At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Qing government promulgated two kinds of educational systems, namely, Renyin Educational System and Guimao Educational System, which was the first educational system in the history of China. Among them, institutions of higher learning are above middle schools, and those at the same level as institutions of higher learning are pre-university and higher industrial schools. "Institutions of higher learning' make ordinary middle school graduates who want to pursue advanced studies enter the world, with the aim of teaching preparatory courses for universities' is a preparatory course for universities. ..... There are five types of higher education institutions at this level ... Higher industrial schools and workshops for industrial teachers, including higher agricultural schools, higher industrial schools, higher commercial schools and higher merchant shipping schools, with the goal of cultivating higher specialized technical personnel. " [32] The second-class school of Beiyang University is a college preparatory course. "First-class schools are now the general branch, with Wu as the general manager; The second-class school is the current preparatory school, with Tsai Shou Kee as the general office. " [33] Beiyang University was founded at the beginning to set up a second-rate school to solve the problem of students in first-class schools. In order to keep consistent with the "non-yin academic system" promulgated by 1902, Beiyang University Hall closed the second-class school in 1903 and changed it into a pre-university course. Convene the old students of the second-class school and the students of Beiyang Naval Academy to make up the general subjects as preparatory courses, graduate from 1905, and be promoted to the third class of general subjects. In order to solve the student source problem of Beiyang University, Baoding Zhili College has been designated as the preparatory school of Beiyang University Hall since 1903. 19 12 The University Order issued by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China stipulates that students who are preparing for university must have graduated from a secondary school or achieve the same academic ability through experiments. 19 13 The Ministry of Education decided to move Baoding Zhili College from Baoding to Tianjin as a preparatory course for Beiyang University. Regarding the nature of preparatory courses, "the preparatory courses of universities and ordinary colleges and universities are the preparatory education stage of branch schools" [34]. 193 1 admitted to Beiyang university, 1937 Liu, a mining student who graduated from Beiyang university, explained this situation well. Liu 193 1 applied for the preparatory course of Tianjin Beiyang University in the summer. On August 20th, major newspapers in Beiping published the list of new students admitted to Beiyang University with 193 1, and he immediately received the admission notice from the school, ranking ninth on the list. After being admitted to the preparatory course, except for the Chinese class once a week to teach China ancient Chinese, the rest of the mathematics, physics, chemistry and English are all taught in English, and the teachers also teach in English. In the afternoon, arrange physical experiments, chemical analysis, Jin Mu factory practice, drawing, etc. 1933 During the summer vacation, I was promoted to the first year of undergraduate course. Because he is a second-year engineering preparatory student, he needs to obtain a senior three diploma according to the academic system to be promoted to the undergraduate course, so he stays in school for concentrated training in the summer vacation. From this example, we can know the course content and running level of pre-university at that time. China University offers preparatory courses to solve the problem of insufficient students, which is based on the experience of American universities. At the beginning of19th century, the United States set up preparatory courses to solve the problems of undergraduates. [35] "The influence of the United States on China's higher education is remarkable. Both the preparatory system and the university model have been introduced to China. " After [36] 1902, with the rise of universities in China, the opening of preparatory courses has also been pushed across the country, and it has continued to erupt in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.

The difference between preparatory courses and ordinary courses can also be understood from the example of Baoding Zhili College. This school is an important school with a high level of running schools in the north in the late Qing Dynasty, but its graduates are still far from entering the main subjects of Beiyang University. "When Baoding Zhili College was founded, about 250 freshmen were enrolled in the Department of Supervision as the first session. The first students studied in Baoding Zhili College for three years, and in the fourth year they transferred to the fourth grade of Beiyang No.2 Middle School. The following year, he was promoted to a first-class school (at this time, the first-class school was renamed Zheng Ke). The second students studied in Baoding Zhili College for five years, and were allowed to enter the headquarters of Beiyang University because they were considered qualified by the department when they graduated. However, the Academic Affairs Office of Beiyang University advised Wang Jianlian to take the exam in Baoding himself, thinking that his degree was not enough, and he continued to study for another year before he was promoted to the official department. After the third class, the course arrangement was adjusted by Wang Yanlian, which was consistent with the level of Beiyang second-class school. At that time, graduates were promoted to Beiyang University. " [37] In addition, students of Beiyang Naval Academy should also make up general subjects when they enter the preparatory department of Beiyang University Hall. It can be seen that there is still a considerable gap between the level of running a university and the "university hall" in the late Qing Dynasty.

We will put this issue in the overall process of the development of modern education in China. As we know, university education is the highest level of human education so far, and its emergence is based on primary and secondary education. Modern schools in China appeared after the First Opium War in 1840, but most of them were primary schools run by foreign churches in China. China people and China government have not established western-style schools. 1850, in order to resist the influence of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Emperor Xianfeng issued an imperial edict, demanding that "when teaching students and apprentices at home, all colleges and universities should focus on the compilation of" Essence of Sex "and" The Oracle of Guang Jiao "to make them widely known, so that Si Jiao could not help but be fascinated" [38], which shows that they are still trying to maintain feudal education. Modern education in China appeared after the Second Opium War in 1860. 1860,1/kloc-0 In June, 2006, Hong Rong, the first China student studying in the United States, put forward seven suggestions for improvement to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, including suggestions for establishing military schools and industrial schools. In A.D. 1862, Prince Gong presented the book Wentong Pavilion to the Qing government, which was officially opened in July. This is the first Western-style school founded by the Westernization School, followed by the Guangdong Pavilion in Shanghai in 1863, the Wentong Pavilion in Guangzhou in 1864, and so on. These language schools are collectively referred to as "Western language schools" in the history of modern education in China. The school of "Western Art" was established later than the school of "Western Language". Zheng once pointed out: "Today's scholars are only proficient in literary language and seek food and clothing for themselves. They have their own subtleties, so why not participate in barriers? " Therefore, a good scholar must first understand its origin and end, speak with western learning, such as Gezhi manufacturing, and learn its origin, language and writing. "[39] After China people realized the disadvantages of the" Western "school, the" Western "school began to be established. Fujian Ship Administration School 1867 started, Fuzhou Telegraph School 1876 was established, Tianjin Telegraph School 1879 was established, and so on. The establishment of "Western Language" and "Western Art" schools has made a beneficial exploration for modern education in China. As far as higher education is concerned, his contribution has at least three points: first, he enriched the educational level and laid the foundation for the establishment of higher education; Secondly, students with new culture and knowledge have been trained, and they are ready for higher education. Third, the exploration of various schools has accumulated experience for the establishment of higher education.

The development of modern education in China is a gradual process of gradually improving the hierarchical structure, which conforms to the universal law of the development of things. From 1860, when Westernization School started to establish western education, to 1895, when Beiyang University Hall was established, the first modern university in China appeared, which reflected this development law. This is also in line with the law of the development of modern education in the world.

China's modern education and Japanese modern education both started in the middle and late period of19th century, and there are many similarities. Since the Meiji Restoration, Japan has accelerated the pace of modern education by studying European and American education, and industrial, agricultural and commercial schools have begun to appear. 1899, Japan successively promulgated the Industrial Schools Order and the Regulations on Industrial, Agricultural, Commercial and Merchant Schools, "aiming at adapting to the needs of capitalist economic development and cultivating intermediate technical and managerial talents needed by industry" [40]. According to the regulations of merchant shipping schools, merchant shipping schools are divided into two types: A and B. The study period of Class A merchant shipping schools is three years, and the internship can be extended for a period of time. Study subjects include composition, physics, geography, chemistry, foreign languages, etc. Subjects (disciplines) are divided into navigation and mechanical equipment. Navigation subjects include navigation, operation, introduction to mechanical devices, introduction to marine meteorology and introduction to shipbuilding. Mechanical devices include mechanical devices, mechanical drawings, mechanics, applied mechanics and an introduction to electrical appliances. These two subjects have practical subjects of navigation and shipbuilding respectively. This is very similar to Fujian Ship Administration School, which trains domestic talents who "drive all the way and make all the way" and belongs to the category of vocational and technical education.

The establishment of Beiyang University Hall is similar to that of Japanese universities. Department of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Japan, formerly known as Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ministry of Industry, was built in 187 1. 1The Summary of School Construction of the Ministry of Engineering, published in March, 872, stipulates that the engineering dormitory consists of two parts: the primary department and the undergraduate department. The primary school system is 2 years. After the expiration of the study period, those who pass the examination will enter all majors in the university. Undergraduate education system is 4 years, professional education is 2 years, and practical education is 2 years. There are six disciplines including civil engineering, machinery, telecommunications and mining. [4 1]

At the beginning of its establishment, Beiyang University Hall was also composed of first-class schools and second-class schools, with disciplines such as civil engineering, machinery, mining and metallurgy, and its school-running structure and nature were similar to those of tokyo institute of technology. Wang Wenshao, then governor of Zhili and minister of Beiyang, mentioned in his memorial to the emperor: "It is planned to set up first-class and second-class schools to train talents. Only a job in a second-class school must take four years to enter a first-class school. First-class school courses take four years to complete specialized study. " Second-class schools are so-called primary schools in foreign countries, and first-class schools are so-called university halls in foreign countries [42]. In order to ensure the quality of students, Beiyang University changed the two-year primary school into a four-year primary school. This change makes the second-class schools reach the level of high school education, and the curriculum adjustment ensures the students' pre-university level, thus ensuring the conditions of Beiyang University.

Based on a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between Beiyang University Hall and the origin of higher education in China, and even its influence on modern society in China and modern higher education in China, we think it may be more appropriate to take Beiyang University Hall as the starting point of modern higher education in China.