A
good education has always been highly valued in China, as the people
believe that education ensures not only the future and development
of the individual but also the family and the country as a whole.
Passed down from ancient times, the maxim from the Three-Character
Scripture that says 'if no proper education is given to children,
their nature will go bad' has proved to be true. The great master
Confucius taught us that 'it is a pleasure to learn something and
to try it out at intervals'. Similarly, numerous students have been
convinced that 'reading books excels all other careers'. The records
tell us that Mencius' mother became an example to millions of mothers
who were keen for their children to be talented. - she moved her
home three times in order to choose a fine neighborhood in which
Mencius could be effectively influenced.
As far back as the Shang Dynasty (16th century
BC - 11th century BC), inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells
were the simple records of teaching and learning. In the Western
Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC - 771 BC), nobles built schools to
teach their children, as their offsprings would be the officials
of the future, while those who were gifted but of poor families
could but dream of approaching state affairs. The development of
education system led to a form of evaluation that became the means
by which dynastic China appointed those with talents as officials.
In general, this process can be divided into three periods - 'chaju'
and 'zhengpi' in the Han Dynasty, the 'jiupin zhongzheng' system
from Han to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and the Imperial
Examination which survived from the Sui Dynasty (589 - 618) right
through to the last feudal dynasty Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). After
that, China's education system fell into something of a state of
confusion due to the changes in national government. However, with
the foundation of modern China the new order introduced a fresh
approach to education and brought is into a new phase. Through long-term
endeavor, the provision of educational has taken on a prosperous
process.
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A
good education has always been highly valued in China, as the people
believe that education ensures not only the future and development
of the individual but also the family and the country as a whole.
Passed down from ancient times, the maxim from the Three-Character
Scripture that says 'if no proper education is given to children,
their nature will go bad' has proved to be true. The great master
Confucius taught us that 'it is a pleasure to learn something and
to try it out at intervals'. Similarly, numerous students have been
convinced that 'reading books excels all other careers'. The records
tell us that Mencius' mother became an example to millions of mothers
who were keen for their children to be talented. - she moved her
home three times in order to choose a fine neighborhood in which
Mencius could be effectively influenced.
