The new year, bearing new expectations, has begun a new season of growth. At this moment, the heartstrings of parents all over the world have been touched once again in the hurried footsteps of countless children carrying schoolbags to school and in the youthful figure shuttling through university campuses. "Can our children have a healthy body and a beautiful mind while having extensive knowledge?" A few days ago, teachers and parents asked this question. Isn't your feelings aimed at the whole society?
Judging from some recent educational news, this problem is urgent and heavy. Driven by the baton, under the influence of the "single-plank bridge effect" and "academic competition" in the college entrance examination, many families and schools have neglected physical and mental health, personality development and spiritual growth. In the wishful indoctrination and the expectation of success, children have distanced themselves from their happy childhood. In the past few months, countless families in China have been fascinated by a program-where is Dad going? People envy the parent-child survival experience in rural areas of Shan Ye, and are moved by such key words as "courage", "cherish", "gratitude" and "help" which have become unfamiliar under the pressure of examination, but they lament that such education is out of reach.
What is education? It's time to think about these simplest and most important questions, and the answers should not be too complicated. As the philosopher said, "education is growth" is to make everyone's nature and innate ability grow healthily, rather than pouring all external things into a container. Intellectual education is to cultivate curiosity and rational thinking ability, not to instill knowledge; Moral education encourages lofty ideals, not instills norms; Aesthetic education is to cultivate rich souls, not to instill skills. The reason why we put forward "quality education" many years ago is to expect those young lives to grow naturally in constant self-identification and self-exploration.
The purpose of education is to liberate students from the slavery of reality, not to adapt to reality. Nowadays, the situation is worrying, and some educators go all out to shape students with the goal of adapting to reality. Utilitarianism prevails, professors are inspired by "Don't see me unless you have 40 million", students regard campus as a "workplace training camp", and parents firmly believe that "a good job will lead to a good future". More and more "exquisite egoists" may come down from the education assembly line. What kind of future will our children and our country be led by those "arrogant" and "six gods without a master" education?
It is in this vision full of worries that the advocacy of "educating people with moral education" put forward by the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is inspiring, and "enriching people's spiritual world and enhancing people's spiritual strength" has profound meaning. "Education is first of all human studies", and the all-round and free development of human beings lies in cultivating inner virtue and expanding spiritual dimension. Let the spirit grow and the soul develop, and there will be a vibrant life and a life that will continue to shine.
Some people may say that China people who are still struggling to catch up on the road to prosperity should not force themselves to enrich their spiritual world and pursue the realm of spiritual soul. How similar is this understanding to the idea of "pollution first and then treatment" in environmental protection? The fact is, in this world, there may be cases in which you study hard and speak out bravely after you get rich, but there has never been a nation that ruled the country without self-cultivation, and there will never be a prosperous time in which long-term stability can be achieved only by material prosperity. The seeds of truth, goodness and beauty germinate one day earlier, the personality develops completely one day earlier, the social mentality matures one day earlier, and the national strength overrides everything else.
It is in this sense that we say that returning to the spiritual home and returning to the true nature of human nature is not just a matter in the field of education. China in transition is in a hurry. Doesn't the whole society need such awakening? 1899, Liang Qichao put forward in "Concern for the Soul of China People": "The most important thing today is to make the soul of China people." In today's era of great development and change, individuals, countries and society all need such a feeling and such a spirit. Starting from 20 14, let's rediscover our spiritual home, feel the breath and pulse of all kinds of life, open up Yuan Ye with infinite vitality, and cast a vigorous and gentle soul for rejuvenating the country.