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Published: September 27th 2008
ON EDUCATION IN CHINA, Then and Now.
Hundreds of books have been written about education in China. As the world's most populous country, it struggles to educate its almost 1.4 billion citizens. Let me attempt to give you a short and simplified historical view of the progress of education in China, and compliment it with a photo journey of some wonderful happenings for this new school year, 2008/2009, at my campus at Taizhou Teachers College. Over 5,000 years of history, the Chinese have created a brilliant and vibrant culture, and at the same time they have formed their own "moral code", that has played an important role in Chinese social development and progress. The "moral code' is based what are called "Traditional Virtues", which still have great significance today. Their values to the development of human civilization have also received world-wide recognition. These include:
1. Filial Virtue, respecting and taking care of the aged parents.
2. Respecting the aged and loving the young.
3. Integrity and Credit meaning righteousness, word being true to action, keeping one's word and never cheating others.
4. TO RESPECT TEACHERS and VALUE EDUCATION.
It has been a long-standing tradition to value education and respect teachers in China, and from ancient times, education has been paid much attention to by the Chinese people.
Some 2,600 years ago, Guan Zhong the Wise said: " When a schedule of one year is covered, we should think about crops. While making up a ten years' plan, we should take care of trees. However, when it is extended to one hundred years, persons of talent are everything."
In one of China's first books
The Foreign Language Department of Taizhou Teachers College
September 10th is Teachers' Day all over China. This year, 2008, the Foreign Language Department of Taizhou Teachers College was treated by Department Chair, Dean Fan and Foreign Affairs Director, Arthur Lee, to a wonderful outing to one of Taizhou's beautiful parks. about education, the "Record of Learning", the idea of " education is the top priority" became its central theme.
During the Zhou Dynasty some 3,000 years ago, the government set up schools of different scopes and levels on the basis of various administrative divisions.
Confucius, 2,500 years ago, even ran private schools in his hometown with a slogan that: "...everyone, rich or poor, had the right to receive education".
The influence of the "Keju" culture, better known as a system of "Imperial Examinations", has been bound to traditional Chinese education for over a thousand years. Through these examinations, the brightest of China's students were chosen for official, imperial service to the Emperor. The implementation of the "Imperial Examinations" depended on the cultivations and provisions of talents by education, while the value of education was always manifested through the achievements of these Keju exams.
The aim of Keju was to "select" talents, while that of education , especially state run education, was to "cultivate" talents. Keju was not only an exam for selecting civil officials, but an educational exam as well. The continuous development of this Keju system of Imperial examinations promoted the prosperity of state-run and
Administrative Staff and Foreign Teachers of TTC
All of us enjoy a wonderful and co-operative relationship, and we share many moments of professional reflection. private education alike.
Many of the aspects of this type of examination have been adopted in many other nations to help select the most qualified for civil service. Even the American system of civil service examinations have their foundation in the Keju system of China.
Since education is so highly respected in China, men of knowledge would have a higher social status and be esteemed by other people.
In China there is an old saying that, "... to be a scholar is to be the top of society". But as in all countries, the value of the teaching profession in China cannot be measured by the value of the income of its teachers, though recent improvements have been encouraged and salaries have been rising.
This was not the case during Chairman Mao's "Cultural Revolution", when schools were closed, education was almost abolished, and teachers were treated as criminals, tortured by their students and even put to death, while many others were to commit suicide. It is a period of recent Chinese history, still remembered as one of the country's most destructive times by men and women, who experienced these difficult times, and with whom I have fascinating
We are seven Foreign Teachers at Taizhou Teachers College.
For this semester, Taizhou Teachers College has invited 7 Foreign Teachers. (2 English teachers, myself and Stefanie, who could not make it this day; Mr. and Mrs. Kim are the two Korean teachers; and this semester we also have 3 new native Japanese teachers.) conversations at various functions.
Respect for education has once again determined the status of being a teacher. There are many sayings, that show respect towards teachers, for example, " A teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime".
And so, throughout history, the position of teacher was honored by both the masses and the emperors. In the temple of Confucius in Beijing, many emperors in the Qing Dynasty had written inscriptions to show their appreciation to "Master" Confucius.
In China, the honor shown to teachers is displayed in every aspect of social life. The teacher is called "sir" or "mentor".
September the "tenth" in China is designated to be "Teachers' Day", when students bring their instructors presents, speak words of appreciation, and school administrations make special efforts to honor their teachers with banquets and outings.
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So let me dedicate this TravelBlog Entry #103 to China's 4th Traditional Virtue: "The Respect for Teachers and the Value of Education":
First on a personal note:
My third year of teaching at Taizhou Teachers College is now well underway. It is difficult for me to believe, that I am beginning my 41st year as
Teachers' Day, 2008, Photo #1
The foreign language teachers gather at the gate for a guided tour trough Taizhou's newest historical park. a teacher, 38 years in the United States and my 3rd year now in China. These years have been a true blessing for me, and have completely and daily shaped my life.
It is the profession not of immediate financial rewards, but it is a vocation, where the "thanks" often arrive in later years as gratitude, that lifts ones aging spirit, and blesses the troubled soul.
A great number of my students continue to write to me, many now with families and children of their own, letting me know, that I may have been a good and positive force on their life. But I must always tell them in return, that they too, and maybe more, have been my daily inspiration, and I would not be the man I am, if it had not been for them.
I am so grateful to have been surrounded all of my life by those, who are now beginning to shape the world, are now taking the lead, and forge its direction. May they make better and wiser decisions for their children and the world, than our generations have made.
I feel so sad at times, that they and their
Teachers' Day, 2008, Photo #2
Passing through the gate, we are greeted by an anxious bride and groom, who have just completed their photo-shoots in this fabulous new park. It will remind many of our young teachers of their special day yet to arrive, as many are still looking for their life's partner. children must now suffer for so many of our choices and decisions, which I personally perceive, and this is only my opinion, to have been filled with incompetence and selfishness, whose disastrous consequences we still are un-willing to admit, and which have brought my America to a point in history, from which it may not recover for generations to come.
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And now a return to reality at Taizhou Teachers College:
The students have returned to our small college of 6,000, and most are hoping to become one of China's next teachers in a few years. All are excited, focused and determined to receive an excellent the education offered to them by our outstanding instructors and staff at Taizhou Teachers College, under the capable and respected leadership of our College President, Mr. Xu.
Each of the students clearly recognizes their task and their responsibility to persevere in these next semesters. Each understands, that success here is of paramount importance, to have any chance for a productive career and for a bright future.
To make sure that these goals of their "one" child at school are achieved without any distractions, their parents are hard at work
Teachers' Day, 2008, Photo #3
We are a large group enjoying our outing, and as you notice, most of our teachers are young ladies, many still looking like students themselves. back in their home-towns and villages around Jiangsu Province, perhaps as local party officials, striving business men, underpaid farmers or overworked laborers.
Mothers and fathers will sacrifice and exhert every effort, and are determined to provide their child with all needed funds for tuition, board, and incidental spending money; and in turn, students focus on their academic year and on their best academic achievement and performance.
Their child's academic success is determined by every next national examination, which brings untold stress not only to the students, but to the whole family. (Throughout the school-year, there must sit for several of these examinations. Preparing for them offer the students little personal time, no matter the High School, College, or University throughout China).
At our college, the upper classmen arrive first, and immediately begin their classes. They will get up by 6am, have breakfast in the student's canteen, and will have to report to an assigned classroom by 7am for mandatory study and reading.
The official lessons begin at 7:45am, each lasting 45 minutes. Short breaks give them the opportunity to use the WC and stretch their leggs and "interact" with their classmates. There are 4 periods during
Teachers' Day, 2008, Photo #4
We are standing on a large copper plate, that has been connnected on a platform. In relief, we can walk Taizhou, its buildings and canals of a thousand years ago, in miniature. the morning session.
Lunch will be enjoyed at 11:45am by the whole campus in the cafeterias or the small, private restaurants surrounding the campus. Lunch is followed by a mid-day sleep in their small dorms. (For the boys, there are 5 in each room, and the girls may share quarters with as many as 9 other classmates).
Around 2pm, bells will remind all on campus, that the afternoon session is about to commence. Dinner is served around 6pm, after which the evening and night classes and study sessions will last until 9:30pm.
There is little time for personal time or a visit to the Internet Cafe, since curfew and lights out is at 10:30pm, and that again is closely monitored. These policies are enforced on every campus around all of the provinces of China.
The students will continue their classes throughout the academic day as a group of around 45 students. The same group will share their entire college years together, many forming life-long friendships and from some will even emerge wedding bells, of course still in the distant future, so they tell me.
The college will remind the students of their next classes and
Teachers' Day, 2008, Photo #5
The focus of the park is this incredible ancient watch tower along Taizhou's canals. It has recently been renovated, and may well become Taizhou's newest city symbol. at the appropriate time by bells, that sound throughout the campus. Absences are publicly posted and closely monitored, being late for a class my be cause for personal shame.
Weekends have become more relaxed in recent years, and a personal responsibilty to use free time wisely is greatly encouraged. Most students understand this responsibility. They tell me that they understand this obligation, knowing that, as their parents sacrifice for each now, so each must also do the same for their honored and beloved parents.
Each class of 45+ students will have a student monitor, who performs tasks for the lead teachers in charge of the group-unit , and will inform their group of events and meetings and college directives. These class-monitors are selected by the lead teachers. It may be a sign, that they are now in line for scholarships and even acceptance as a Communist Pary Member, with all of the privileges that may be associated with membership.
So, the upper-classmen will begin school 2 weeks before the Freshmen are invited and arrive on campus. Much of the behind-the-scene activities will be centered on the welcome and registration and assimilation of these new arrivals. They come
Teachers' Day, 2008, Photo #6
Set on a stone base, the rest of the tower is made completely of wood, and its architecture and size is impressive. with their parents, anxious about their child's next access in China's academic world.
When the parents and their "Freshmen- child" (they will be called a "boy" or "girl" until they graduate from college) arrive at Taizhou Teachers College, they will find the most beautiful small campus in the city of Taizhou. The campus-grounds will be a lush garden, green and clean and inviting. They will be brought from the bus-stations and train-station by hired busses to the college gate, where they are greeted by the student-volunteers.
Taizhou Teachers College Department's will each have their own tent along the entrance path. Each arrival and family will then be assigned to- and accompanied by a student-volunteer through the registration process, issue of supplies, and moving into the dormitory, which may take some hours.
These student volunteers need to be recognized and appreciated for their tireless efforts on a hot and humid day. They prepared for days and offered their weekend to make sure, that every need of every Freshmen is satisfied. The families will say their anxious good-bye knowing, that their "college-aged-child" will now be looked after in a controlled and responsible environment, hoping to complete the dream of
Teachers' Day, 2008, Photo #7
For most of our teachers, a visit to the tower is their first. and they are in awe at the changes offered by the city of Taizhou for its visitors. each Chinese family: That their child will be successfully educated and then accept responsibility for the future of the whole family.
Every Freshmen, in every school, college, and university in China will spend the first 2-3 weeks in mandatory military training and in uniform from morning to night. I was told, that this will begin to train body and shape their mind for the stress they are about to endure for the next few years together. The training will fuse each class-unit of some 45 student into a proud and cohesive group, responsible for each other and aware, that they are only as strong as a group as their weakest link.
Graduation from this military training will end with a grand, military-like parade in front of Mr.Xu and the administrative staff of Taizhou Teachers College. During this ceremony, College President Mr. Xu, will officially welcome the Freshmen as members to our campus-family.
In one of the next entries, I will try to capture the spirit of this mandatory military training of our college freshmen at Taizhou Teachers College in photos I have been taking. Since this 2 week training will not end for another week, the day
Teachers' Day, 2008, Photo #8
After a visit to the tower, we are invited on a boat cruise of the canals surrounding the city of Taizhou. before all students leave on their National Holiday Vacations on October 1st., I am still compiling the whole event, so you must be a patient with me.
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Sue
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Memories!
Hi from Salzburg, Austria! Great to see you finally got the opportunity to ride in one of the boats in our park! Everything looks so much greener now! It also looks a lot warmer than it is in Europe at the moment! Thanks also for the details as I accidentally sent my notes home , so have had to "ad-lib" with some of my blogs!