collected from the people. The first floor is generally used for the wood and the ashes, and as a place for the shoes, which must not be taken up to the second floor, because it is used for Mohametan worship as well as school. The second floor consists of a narrow hall, to which all the doors of so-called lecture rooms open. No directory, no time-table and no program in the hall, only the emblem (arms) of the Ottoman government. You have to go from door to door and look in to see the contents. One of them looks like an arithmetic class; all the students of the class are crowded before one faded small blackboard and working together in great confusion. The other room looks like a geography or history class. The torn maps are inscribed all over with Arabic letters, reading from right to left. The largest letters on the eastern end read, "The Great Encircling Sea" (Pacific Ocean). Then comes "Chinumachin" (China); the next attractive inscription reads, "The prosperous countries of the Imperial Ottoman" (Turkey). The Mediterranean is named "White Sea;" Austriah, "The Province of Nemcheh;" Germany, "The Province of Prussia;" France, "The Province of Fransah." When you look more attentively over the map of Turkey you will find that all countries separated from the empire during the last twenty-five to thirty years are put under the same Turkish dominion. Constantinople is called "The Gate of Happiness;" Jerusalem, "The Sacred Holiness;" Damascus, "The Sacred Sham;" Mecca, "The Esteemed Mekkeh of Mysteries;" Medina, "The illuminated Medineh," etc. Both the map and its design carry us back thirty to forty years, and show how the real sciences of geography and history are abused in Turkish schools, which, perhaps, is the reason why an eminent telegraphic officer, a graduate of one of these higher schools, could not be persuaded that "Liverpool" was a single word. He insisted angrily that it was two words—"Liver" and "Pool"—until his Christian subordinate came and ended the dispute. One of the Turkish pashas, the highest provincial officers, hearing from a missionary about the Civil War in the United States, asked him with great surprise: "Why, havaja, did your kings get permission from the Sultan to declare war against each other?" During the last Russo-Turkish war the copies of a telegram were pasted on the walls telling that "near Alashehir the Moscows suffered such a defeat before the Ottoman braves that the blood of the enemy formed a river so deep as to reach the breasts of the horses of the Ottoman cavalry." And the large-turbaned Turks, who thought the telegraph to be a devil's operation, were heard by this time reporting that this news was produced by itself all over the country, while the secret dispatch was passing frown Constantinople to Mecca.
3. Commencement Services in Turkish High Schools. It is the "Prize day," as they call it. In one of the largest halls of the town, teachers, students and their friends, and many invited persons, are crowded; the service is not yet begun, though the announced time has already passed one hour; the air in the room is almost unbearable; a great many are smoking, walking out and in, talking with a tremendous confusion and noise. Some are going out to drink and bringing a pail of water in for their friends, others calling for "a drop of that water," some trying to reach the pail, laughing, cursing—everything but order. Later on, the pasha, the chairman of the service, comes in, followed by a dozen well-armed soldiers and about all the officers and influential men of the town (there can be no woman in this assembly). By this time the whole congregation rises, as an homage to the pasha and his followers, and a military band begins to play the "Hamidieh March," at the close of which, all being seated, the chairman comes forward, and taking a paper out of his pocket begins to read it as the opening address of the exercises. The subject of that paper is praise for the Sultan; the style is oriental, poetic and adorned; the language as high as possible, full of Persian and Arabic words and phrases, and the tone of reading low, monotonous and quivering.
In order to make our readers better acquainted with the contents of said paper, we shall attempt to translate some parts of it, according to the capacity of the English language in expressing oriental formality: "By the boundless grace and endless mercy of the Lord of all creatures on earth and in heaven, and under the safest shadow of the world-stretched wing of his Imperial Majesty, our Sovereign and Sultan, the king of all kings and the crown-giver of all the princes of the world, we, the most humble subjects of the glorious Ottoman empire and sons of the sacred and most prosperous countries, are privileged to assemble here to-day to perform our usual sacred duty in sincerely praying for the utmost prosperity and longevity of our powerful, gracious and great padishah, and for the constant welfare of his highest commonwealth. Since the happiest day of the glorious enthronement of his Imperial Majesty, the greatest, wisest of all the rulers of the universe, we most fortunate subjects of the pearly throne—the glory of which equals the brightness of the celestial constellations—have always been enjoying innumerable and marvellous signs of his bottomless ocean of wisdom and unparalleled prudence, which is the miraculous heavenly gift to the worthiest of all the monarchs upon thrones. By this delightful chance we acknowledge once more our most pleasant privilege to offer the emblems of our true faithfulness and complete obedience to the heaven-like threshold of his imperial glory, the conqueror, the most gracious and the powerful majesty, our merciful father, Sultan Hamid, the Great, by repeating 'Long live my Padishah!' Amen! and Amen!!"
4. The Relation of Christian Subjects to Their Schools. The Turkish high schools are nominally for all the subjects of the empire, but there are very few Greeks and Armenians who could find any way to enter them. Especially during these last fifteen years the non-Moslem element is remarkably enfeebled in these institutions. Still the expenses are paid by all communities of the country. The Christians invariably prefer to have their own high schools and colleges for their young men and women, and for further advancement appeal to the European or American institutions. When a doctor or lawyer from foreign schools desires to practice in Turkey he has to go to Constantinople, spend his money and time and be examined before the Turkish faculties, to procure his certificate or their permission. The native Christian students are subjected to very severe examination and restriction.