Cai Yuanpei (1868- 1940), a native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, was a famous revolutionary and educator in modern China. He was a scholar in Guangxu period and studied in Germany twice. At the end of Qing Dynasty, he was an inspector of Shaoxing Chinese and Western School, a teacher of Shanghai Nanyang Public School, the founder of Shanghai Patriotic Society and Patriotic Girls' School, and the founder and president of China Education Association. After the Revolution of 1911, 19 12 served as the education chief of Nanjing Provisional Government, and presided over the formulation of "Renzi-Guichou Academic System"; 19 15 initiated the organization of work-study programs in France and the Sino-French education meeting, and advocated work-study programs in France. 19 17 President Peking University. After 1927, he served as the president of the university and the president of academia sinica. He devoted his life to the cultural and educational undertakings in China and made outstanding contributions to the reform and development of modern education in China. The following is an introduction to his educational thought.
(A) the educational policy of harmonious development of body, intelligence, morality and beauty
19 12 In April, Cai Yuanpei published the article "Opinions on Education Policy", proposing the policy of military national education, utilitarian education, civic moral education, world outlook education and aesthetic education. He said: "These five are indispensable in today's education." [1] He believes that "military nationalism is a movement; Materialism is intellectual education; Civic morality and aesthetic education are based on moral education; The world view is one of the three. " [2] In the article "General Education and Vocational Education" published by 1920, he systematically put forward the idea of harmonious development of body, intelligence, morality and beauty. He believes that the purpose of general education is to "cultivate a sound personality". This kind of education is divided into four parts: "(1) physical education, (2) intellectual education, (3) moral education and (4) aesthetic education." "These four educations are equally important and cannot be relaxed." [3]
He explained in detail the educational contents of these aspects. (1) Military national education is sports, which is not only the need of Qiang Bing's rich countries, but also the need to cultivate a sound personality. (2) Materialist education is intellectual education, including all kinds of general cultural and scientific knowledge, including history, geography, mathematics, physics, chemistry, natural history (including practical techniques such as tree-planting, cooking, tailoring, metalworking, carpentry and geotechnical engineering) and handicrafts. He believes that we should not only impart knowledge and skills, but also cultivate students to think carefully and take things seriously. (3) Citizen's moral education is moral education, and he believes that moral education is the basis of a complete personality. The content of moral education is freedom, equality and love revealed by the French Revolution, which embodies his desire to cultivate students with bourgeois moral concepts. (4) Aesthetic education can "cultivate our feelings, make us have noble and pure habits, make people independent, self-interested and harmful, and thus gradually disappear" [4].
Cai Yuanpei's policy of harmonious development of body, intelligence, morality and beauty conforms to the historical requirements at that time, which is a great progress in education and a denial of the semi-colonial and semi-feudal educational purpose of China. In terms of personnel training, these aspects of education conform to the educational law of people's all-round development, but different stages have different requirements for all aspects.
The idea of free and inclusive higher education
This is the principle of reforming Peking University put forward by Cai Yuanpei and has become his guiding ideology for developing higher education. In his first speech as president of Peking University, he clearly pointed out: "Great scholars also study advanced knowledge." [5] The following year, in the "Preface" of Peking University Monthly, it was emphasized: "A great scholar is also an institution that includes ceremonies and attracts many families." [6] He believes that various academic factions in universities "often coexist among them, which is the universal principle of freedom of thought and the reason why universities are big" [7]. Until his later years, when summing up his life's experience in running a school, he also said: "I am tolerant of various theories in accordance with the common practice of universities in various countries and the principle of freedom of thought. No matter what kind of school, if it makes sense, it will not reach the fate of natural elimination. Even if the two are at odds, let them develop freely. " [8]
He also made a strict distinction between "learning" and "technique". He said: "Learning and skills can be divided into two nouns. Learning is theory and skills are application. All disciplines in universities around the world, such as business, law and medicine, not only learn science, but also apply what they have learned, which are skills. Pure science and philosophy are knowledge. Learning must be based on application, and learning must be based on learning. " [9] For China, learning theory is more important. In a country, there are many people practicing technology and few people studying science. Such technology is also passive water, and its development is limited. Therefore, he advocated that "learning is the foundation and technology is the branch, and it must be corresponding" [10]. According to the thought of "academic progress and correspondence", he advocated the exchange and integration between disciplines and opposed the conservative view of curriculum and learning.
Under the guidance of the above ideas, Cai Yuanpei carried out a thorough reform of old Peking University. First of all, all factions with academic attainments were hired to teach at Peking University. Shortly after arriving at the school, Chen Duxiu, editor-in-chief of New Youth magazine, was hired as a senior liberal arts student at Peking University. Hu Shi, Ma Xulun, Jong Li, Ren Hongjuan, Ma Yinchu and others with high academic attainments were invited to teach at Peking University. Later, Li Dazhao and Lu Xun also took part-time classes at Peking University. They also retained people with professional expertise but conservative or even reactionary thoughts, such as Liu, an ancient Chinese classics scholar who actively supported Yuan Shikai but was as famous as Zhang Taiyan academically, and Gu Hongming, who had long braids but was proficient in English and translated four books into English. Secondly, transfer engineering to Beiyang University, and strive to turn Peking University into a comprehensive university of arts and sciences centered on learning advanced knowledge and cultivating advanced comprehensive talents. Third, reform departments, majors, courses and teaching methods. Break the boundaries between arts and sciences, change subjects into departments, cancel the senior system and set up department heads; Change the grade system to the elective system; Organize various academic groups and hold various academic lectures to encourage students to combine specialization with knowledge.
(3) the educational thought of respecting nature and developing individuality.
This is Cai Yuanpei's educational proposition that feudal traditional education ignores students' characteristics, violates the natural law of students' physical and mental development and restricts students' personality development. He said: "Educators would rather be natural than stick to the rules; Instead of seeking uniformity, it is better to show personality. " [1 1] He opposes injection teaching, advocates giving full play to children's personality, and requires students to be automatic, self-taught and self-help. The teacher's duty is only to help students when they feel difficult. According to the principle of respecting nature and developing individuality, he especially advocated the research of educational science, especially the experimental research of children's psychology, educational psychology and teaching materials and methods, as well as the research of new educational ideas in Europe and America.
Second, Tao Xingzhi's educational thought
Tao Xingzhi (189 1- 1946), formerly known as Wenzhi, also known as Zhixing, was born in Shexian County, Anhui Province. China is a famous educator in modern times. 19 10 entered Nanjing Jinling University. 19 14 studied in the United States and obtained a master's degree in political science from the University of Illinois the following year. In the same year, he entered Columbia University to engage in research and education, and studied under educators such as Dewey and Meng Lu. 1965438+returned to China in 2007, and successively served as the director of the Academic Affairs Office and the director of the Education Office of Nanjing Normal University. 1922 was appointed director of China Education Improvement Society, 1923 was appointed president of Nanjing Anhui Public College. In the same year, Zhu Heyan initiated the establishment of the China Association for the Promotion of Civilian Education in Beijing to promote civilian education. Nanjing Xiaozhuang Rural Normal School was established in 1927 to carry out rural education. /kloc-0 went into exile in Japan in the autumn of 930. 193 1 After returning to China in the spring of, Shanhai engineering group, early shift engineering group, newsboy engineering group and street children engineering group were established successively to advocate universal education. During this period, he founded the bimonthly Life Education and served as the editor-in-chief of the weekly Life Education and Universal Education. 1936 organized and chaired the national disaster education society and advocated the national disaster education movement. 193865438+February, Life Education Society was established in Guilin, serving as the chairman. 1939 Establish Yucai School in Hechuan, Sichuan. 1945 joined the China Democratic League, was elected as the member of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee, the director of the Education Committee, and was the editor-in-chief of the monthly magazine Democracy Education. Chongqing Social University was founded 1946, and served as president. Tao Xingzhi's thoughts are very rich. Among them, the idea of universal education and life education is the most distinctive.
(A) Tao Xingzhi's thought of universal education
Popularizing mass education is the goal that Tao Xingzhi struggled for most of his life. He said: "For more than a decade, I have sometimes advocated civilian education, sometimes rural education, and sometimes working people education. People who don't know think I'm changing my mind and rejoicing in renovating things. In fact, there is only one central problem in my heart, that is, how to make education universal and how to make those who have no chance to receive education get the education they need. " [ 12]
Tao Xingzhi believes that universal education should first break the barriers between students, eliminate the boundaries between children and adults, and between men and women, so that all men, women and children become the objects of universal education. Secondly, we must break the jazz barrier. He believes that the most effective way to popularize education is to mobilize primary school students and educated adults all over the country with "Mr. Xiao" to popularize education. Thirdly, to break down classroom barriers and popularize education must meet the needs of large-scale production and life, work-study combination, flexible time arrangement and teaching organization, and must not hinder large-scale production. Fourth, we should break through the barriers of textbooks, paper and pens. He put forward: "China is a poor country, and it is necessary to popularize the education of the poor by poor methods, instead of wasting methods to popularize the education of young masters, ladies and nerds that the poor do not need." Universal education should proceed from the economic situation of the masses, adapt to the poor and adapt to local conditions. Fifth, we must break through the school gate. He believes that it is difficult to popularize education only by schools, and it is necessary to adopt self-study groups, joint study groups, engineering groups, aviation schools and other organizational forms to carry out extensive popularization education activities. Sixth, we must break the population barrier. Universal education must control population growth, birth control, advocate contraception, marry late and have only two children, otherwise it will be difficult to popularize. Seventh, there must be legislation to ensure that "persuasion and coercion go hand in hand", and at the same time, anyone who hinders others from learning will be punished by law.
Tao Xingzhi has done a lot of work for popularizing mass education all his life. /kloc-in the summer of 0/920, when he was teaching at Nanjing Normal University, he held a summer school to lead students staying in school to teach residents, drivers and vendors to read and write. After 1923, he engaged in the civilian education movement, compiled thousands of words for civilians, organized civilian reading offices and civilian schools, and taught civilians to read and write. After 1926, he devoted himself to the rural education movement, focusing on popularizing mass education. 65438-0930 Director of Compulsory Education Group of Education Planning Committee of Ministry of Education. Together with Ma Yinchu and Zhu Jingnong, he drafted the Preliminary Plan for Implementing Compulsory Education, which became the programmatic document for the government to promote universal education at that time, and then launched the universal education movement. In the long-term practice of universal education, I have summed up many valuable experiences suitable for special rural education in China and made important contributions to universal education.
(B) Tao Xingzhi's life education thought
Tao Xingzhi's life education thought was deeply influenced by Dewey, which originated from his reflection on China education and was formed and perfected in the long-term practice of running a school. The so-called life education, according to Tao Xingzhi's explanation, is that "life is primitive, independent and necessary for life" [13]. "By definition, life education is to educate life, to educate with life, and to educate for the needs of life. Judging from the relationship between life and education, it is life that determines education. As far as effectiveness is concerned, education can only become real education through life. " [14] In short, the essence of life education is life-centered education [15]. The thought of life education includes three organically related parts: life is education, society is school, and teaching integration. "Life is education" is the ontology of life education. Tao Xingzhi pointed out: "The fundamental meaning of education is the change of life. Life is always like this, that is, life always contains the meaning of education. Therefore, we can say: "Life is education. "[16] He thinks that" what kind of life do you live and what kind of education do you receive "[17]." Modern people want to live a modern life, that is, to receive a modern education. "[18]" Society is school "is the field of life education. Tao Xingzhi pointed out: "The whole society is a place of life, that is, a place of education. Therefore, we can say: "Society is the school." [19] "the integration of teaching and learning" is the methodology of life education, which means: "the teaching method is based on the learning method; Learn to move in your own way. Learn to do things and teach to learn. Teaching and learning are centered on doing. It is the teacher who is teaching and the students who are doing school. " [20] Its basic feature is that "doing" is the center of teaching and learning, emphasizing that "doing is the beginning of knowing" and "doing before knowing" [2 1].
(C) Creating educational ideas
He pointed out: "Action is Laozi, thought is his son and creation is his grandson" [22], in other words, "Action is the beginning of education in China and creation is the completion of education in China" [23]. As far as creative education is concerned; "Working with hands and brains is the beginning of creation; Both hands and brain are the purpose of creative education. " [24] Tao Xingzhi attaches importance to creative education, and not only wrote creative education monographs such as the Declaration of Creation, Creative Children's Education, and Creative Social Education Outline, but also discussed creative education in most of his educational works, especially the cultivation of children's creative ability; In the Three Principles of Yucai, he stipulated that "marching to create life" was its core [25]. In the last letter to all teachers and students of Yucai School, he encouraged everyone to "learn for scientific creation" [26]; He founded Chongqing Social University, emphasizing that creating a new world is the "main task" of the social university. The way of "social university" must first understand the four virtues of the people, namely, consciousness, unity, liberation and creation [27]. It can be seen that the theory of creative education occupies a very important position in Tao Xingzhi's educational thought.
Tao Xingzhi emphasized the cultivation of people's creative ability, that is, the ability of (1) "learning", that is, the ability of self-study, self-adaptation and political science; (2) thinking ability or cognitive ability, that is, the ability to observe, analyze, synthesize, reason and judge; (3) the ability to "manage things", that is, the ability to use your head, teach by example, be kind to others, and handle things. He advocates that creative education should start with children. He wrote articles such as "Creative Children Education" and "Democratic Education" [28], and proposed that cultivating children's creative ability requires "six liberations", namely, liberating children's eyes, mind, hands, mouth, space and time. Only these six liberations can give full play to creativity.