BUILDING THE NATION THROUGH WOMEN'S HEALTH: MODERN ...

sessions given by an obstetrician or a well-trained midwife, consisting of 36 to 46 hours of
instruction each month, divided into two- or three-hour periods. 353
Although it seems that the school was not lacking students (each month a new class of
30 students matriculated), there was a serious problem with attendance rates. The first report,
dated December 1928, stated that one-third of the students could be characterized as “fair,” and
one-third was “learning pretty well” and attended classes fairly regularly. However, one-third of
the group was an “entire failure” because “1) they do not attend class regularly… 2) they are ‘too
old’ to see or hear as there are three students aged between 65-75, 3) they ‘know too much’ to
learn for more.” 354 The average age of these students was 54. The second class started on
January 7, 1929, with 30 students (average age of 51), 19 of whom passed the final exam (only
26 completed the course). 355 A makeup final exam was given to those students who failed.
Yang again complained of poor attendance, this time of 35 percent, which she explained by
saying that the students came from a distant area, and the region was suffering from inclement
weather. Only 18 of the 30 students attended regularly. In March 1929, only 60 percent of the
students (18 out of 30) were allowed to take their final exams, the remainder having missed too
many classes. Seventeen out of those 18 did pass the exams, five with honors (grades over 85).
By March 1929, the situation was improving somewhat, with 26-29 percent absent. In the first
eight months, 106 midwives had completed the course, of which 76 passed their exams and were
allowed to register with the government. By 1932, the Child Health Institute had trained 268
old-style midwives, as compared to only 107 modern midwives trained in the FNMS.
353 Marion Yang, "Report of the Training and Supervision for Midwives," (Peiping: Division of Medical Service,
Health Station, First Special Health Area, Department of Public Health, 1929), folder 371, box 45, series 601, RAC.
354 Ibid.
355 Ibid.
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