This memorial hall was built in memory of Tao Xingzhi, a "people's educator", with the number 1984.
As soon as you enter the gate, the magnificent and unique hall will be displayed in front of your eyes. On the big screen, Tao Xingzhi wrote four big characters: "Love the whole world".
On the back of the screen is Comrade Jiang Zemin's inscription: "Learn Tao Xingzhi's educational thoughts and promote educational reform". Bypassing the screen, I walked into the hall. At the top of the hall is a plaque inscribed by Soong Ching Ling, and on the front is "Mr. Tao Xingzhi, the Great People's Educator" inscribed by Mao Zedong.
A statue of Tao Xingzhi stands in the hall. He sat on a stone with a bright face and a serene and upright posture. Looking at his face, I felt a firm belief and the teacher's hope for the students.
I followed his eyes, in a trance, and returned to China 100 years ago through a hundred years.
18911018, Tao Xingzhi was born in Huangtanyuan Village, Shexian County, Anhui Province. He was born in a poor family of teachers. When he was 6 years old, he played in the neighbor's hall. He saw couplets hanging on the wall of the hall and sat on the ground to copy.
A scholar in the neighboring village saw and saw a child with red lips and white teeth facing the couplet, took a look and drew it carefully. I began to love talents and enlighten them for free.
14 years, with the support of relatives and friends, I entered Chongyi School run by Shexian Christian Continental Association. The dormitory wall reads "I am from China and should make some contribution to China". I hope I can contribute my strength to my country.
At first, he wanted to relieve the suffering of the working people by studying medicine and realize his ambition of serving the motherland. So, at the age of 17, he was admitted to Hangzhou Guangji Medical Hall. However, he only entered the school for three days, and he was very angry and dropped out because this missionary school discriminated against students who did not enter the school. How can a China person be at the mercy of outsiders?
In the second year, he was admitted to Nanjing Huiwen Academy.
19 14, he graduated with the highest total score. In his graduation thesis, he wrote: "People are poor and rich are not as good as education; People's stupidity is not education but wisdom; Party building is not education; Loyal, non-academic. "
At that time, he was determined to become an educator, let more people get out of ignorance, let the people stand up and let the country stand up.
After graduation, he went to study in America. Learn advanced educational ideas from the west, learn from foreigners and learn from them.
He first studied municipal administration at the University of Illinois, and after half a year, he resolutely transferred to Columbia University, where he studied education with American educators such as Dewey, Monroe and Ke Boqu.
19 17, he returned to China as a successful China intellectual.
But at that time, he didn't dream of enjoying success, but wanted to redefine what success was. He wanted to reconnect himself with his motherland.
At that time, China was devastated and impoverished, which was unimaginable. Tao Xingzhi said: "The root of this disease lies in education."
In today's China, if you want to be a university teacher, it is difficult to stay without certain experience in studying abroad. For many famous schools, studying abroad is a hard lever. That year, an international student was as precious as a diamond.
At that time, Tao Xingzhi, as far as he knows, could have become an earthling; At that time, Tao Xingzhi, with what he had learned, could talk and laugh between Confucianism and Confucianism.
But he fixed his eyes on the lowest society in China. He soberly said: "This country is based on agriculture, and nine times out of ten people live in rural areas, so China's education is rural education. Because the countryside does not change, there is no hope for the country. "
He said, and then he did.
Tao Xingzhi took off his suit, resigned as a university professor, and promoted civilian education.
1923 organized a promotion meeting for civilian education, compiled a thousand-word course for civilians, and traveled to more than a dozen provinces and cities across the country. He sent the "Thousand-character Textbook for the Common People" as a teaching material to the common people's homes and urged every household to read and write. Most of his activities are funded by his own books.
On one occasion, he got the manuscript fee of 1000 yuan, took it home and locked it in the cupboard. My sister, who is in charge of all the housework, saw it and asked him, "There are old and young people at home, and there is not much money. Can you leave 1/4 for home use? "
Tao Xingzhi thought about it and said gently, "I'm going to run Xiaozhuang Normal School at the foot of Laoshan Mountain in Nanjing, and this money will be used as school funding." Although our family is poor, we can make ends meet. China's 340 million farmers have no food, let alone education. To run a school with this money is to burn incense for farmers and try our best to help them. You can save some money at home and help me do something big! "Sister understood his meaning and nodded silently.
He moved to Xiaozhuang, an extremely backward and poor ordinary village in China, just outside Nanjing. He lives in a cowshed, and he knows his hometown. He gradually had a seemingly unattainable wish, that is, to train one million rural teachers for China.
He walked between secular villages and streets. He wants to help the most ordinary people in China, elderly grandparents, servants of rich families, helpers of rich families, street handymen, powerful people in the freight yard, and masters who pull foreign chartered cars, all of whom can study!
The hall of Xiaozhuang Normal School, which he founded, was named "Plough Palace". One of the couplets on both sides is "Make friends with horses, cattle, sheep, chickens and dogs, and be diligent in rice, wheat and millet", and the other is "Teach people to teach themselves and be diligent in labor".
In Xiaozhuang, Tao Xingzhi led the students to farm, work and build their own school buildings. He said: "Only by sweating can you eat your own food, and you should do your own things."
Tao Xingzhi does not want to train senior intellectuals, but teachers among the people. He invited his friends and scholars to teach in Xiaozhuang and spread new knowledge and ideas. Gradually, Xiaozhuang, a humble university hall, has grown from dozens to hundreds.
In education, he innovated the teaching methods. The popular education method at that time was "study hard, study hard, study hard". He believes that the new education should advocate "life is education", "society is school" and "teaching integration".
On one occasion, Mr. Tao Xingzhi went to the podium and unhurriedly took out a big rooster from the box. The audience was stunned and wondered what Mr. Tao was going to do. Mr. Tao calmly took out another handful of rice and put it on the table, then held down the rooster's head and forced it to eat rice. But the rooster only crows and doesn't eat.
How can I make the rooster eat rice? He broke the cock's mouth and stuffed the rice in. The cock struggled desperately, but still refused to eat. Mr. Tao gently released his hand, put the chicken on the table, stepped back a few steps, and the rooster began to eat rice himself.
At this time, Teacher Tao began to speak: "I think education is like feeding chickens." Teacher Wang forced his students to study and imposed knowledge on him, but he didn't want to study. Even if he studies, he will eat without digesting. It won't be long before he returns his knowledge to her husband. But if he is allowed to study freely and give full play to his subjective initiative, the effect will be much better! "
In this way, the place of education is not just in a small room, but in a three-foot lecture hall.
He walked into his hometown, he walked into every household, he was in the field, and he was by the cowshed. As long as there is a place where he is, it can be a classroom anytime and anywhere.
He is working hard alone, and the bud of his dream has broken through the ground. When we see the flowers bloom, we will open trees. Yes, where Tao Xingzhi is, there is hope for civilian education. In Wuhan, Chongqing, Shanghai and Nanjing, he has been on the road to education for the motherland.
Finally, Mr. Wang died on the road.
1On July 25th, 946, Tao Xingzhi died of a sudden cerebral hemorrhage due to overwork in Shanghai. That year, he was 55.
65438+February 1, Mr. Wang's coffin returned to Nanjing, and the people of Nanjing spontaneously helped Mr. Wang. They want to send this man back to his village. People along the road sang and cried and said, "You went, the nanny of our poor children, our friend and the mentor of the people." The elegiac couplet is fluttering, which reads "Mr. Xingzhi is eternal", and next to it are four vigorous Chinese characters written by Soong Ching Ling-a model for all generations!
The gentleman said, I brought a heart, not a grass. Mr. Wang said that I am a civilian in China. After decades of school education, I gradually moved closer to the direction of western aristocrats. After a thorough understanding, I burst my banks like the Yellow River and rushed back to the road of civilians in China.
When I came to my senses and looked at my husband's serious and firm eyes, I wanted to tell him that in today's China, the children are singing and laughing, the people are happy and healthy, and the country is peaceful.
Time flies. In a blink of an eye, Mr. Wang has been away from us for 76 years.
But we will never forget, sir. Mr. Wang's spirit is like fire and light. After time's tempering, it is more brilliant. It not only illuminates China, but also the world.
Yunshan is grey, the rivers and seas are boundless, the gentleman's wind, the mountains are high and the water is long!
Tao Xingzhi, the mentor of the people, told us one thing all his life, that is, teachers can still live like this!