The Song Dynasty on the Sand Table

Chapter 187 Comprehensive Development
It wasn't long before two new elementary schools officially opened: one in Jiaoshui County, where Madam Gong Er resided, and the other in Jimo County, where the prince resided. As for other places, they needed to take their time and there was no rush.

Both county towns had been ravaged by the Jin thieves last year, and many people had died, so there were empty houses everywhere in the county towns. A few ownerless houses could be cleaned up and used as classrooms. Carpenters could be asked to make a batch of desks, and a scholar could be found to write plaques and couplets, and the school could be built easily.

The textbook problem was easy to solve; you could buy textbook mockups on Taobao. They didn't take up much control, so Yue Wenxuan casually assembled a thousand textbooks and placed them in the sandbox. Of course, he didn't include English textbooks; people in that era didn't need to learn English.

After making all the preparations and doing good publicity, we are just waiting for students to sign up.

This day is the first day that "Jimo Primary School" officially starts registration.

A group of Jimo County residents came over early in the morning to watch the fun.

The plastic-man principal moved a table and sat on the street outside the school gate, with a registration book spread out in front of him, waiting for parents to bring their children to register...

The county residents who were watching the excitement couldn't help but whisper: "Do you think anyone will sign up for this school?"

"I doubt it!" a county scholar whispered. "I heard this school doesn't teach the Four Books and Five Classics, nor does it study the classics, history, and philosophy. It simply teaches the children literacy and arithmetic. Also, I heard this school has these strange subjects like music and painting..."

When he said this, the county residents around him were stunned: "Teaching music, painting, and physical education? This is... training talents for brothels?"

A scholar said, "It's not for the sake of brothels, but to enable students to develop in an all-round way."

Others were puzzled: "What does all-round development mean? Don't talk nonsense."

The scholar laughed and said, "I'm not kidding! My calligraphy is excellent, so I was asked to write a couplet for this school: 'All-round development in morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor.' This couplet is the school's main educational theme: to help children improve their abilities in all aspects."

Everyone was a little confused when they heard this: "If they don't even teach the Four Books and Five Classics, how can we develop? We won't even be able to pass the imperial examinations in the future."

Most people think this way, so naturally no one would be willing to sign up.

The school gate was empty and no one came near for a long time.

However, at the same time...

At the corner of the street, seven-year-old Ma Congyi was about to turn around and run to sign up.

Behind him, his father Ma Banzhou Ma Yang quickly caught up and grabbed Ma Congyi's arm: "Congyi! Don't waste your time learning random things and affect your future career."

Ma Congyi: "Is this a waste of time? Learning these things is very meaningful."

Ma Yang said in a deep voice, "Haven't you heard what others say? They don't teach the Four Books and Five Classics, they just teach you how to read. You've long passed that stage, so what they teach you in school is of no use to you. As for math, music, painting, and physical education, that's all just nonsense."

Ma Congyi: "Father, you made a mistake."

Ma Yang: “?”

Ma Congyi: "The Four Books and Five Classics are important because they allow you to take the imperial examinations. Mathematics, music, painting, and sports are unimportant because they are not used in the imperial examinations, right?"

Ma Yang: "Exactly!" Ma Congyi: "But who decides what questions to ask in the imperial examination?"

Ma Yang suddenly woke up after hearing this: "You mean..."

Ma Congyi: "The prince has already held an agricultural examination. If he can even include farming knowledge in the imperial examination, then why would it be surprising if math, music, art, and sports were also included in the examination in the future? If you don't learn these things now, when the prince suddenly reforms the imperial examination, it will be too late to catch up. Just like the last agricultural examination, no one from our main family could take it, but the son of a branch family passed and became a ninth-rank deputy agricultural official."

Ma Yang fell into deep thought. His son's words convinced him.

The ninth-rank agricultural official position held by the son of the separated family is obviously not a nominal position, but an important position. In recent days, almost the agricultural development of the entire county has been controlled by the agricultural official.

The most powerful department among the powerful ones!

As long as this agricultural officer doesn't make any serious mistakes, he will definitely be promoted in the future.

It's hard to imagine that not long ago, this man was just a child from a poor relative's family, digging in the fields every day and barely having enough to eat. It was only because his last name was Ma that he received financial support from the Ma family, and was able to attend the Ma family's private school for a few days and learn a few words. Otherwise, he wouldn't even be qualified to take the agricultural science exam.

After a few seconds, Ma Yang raised his head and said, "Go ahead! But you will study their 'moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor' education here during the day, and go home and study the Four Books and Five Classics carefully at night. You have to take care of both. You will inherit your father's name, Ma Banzhou. The success or failure of the entire Ma family depends on you. Don't make mistakes."

Ma Congyi: "Don't worry, Dad! I've been learning Wing Chun from Master Ye recently, but it hasn't affected my studies."

Ma Yang patted his head. "You're a child prodigy, incredibly intelligent since childhood. Dad isn't worried about your learning ability, only about your arrogance. You know, there are many child prodigies, but when they grow up, most of them become mediocre again. It's because of their arrogance that they've gone astray."

Ma Congyi: "I will respect my father's teachings."

Ma Congyi turned the corner and walked up to the principal with confidence: "Sir, I'm here to register for school."

The principal smiled kindly and said, "You're quite polite, kid. Just call me principal from now on. Come, tell me your name and I'll write it in the registration book for you."

Ma Congyi: "Thank you, Principal. I can write my own name."

He picked up the pen and wrote the three words "Ma Congyi" neatly on the registration form.

The principal took a closer look and exclaimed in amazement, "What beautiful calligraphy! Have you been taking calligraphy classes since you were little? Wow, kids these days are really amazing."

Calligraphy cram school? What is that?
Ma Congyi was curious but didn't ask.

Just then, a commotion erupted from the street corner. He and Wang Zhaoye, riding a tall horse, approached with a group of janitors. Arriving at the entrance of Jimo Primary School, Zhaoye dismounted, stood beside the principal, and said with a smile, "I'm here to help organize the new school... Hey, isn't that Ma Congyi? Are you here to sign up, too?"

Ma Congyi quickly saluted: "Boy, come here to learn moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and labor, and develop in an all-round way."

Zhao Ye laughed heartily: "Very good, very good, haha, you have a bright future, kid."

After he praised like this, Ma Banzhou and Ma Yang, who were hiding in the crowd in the distance, immediately laughed: His son's judgment was correct. The prince actually came in person to support the school. In the future imperial examinations, most of the things taught in this school will be used. Those who didn't come to study will definitely regret it.

(End of this chapter)