-Excerpted from Li's Evaluation of Him.
Tao Xingzhi is a man with a will and without a blade of grass.
-Excerpted from Tao Xingzhi's own motto
Born in189118 (September 6th, 17th year of Guangxu), a poor peasant in Shexian County, Anhui Province. He was smart and studious since he was a child, and a teacher in a neighboring village decided that the child would surely achieve great things when he grew up, so he was admitted to this school for free. One day, it snowed heavily, and the teacher had already started talking when he got to school. He just stood outside the door, listening attentively to the teacher. This learning spirit touched everyone in the school library. 1906 entered Chongyi School, a county missionary school, to study English, mathematics, physics and chemistry, and began to accept the new education of the western bourgeoisie. However, because he has been living at the bottom of China society, he has deeply felt the sufferings of the people since he was a child. He paid special attention to the rural areas in China and was determined to change the poor and backward situation in China and the miserable situation of exploitation and oppression of farmers in China. So when I was studying in Chongyi School, I wrote the motto "I am from China and want to make some contribution to China".
When Tao Xingzhi graduated from Nanjing Jinling University with the first place in 19 14, he went across the ocean to study in the United States. I studied municipal administration at first, but later I felt that there could be no real new Republic without real mass education, so I entered Columbia Normal University to focus on education, hoping to save the country and the people through education.
19 17 When Tao Xingzhi returned to China, a new cultural movement under the banner of democracy and science was launched in China. Tao Xingzhi actively participated in this movement, actively advocated new education and reformed old education. Therefore, on the one hand, he introduced western educational theories, on the other hand, he also opposed blindly imitating other countries, and put forward scientific methods to carry out educational reform and innovation, thus embarking on a new road to realize the popularization and modernization of education in China.
At first, Tao Xingzhi focused on civilian education. During this period, he deeply felt that the fundamental problem of education reform in China lies in the countryside. He said: "China is based on agriculture, and people living in rural areas account for 85% of the national population. Civilian education is a movement to the people, that is, to the countryside. " To popularize education, it is necessary to let civilian education go to the countryside and carry out rural education campaigns.
However, the development of rural education is by no means easy, and it needs a group of people with lofty ideals to fight for it wholeheartedly. Therefore, Tao Xingzhi called on people to join the movement and "create a new life for the rural areas of China wholeheartedly." He also made a great wish to overcome all kinds of difficulties, raise 1 million funds, recruit 1 million comrades, advocate 1 million schools and transform 1 million villages. In order to establish a qualified team of rural teachers, he and Zhao Shuyu, a professor at Southeast University, founded the Rural Normal School in 1926. The school site was chosen in Xiaozhuang (formerly Xiaozhuang), a remote and desolate suburb of Nanjing. This is the world-famous Xiaozhuang Normal School, and Tao Xingzhi himself is the principal.
Xiaozhuang Normal School was born in the gunfire of successive victories in the Northern Expedition. In Xiaozhuang Teachers College, Tao Xingzhi took off his suit and put on sandals, and worked and lived with teachers and students to explore a new way of education in China. That is, in Xiaozhuang Teachers College, Tao Xingzhi transformed Dewey's educational theory and formed his "life education" theory. Its main points are: "life is education", "society is school", "teaching integration" and "learning by doing". According to the theory of life education, under the guidance of teachers, Xiaozhuang normal students make their own land reclamation, build their own huts, do whatever they want, learn whatever books they read, go out of school and join the village peasant association to fight against local tyrants and evil gentry. In this way, school education is combined with social life and productive labor. Its purpose is to cultivate students' practical ability and innovative ability, and to cultivate students into rural teachers with farmers' skills, scientific mind and social spirit. Because the theory of life education basically conforms to China's national conditions, it still has reference significance in the current education reform in China.
From 65438 to 0932, Tao Xingzhi founded the Shanghai Engineering Corps in Shanghai by summing up the experience of Xiaozhuang Normal School. Engineers are social education organizations, schools, factories and small societies. The purpose of "keeping fit through work, learning as knowledge and keeping in good health through the league" was formulated, and local farmers' children were recruited to join the league to learn cultural knowledge in the morning and participate in productive labor in the afternoon. In the evening, the members of the children's group invite local farmers to the tea garden operated by the engineering group to talk about world events, and the members of the children's group tell stories and be little gentlemen. Later, this kind of "instant knowledge exchange" was widely implemented in more than 20 provinces and cities across the country, which played a great role in popularizing education and eliminating illiteracy in the 1930 s and 1940 s
The outbreak of the December 29th Movement marked the arrival of a new upsurge in resisting Japan and saving the nation. At this time, Tao Xingzhi participated in the establishment of the Shanghai Cultural Salvation Association and the National Disaster Education Association with full patriotic enthusiasm, and also initiated the establishment of the Salvation Federation with famous people such as Soong Ching Ling and Zou Taofen. 1In July, 936, he was appointed as "national diplomatic envoy" by the National Salvation Association, and visited 26 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa to win the support of overseas Chinese and international friends for China's anti-Japanese national salvation struggle. When passing through Hong Kong on the eve of going abroad, he jointly issued the Declaration of Unity against Aggression with Shen Junru and Zhang Naiqi, endorsed China's idea of establishing an anti-Japanese national united front, and called for the second cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. This declaration shook the world, greatly inspired the people of the whole country, and was warmly supported by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Mao Zedong.
After the beginning of the Anti-Japanese War, Tao Xingzhi found that many children with special talents were deprived of training opportunities because of poverty and humiliation. With the support of Zhou Enlai and many staff, he founded Yucai School on July 1939. This school is located near Chongqing, and the students are all excellent children with special talents. According to students' interests and conditions, the school employs a large number of experts and scholars as teachers to teach students in accordance with their aptitude. They not only teach students to learn cultural lessons, but also give them labor education, professional basic knowledge education and revolutionary thought education, so that education can be closely combined with productive labor, social practice and revolutionary practice, thus applying the theory of life education to the practice of cultivating "talented people" and making Yucai School a wonderful flower in the history of modern education in China.
After War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression's victory, Tao Xingzhi devoted himself to the mass struggle against civil war, peace, dictatorship and democracy with greater political enthusiasm. The social university he founded in Chongqing has become a bastion of the democratic revolution and an important base for educating young people on Marxism-Leninism in Kuomintang areas. As the director of the Democratic Education Committee of the Central Committee of the NLD, he published articles such as Outline of Democratic Education, Popularization of Democratic Education and Social University Movement, which mercilessly exposed and criticized the fascist education promoted by the Kuomintang and put forward four principles of life education, namely, democratic education, scientific education, mass education and creative education.
1In April, 946, Tao Xingzhi came to Shanghai, continued to struggle for peace and democracy, and made many efforts to establish a social university and relocate a Yucai school in Shanghai. Soon, the news that famous democracy fighters Li Gongpu and Wen Yiduo were assassinated by Kuomintang agents came, and Tao Xingzhi was extremely angry. He gave speeches everywhere, calling for "peace is the most urgent, democracy is the first". Later, I heard that Kuomintang agents had listed him as the next assassination target. He was fearless and prepared for "I'm waiting for the third shot". He still cries for justice again and again, and always stands at the forefront of the democratic movement. On July 25th, Tao Xingzhi died of sudden cerebral hemorrhage due to overwork and overstimulation.
After the death of Tao Xingzhi, extensive mourning activities were carried out all over the country. Today, people are still studying his thoughts and learning his moral character. At present, the China Tao Xingzhi Research Association has been established in Beijing, and its works have been published as the Complete Works of Tao Xingzhi, and a large number of monographs and papers have emerged to study Tao Xingzhi's educational thoughts. In fact, Tao Xingzhi's educational thought has become one of the important foundations for establishing the theoretical system of educational science with China characteristics. Tao Xingzhi's valuable contribution to mankind is an excellent reference for China's educational construction and reform.
Tao Xingzhi (189 1- 1946) is a great people's educator in China. 189 1 year 1 month 18 was born in Shexian county, Anhui province. 19 14 graduated from Jinling university and went to study in the United States. 19 17 returned to China as a professor and dean of educational affairs at Nanjing Normal University, opposing "following the old law and being foreign". Carry out civilian education.
After the May 4th Movement, he engaged in mass education and founded Xiaozhuang Normal School. 1in April, 930, the reactionary Kuomintang government forcibly closed Xiaozhuang school on the pretext of "collaborating with the enemy". Tao Xingzhi was wanted and forced to take temporary refuge in Japan. 193 1 in the spring of, Dow returned to Shanghai as a consultant of the comprehensive management office of Shenbao, which played a considerable role in the innovation of Shenbao at that time.
Since 1932, Shanhai Engineering Group, Early Education Group, Migrant Children Group, Mr. Xiao and China Universal Education Association have been established successively, and a universal education campaign of "spreading as soon as you know" has been launched. 1934 editor-in-chief of life education. In July, he officially announced that he would change his name from "Zhixing" to "Xingzhi".
After the September 18th Incident, Tao Xingzhi actively engaged in the anti-Japanese national salvation movement. 1936 was elected as executive member and standing committee member of the National Salvation Federation. In July, Shen Junru, Zou Taofen and Zhang Naiqi jointly issued the Declaration of Unity against Aggression, and President Mao Zedong wrote back to express his support. Then, entrusted by the National Salvation Federation, he served as a national diplomatic envoy, visited 28 countries and regions in Europe, the United States, Asia and Africa, attended the seventh annual meeting of the World Peace Conference, the World New Education Conference, the World Youth Conference and the World Anti-aggression Conference, and was elected as the executive member of the World Peace Conference in China. He has made outstanding contributions to the image of the Chinese nation on the international stage.
1In August, 938, Dow returned to China and passed through Hong Kong, advocating the establishment of "Chinese Amateur School" to promote Hong Kong compatriots to go to the national disaster together.
From June 65438 to July 0939, a Yucai School was established for children in Gusheng Temple, near Chongqing, Sichuan, to train children with special talents. From 65438 to 0945, Tao Xingzhi was elected as the Standing Committee of the NLD Central Committee and the Chairman of the Education Committee. 1946 65438+ 10 In October, Tao Xingzhi founded a social university in Chongqing to promote democratic education.
After War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression's victory, Tao Xingzhi returned to Shanghai and immediately devoted himself to the struggle against dictatorship, democracy, civil war and peace. Democracy fighters Li Gongpu and Wen Yiduo were assassinated by Kuomintang spies, and Tao Xingzhi was listed as the third person on the blacklist. While preparing for the sacrifice of "I'm waiting for the third shot", he continued to struggle until death do us part and always stood at the forefront of the democratic movement. 1946 died of cerebral hemorrhage on July 25th at the age of 55.
Tao Xingzhi's life was spent in the autumn when the people were in poverty, the country was in great disaster and the nation was in danger. He shared weal and woe with the working people, was close to the people, devoted himself to people's education and the struggle for national liberation and democracy in China, and made indelible contributions.
Mr. Tao's works are rich in content and detailed in discussion, which is closely related to the current socialist pedagogy. He can be called a "generation giant" in the history of modern education in China.
Tao Xingzhi belongs not only to China, but also to the world.