Hunan No.1 Normal School was a secondary normal school that trained primary school teachers at that time, and it was necessary to train students into qualified primary school teachers. However, in that era of turmoil, warlord melee, social instability and uneasy people, how can normal students who receive new education be satisfied with learning to become qualified primary school teachers? Mao, Cai and other young students, faced with the social status quo of the troubled autumn in the early years of the Republic of China, gradually established their grand aspirations of "studying to save energy" and "preparing to transform society" in the process of studying and growing up. Liu Junqing, a dramatist, studied only to be admitted to law school and become an official, only to make a fortune, and lacked the ambition to study for everything, society, country and nation. As a result, he hit a wall everywhere and went astray. Today, it seems that young students are no longer proud of aiming high, but have a strong practical mentality of studying for daily necessities, official positions, golden houses and Yan Ruyu. Re-advocating and strengthening the education of lofty ideals and guiding the younger generation to establish lofty aspirations should become the main theme of school education at all levels and types today. Nowadays, young students should set up a lofty ambition to study for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, just as Mao Zedong and his classmates studied for the rise of China.
Secondly, you should be patient in reading, and have the tenacious will and spirit of being hard-working, not afraid of difficulties, persevering and sticking to the end. Most of the students in the first division are poor children. Mr. Yang Changji encouraged Mao and other disciples to take the word "perseverance" as the spirit of studying and being a man, and make unremitting efforts for it all their lives. Reading is not to enjoy happiness, but to overcome the hardships of living and study hard. Mao Zedong was dressed simply and studious, and a pair of shoes showed his toes. Teacher Yang Changji gave him two yuan to buy a new pair of shoes, but Mao Zedong went to the bookstore and saw a good book, so he forgot to buy shoes. Cai Hesen didn't feel ashamed and inferior because he was poor. On the contrary, he is self-respecting and self-reliant. While learning to earn money, he went to the streets to shine shoes. Compared with the hard study experience of our forefathers in youth, some of our young students now compare with each other in material life, treat each other, wear famous brands, and even waste money, while learning is just passable. There are many children from poor families. When their parents spend all their money to send them to school, they do not appreciate their parents' kindness and cherish the good time of studying hard, but covet comfort and get a diploma. However, students with better family conditions waste their daily lives seriously and do not spend their main energy on their studies. Faced with this situation, our school should strengthen the education of "frugality is the key to self-cultivation" and "being poor is strong, and not falling into the sky", and don't train future builders and successors into idlers and young ladies.
Third, reading should pay attention to methods. Specifically, to achieve the "eight essentials":
First of all, we should establish the reading path of "study first, then study deeply". Broadly dabble, expand knowledge, broaden horizons, lay a good foundation of knowledge, and then on the basis of passing various subjects, learn to specialize and strive for perfection. Although Mao Zedong is not as good as other courses, he has made a special and in-depth study of literature, history, teaching, politics and law on the premise of trying to pass all subjects, and often has unique insights and creativity. Nowadays, students only study for exams and further studies, and their reading range is narrow, so they can't have further thinking and discussion.
Second, study hard, study hard, but don't read dead books, learn to die. Reading should be "hungry", "insatiable and desperate", study hard but not rigid, and learn to read flexibly to study the current situation and transform social energy storage, which is one of Mao Zedong's reading spirit, attitude and methods.
Third, we should combine "learning with thinking". Mao Zedong often emphasized that "learning depends mainly on oneself" and "self-study, self-study". He drew up a self-study plan, consciously studying, writing, thinking, asking questions, discussing, debating, discriminating and practicing, which is a model of independent reading, independent research, independent thinking, questioning, discussing and practicing.
Fourth, combine "educating its spirit" with "destroying its body". The purpose of reading is to learn to store energy, be civilized and keep fit. In the process of reading, the way of reading should also be a combination of mental and physical strength, a combination of rest and rest, a combination of sitting reading and physical exercise, and a combination of book learning and activity learning. Only when you are healthy and energetic can you concentrate on your studies. And this is also the purpose of all-round development of reading. Mao Zedong once put forward the slogan of "civilizing its spirit and barbarizing its body". Together with Zhou Shizhao and other backbones, he set off an upsurge of extracurricular activities centered on physical exercise in the whole school.
Fifth, to make friends, we should learn from each other, discuss with each other and improve each other. "Learning alone without friends is ignorance." Mao Zedong deeply understood this idea, and in the name of the 28-year-old painter, he drafted an enthusiastic and unprecedented advertisement for his friends and sent it to various schools in Changsha. Since then, Mao, Cai and others have organized the establishment of reading clubs, alumni associations, Xinmin Society and other young student groups, and a group of enthusiastic young people have read and discussed together, debated vigorously, exchanged reading experiences and discussed the times.
Sixth, we should combine reading with writing and reading without writing. Mao Zedong advocated reading more books with words, and also advocated and practiced books without words, learning through practice. Reading books without words means not reading dead books, emphasizing concern for society and people, learning from society, learning from the masses and learning from practice. The first division, Mao and Xueyou, used the summer vacation to do social surveys in surrounding counties and villages. Organizing various community activities and leading students to "read books without words" in various activities has benefited a lot, which not only enhances social understanding and life experience, but also exercises practical ability.
Seventh, we should apply what we have learned and combine learning with application. Mao Zedong advocates reading without words, and one of the important aspects is the combination of learning and application. In the First Division, Mao organized students to form various groups and led them to participate in social activities such as opposing the "Twenty-one Articles", Yuan Shikai calling himself emperor, opposing authoritarian education, bravely conquering Beiyang, and defeating the army to defend the ancient city of Changsha. Mao and Xiao traveled to Anhua and skillfully punished the local bully Ding. Organizing night classes for workers, teaching them to learn culture, and so on are typical examples of Mao Zedong and his classmates applying what they have learned. Mao Zedong later said: "Reading is learning, using is also learning, and more importantly, learning." Apply what you have learned, and learning in use is the most important and effective. Our current school education is mainly for exams, and students mainly study for exams and scores. To put it bluntly, the current basic education is still a replica of the feudal imperial examination education in a sense. Most students study book knowledge for exams, but they lack learning from practice, learning from activities, and learning for the world and helping the world. Emphasis on applying what you have learned, applying what you have learned, benefiting the country and the people, and studying for the "big ego", society, country and nation are the students' learning directions that should be vigorously advocated in our basic education and higher education.
Eight "self-education". Mao Zedong, a student in the First Normal University, once lashed out at the old education for "despising thieves" and "belittling personality", criticized the old view of educational purpose of ignoring the subjectivity of the educated and turning them into tamers and slaves, and advocated a new education-"self-education" that is "suitable for human nature". Mao and his classmates experienced and practiced "self-education" with their own actions. They spontaneously set up reading clubs, alumni associations, Xinmin Society and other organizations to study independently, study independently, educate themselves and manage themselves. In the process of "self-education", Mao Zedong and his classmates grew rapidly, and later most of them became the hosts and participants of China's revolutionary cause, and became the masters of the ship of the Chinese nation's destiny and the masters of their own destiny. "Future schools must turn the object of education into the main body of their own education. An educated person must become a self-educated person; The education of others must be the education of this person. " This is the prediction and requirement of UNESCO International Education Development Committee for future education in 1970s.