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Educational Reform and Politics in Early Republican China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2011

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In the fall of 1922 a School Reform Decree was promulgated by the Chinese Ministry of Education establishing a new school system. The contents of this decree defined the administrative structure and aims of Chinese education in conformity with the democratic principles of a reform movement which had been active during the four preceding years. The new statute appeared to consummate an effort to give the Republic of 1912 a truly democratic educational system. In reality however, this apparent victory of the reformers disguised a dilemma which was paralyzing their reform movement from within. Consumed with their vision of a true republic in which democratic education produced a democratic politics, the reformers had assumed this goal could be made a strategy of reform. As a strategy, it had no way to be effective in a society which was intensely undemocratic to begin with, and success in formulating goals proved quite different from reform in practice.

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Copyright © The Association for Asian Studies, Inc. 1974

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References

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2 Ibid., pp. 1–2. A translation of the provisions of the law and commentary on the seven new aims is printed in this article.

3 Ibid., p. 6. See also Wang, Feng-gang, Japanese Influence on Educational Reform in China, from 1895 to 1911 (Peiping: Chu-che shu-tien, 1933), pp. 149151.Google Scholar

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32 Ibid., p. 401.

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35 Chiang specifically praised Shansi province for its combination of compulsory education and progress in local self-government. Chiang Meng-lin, “Chiao yü yü ti-fang tzu-chih” [Education and Local Self-Government] HCY, II (March, 1919), 26–27.

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38 Ibid. In July, 1919 Chiang became acting chancellor and professor of education at National Peking University. The arrangement was worked out with Ts‘ai Yüan-p’ei, his old teacher from childhood schools in the Shao-hsing area of Chek-iang who resigned. Chiang became a dean when Ts‘ai returned in September, 1919. Chiang was acting chancellor from 1923–1926 after Ts‘ai had again resigned in protest over the “Good Man” government scandal. See Chiang, Tides from the West, p. 117.

39 Chiang Meng-lin, “Kai-pien jcn-sheng ti t–ai-tu” [Changing One's Attitude toward Life] HCY, I (June, 1919), 447450.Google Scholar

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45 Ibid., 594.

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47 Chiang Meng-lin, “Chih-shih chich-chi ti tsc-jen wen-t‘i” [The Question of the Responsibility of the Intellectual Class] Ch‘cn pao [Morning Post], Sixth Anniversary Issue, November, 1924, reprinted in KTST, p. 48. On Hu‘s disillusionment sec Grieder, pp. 176177, especially the Oral History source.Google Scholar

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50 Chow, May Fourth Movement, p. 247.

51 Ibid.., pp. 226–227.

52 Dewey, John, “Industrial China,” New Republic, XXV, (December 8, 1920). 40.Google Scholar

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54 Chow, May Fourth Movement, p. 261.

55 Chiang, Tides from the West, pp. 134–135.

56 Chiao-yü tu-li yün-tung” [The Educational Autonomy Movement] CYTC, XIV, (March, 1922) “news,” 4.Google Scholar

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58 Chiang Meng-lin, “Hsüeh-feng yü t‘i-kao hs‘ch-shu,” p. 92.

59 Ibid.., p. 97.

60 Ibid.., p. 99.

61 Chiang Meng-lin left China at the end of 1921 to be a representative at the Washington Naval Conference. T‘ao moved the editorial office to National Southeastern University with Volume IV, no. 2 (January, 1922). Paul Monroe's visit lasted from September, 1921 to January, 1922.Mou-tsu, See Wang, “Chung-hua chiao-y‘kai-chin she yüan-chüi,” p. 343. See also Wu-ssu shih-ch‘i ch‘i-k‘kan chieh-shao[An Introduction to Periodicals of the May Fourth Period] 3 Vols. (Peking: Jen-min ch‘u-pan she, 1958–59). III, P. 314.Google Scholar

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65 Ibid..

66 Ibid..

67 Ibid.., p. 47. This is a traditional Chinese puzzle as well as a Western puzzle.

68 Ibid.., p. 46.

69 Ibid.., p. 47.

70 Ibid..

71 Sec Peake, p. 90, citing, CYTC, XVII (December, 1925), Section on Educational Affairs, 4 ff. For the Association for the Advancement of Education see HCY, XI (September, 1925), 147–48. For the April, 1919 rejection of military education, sec Peakc, p. 80.

72 HCY. XI (September, 1925). 209.

73 Chiao-yü ta tz‘u shu [The Encyclopedia of Education], p. 356.

74 Ch‘en Ch‘i-t‘ien, Tsui-chin san-shih nicn…, pp. 195–198.

75 He condemned intellectuals who capitulated to political activism during May Fourth by referring to the addiige: “When you come to an overhanging chff, rein in your horse,” as a piece of common sense everyone should know. Sec Chiang, “Chih-shih chich-chi ti tse-jen wen-t‘i,” p. 48.

76 Doorman, Howard, ed. Biographical Dictionary of Republican China (New York: Columbia University Press, 19681971), I, p. 124, 348.Google Scholar