Communism has stolen summer vacations away from its young people, even at the primary school level. All over the Chinese mainland, children and youths are engaged either in compulsory farm labor or military training. Millions of college, middle, and primary school students have been sent into the countryside from Peiping, Shanghai, Canton, and other large cities to "learn from labor." Many older youths were dragooned into military camps and taught military skills and discipline.
Mainland young people have no choice. They go where and do what the regime tells them. Grumbling is dangerous. For middle school or college students, it may lead to the loss of the privilege of school enrollment and the substitution of a year or two of labor reform in Sinkiang or some other remote province.
Summer in the Republic of China is a marked contrast to the Communist record of compulsion. Vacation has not disappeared from the language—although it is far from a time of idleness. Examinations for the next step in schooling are held during the summer. For thousands of students this means intensive study and a great challenge. With an exploding population, there is never enough classroom space for all who want to continue their education.
In mid-July 36,600 upper middle school graduates sweated it out for 14,000 places open in the 33 colleges and universities of Taiwan. Even those who had received their bachelor's degrees were not exempt from examination. Nearly 14,000 of them sought employment in two civil service examinations held at the end of August and the beginning of September. As in traditionalist China, competitive, incorruptible examinations determine who shall enter government service and who shall advance to the top executive positions.
Many college students found temporary employment to pay next semester's tuition. For students who were not doing so well scholastically, there were tutorial courses at all levels of schooling. Then, of course, there were those who helped on the family farm, worked in the family business—or just loafed.
But the biggest program of all—entirely voluntary but this year enrolling 33,000 young men and women of middle school and college age—is that of the China Youth Corps. Activities had grown from a tiny recreational beginning 10 years ago to a total of 44 this summer, ranging from painting to glider training, from diplomacy to nature study.
The China Youth Corps was established in 1952 at the suggestion of President Chiang Kai-shek, who thought young people should have opportunity to express themselves about their country and their communities. The Corps also has added a practical aspect to the Chinese educational system, which sometimes is accused of placing too much emphasis on book learning. Those who participate in CYC programs find summer use for the lessons they have learned in the preceding 10 months of classroom work.
Sharp Increase
All activities are free, although some of them involve a considerable level of cost. Funds come from a government subsidy and the gifts of business and interested individuals. More than 100,000 young people have participated in the program, and interest has skyrocketed in the last couple of years. In 1963, activities totaled 29 and participants 12,000, whereas the 1964 figures are 44 and 33,000.
By far the largest number of young people come from the middle schools. This year nearly 24,000 of them enrolled in 427 sports, recreational, and study groups. Colleges and universities sent hundreds into research studies. Many others were interested in outdoor recreational activities. Summer camps, lasting a week or two, were extremely popular, and nearly 200 of them were sponsored by CYC and related units or other young peoples' groups. Enrollment was almost 5,000.
Direct military training was restricted to 7,000 college young men who are enrolled in reserve programs. They undertook summer service that included physical conditioning and recreation, as well as the utilization of their military skills. Some of the recreational camps on the offshore islands—Kinmen, Matsu, and Tungyin, all virtually under the Communists' guns, and the Penghus (Pescadores) off southern Taiwan—offered some overtones of military activity, including small boat handling and marksmanship.
For the more daring, training is offered in aqua-lung and swimming for both boys and girls. The frogwomen enrolled in a class at a port in southern Taiwan learned to carry 50 pounds of equipment, dive to 40 feet, and launch and maneuver rubber boats.
Taiwan is an island of only 25 per cent flat land. Mountaineering long has been a favorite Sunday activity—and students have shown a liking for it. Under expert guidance, the summer mountaineers climb 12,957-foot Yu Shan (Mt. Morrison), one of the highest peaks in the Far East, and follow meandering mountain trails near the spectacular East-West Cross Island Highway.
Study Classes
Some young people have devoted their leisure time to the production of plays and variety shows to be given on the offshore islands, where there is little recreation, and for other troops of Taiwan's 600,000-man defense force. Students also provide leadership in organizing off-duty recreational activities-songfests, ball games, dancing, and so on. Parties are sponsored on soldiers' birthdays and other social occasions.
For the more academic minded, classes are provided in the political thinking of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the father of the Republic of China, and in international relations, journalism, and creative writing. Teachers and lecturers are outstanding practitioners in these fields. Students of international relations bring realism to their study by donning native costumes to enact the role of ambassadors and to practice diplomatic protocol.
Serving others are those enrolled in nursing, rural service, and engineering. Medical service has been provided for more than 20 remote fishing villages. Daily commodities have been distributed to needy aborigines. One hundred and fifty civil engineering students build highways and roads in five counties. Other engineers visit factories and other industrial installations.
Hunting and fishing attract many of the boys, and even some of the girls. On a seafaring island, boating is understandably in demand-and some young people even hike around the island, which is a jaunt of not so much less than a thousand miles. Some learn to drive cars and others to pilot planes. For future politicians, even oratory is available.
President Chiang and other government and civic leaders have maintained a deep interest in the program. Guidance is voluntary and often unpaid, but there are plenty of highly competent people willing to provide it.
President's Visit
Hikers on the East-West Highway in July met the chief of state personally. He had made the trip to see how they were doing, and to inspect a youth camp in the mountains. He stayed to talk of the summer activities and to have his picture taken with the young people.
China Youth Corps leaders and many educators hope that the summer activities will have a physical carry-over into the regular school program. For various reasons, Chinese education .has not stressed physical education to the extent of its Western and some Asian counterparts. Both legislators and educators are aware that growth and stamina records of Chinese students sometimes lag behind. They think that as sports interest is stimulated by the CYC program, it will survive into the fall, winter, and spring months, and bring about development of a more intensive athletic programs in the schools.
Another aspect is helping young people toward earlier maturity in a social structure that keeps them in the home much of the time, and that is sometimes said to over-protect them and leave them unprepared for the transition from home and school to work and lives of their own. CYC summer camp participants often suggest that what they enjoy most is the group activity—not merely learning together, but actually doing together, and practicing the give and take of community spirit.
As a 21-year-old summer mountaineer, Miss Tseng Chiu-fang, wrote to her mother:
" ... don't worry about me, dear mother, I am old enough to care for myself. And, indeed, it's high time for me to learn to stand on my own after all these years as mama's girl at home. Life here in camp is not all play; we learn many things. Now I am able to converse easily with strangers and express my opinions. I have learned to mix with people, and how to persuade others to like me. I have learned many things that the books fail to teach and which can be acquired only in practical life. From now on, I think I shall join in more such activities."
Such an unsolicited testimonial says more about the Republic of China's summer youth program than the glowing words of its brochures and the wide coverage given in the Taiwan press. It also expresses the difference between the voluntary, constructive summer vacation activities of free China and the compulsory, unpopular program of the Communists.