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Educational Reform and Politics in Early Republican China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2011

Barry C. Keenan
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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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Articles
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The Journal of Asian Studies , Volume 33 , Issue 2 , February 1974 , pp. 225 - 237
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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.

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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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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, 1968–1971), I, p. 124, 348.Google Scholar