清末恆春縣義塾之探究（1875-1895）

A Study of Hengchun County’s Free Private Schools in the Late Qing Dynasty(1875-1895)

清末恆春縣義塾的設置是因應開山撫番政策而產生的，當時被官府列為推動輔番事務的要項之一，目的在訓迪番童，使其漢化，進而影響原住民社群，有利於官方管理，以維持臺灣治安。光緒元年（1875）開始設置義塾，數量為十六所，分布於響林等地區，之後陸續有增減。惟歷經數任恆春縣令的辦理，卻因塾師敷衍塞責，甚至包攬詞訟、勒索束脩，以及塾師按月來縣課考致令塾童學業荒廢、教授科目及方法不適合番童所需、要求來縣城集中上課的不便等諸多缺失，最後致使番童逃歸部落，就讀人數稀少，徒然耗費巨資，義塾成效不彰，此亦為晚清官方在恆春地區推行輔番事務未能成功的因素之一。

In the late Qing Dynasty, the free private schools in Hengchun County were set because of the policy of “Opening Up the Mountains and Pacifying the Aborigines.” As a major issue for promoting the affair of pacifying the aboriginals at that time, the free private schools were designed for teaching the aboriginal children and facilitating the sensitization to influence the aboriginal community. Therefore, it would be easier for the government to manage and maintain the public security in Taiwan. The sixteen free private schools were established in the first year of Guangxu(1875) distributed in the Xianglin area, but the number was fluctuated afterwards. Although the implementations of several county magistrates of Hengchun County continued, there were lots of reasons that the aboriginal children played hooky, such as the teachers’ perfunctory manners, illegal charges, blackmails, and under table gifts. Furthermore, the teachers only taught and tested students monthly so that students neglected their studies. The other shortcomings were due to unsuitable teaching subjects and methods and the requirement of attending centralized classes in the county. In spite of the huge investments, the free private schools didn’t show the substantial effects. It was also one of the reasons that the authority of the late Qing Dynasty failed to practice affairs of pacifying the aboriginals.