Irving (1778-1856) is a great utopian socialist in Britain and an educational thinker and experimenter in modern education. Born in Wales to a craftsman family. At the age of 9, he left home, made a living by himself and taught himself. 1800 1 as manager of new lanark cotton mill, carrying out reform plans, such as improving workers' welfare, setting up a character formation college (new hall) for workers, that is, an educational institution from kindergarten to adult amateur education, and so on. Its reform experiment has been a great success. 1824, he went to the United States to try to build a new communist village-"new harmony" village, and the result failed. In the era when he lived, modern British industry had developed and social contradictions were very acute. At the same time, as an entrepreneur, he is very sensitive to the role of modern production and science and the problems of modern society. Therefore, his educational thought has gone far beyond what other utopian socialists and democratic educators reflected on modern production and education in the embryonic period of modern society. He not only saw the disadvantages of capitalism, but also saw the power of science and mass production. He saw that "every increase in the power of science or mechanochemistry directly leads to an increase in wealth" (Selected Works of Owen, Volume I, page 299), and felt that "the growth of science is endless, and its development ability will also expand with its growth" (ibid., Volume II, page 52). He also saw that "some people's labor is more valuable than others', mainly because, therefore, he thought that" ways must be found to let the children of the poor receive the most useful education ". (ibid.) "Cultivate their moral, intellectual, physical and professional qualities and educate them into all-round people" (ibid., vol. II, p. 13). Based on the goal of transforming society and the above understanding, he organized public, free and universal preschool education and primary education, and opened a wider range of courses in primary schools than those in British primary schools at that time, such as mother tongue, arithmetic, geography, history and nature. And canceled the religious class. He attached great importance to labor education and combined education with productive labor. According to their age and physical strength, children have to take part in some productive labor, but children under 10 are forbidden to work, and children over 10 are strictly restricted in their labor (less than 6 hours). He also advocates that children learn more.

Horticulture, agriculture, handicrafts and production skills. Owen's educational thought had an important influence on Marx's educational thought and later educational practice, especially in socialist countries.