Figure 1.--

The Chinese Civil War (1927-49) ended with the Communists defeating Chang Kai-shek's Nationalist forces in 1948-49. Chang retired to Taiwan. The Communist's founded the People's Republic of China (PRC). After the founding of the PRC in 1949, the new Government inititiated fundamental educational reforms, initially slavishly using a Soviet model. Here the Comminists did not engage in the extensive debate earlier about importing foreign models. The simply adopted the Soviet model whole scale. The Chinese Government for the first time devoted considerable attention to developing a mass educational system. The Chinese Government reports that as of 1956, about 7 years after the Revolution that less than half of primary and seciondary age children were in school. One author maintains that the Soviet model was not successfully addressing the problem of mass illiteracy. We are not as sure about this as we do not know what percentage of children were in school before the Revolution. Much of the Givernments efforts in the 1950s focused on the restructuring of Chinese universities. The Government decided to reduce the number of comprehensive universities, bit increase the number of specialized polytechbical colleges. Much of the Givernments efforts in the 1950s focused on the restructuring of Chinese universities. Educational authoriries encountered a range of problems in pursuing their goals, many of them sef made problems caused by Mao Zedong and his policies. The Government after breaking with the Soviets needed a new educational model. The approach adopted was to resurect earlier attempts at siking a ballance between Confucian and Western-style education.

Background

The success of the Communist Revolution led by Mao-Tse-Tung in 1949 brough a massive change in clothing styles. Throughout China traditional clothing was discarded for more modern Western styles approved by the Communist. European had appeared in Chinese coastal cities in the first half of the 20th century and might be worn by China's small educated middle class, but most Chinse wore largely traditional clothing until the Revolution. The Revolution was a thorough wide spread social revolution affecting life style and clothing in even the most remote villages of China. Boys might wear short pants in the summer and long often baggy trousers in the winter. The Young Pioneer red sacrves were everywhere. Fashion itself was looked down own as unecessary, even subversive. The Communists made "Labor is honor" a popular political slogan. Elegant fashionable clothing made of expensive fabric were discouraged if not dangerous to wear. They were replaced by the gray Chinese tunic suit worn by Communist Party cadres as army and labor uniforms. People altered their western suits and long gowns into Chinese tunic suits or uniforms. Some finding it difficult to change wore the new fashions over their elegant clothing. The stylish qipao no longer matched the lifestyle of Revolutionary China and were gradually replaced by the Lenin suit--a Soviet style dress. This suit had a large turned down collar, side buttons, and side pocket. Woman wore this suit with now fashionable short hair, giving an impression of neatness and simplicity. This suit was first popular in the cadre school and then rhe universities, and gradually spread to the larger society. [Chang] Contacts with the West were curtailed as China looked to the Soviet Union and state planning to run their economy. Businesses and private land holdings were nationalized. Everyone was incouraged to think alike and dress alike. The desire was to put everyone on an equal footing.

Soviet Model

After the founding of the PRC in 1949, the new Government inititiated fundamental educational reforms, initially slavishly using a Soviet model. Here the Comminists did not engage in the extensive debate earlier about importing foreign models. The simply adopted the Soviet model whole scale. The Chinese Government for the first time devoted considerable attention to developing a mass educational system. Great attention was given to university-level education. The greatest concern at the time was the need to produce a new generation with the technical skills needed in a modern economy. [Surowski]

School Levels

Primary and secondary

The Chinese Government reports that as of 1956, about 7 years after the Revolution that less than half of primary and seciondary age children were in school. One author maintains that the Soviet model was not successfully addressing the problem of mass illiteracy. [Surowski] We are not as sure about this as we do not know what percentage of children were in school before the Revolution.

Tertiary

Much of the Givernments efforts in the 1950s focused on the restructuring of Chinese universities. The Government decided to reduce the number of comprehensive universities, bit increase the number of specialized polytechnical colleges. The Ministry of Higher Education was given the authority to administer both comprehensive universities and specialized colleges and the teacher-training institutions. [Surowski]

Problems

Educational authoriries encountered a range of problems in pursuing their goals, many of them sef made problems caused by Mao Zedong and his policies. The Great Leap Forward (195?) proved to be an economic disaster. There were several devestaing natural disasters. The rupture of relations with the Soviet Union (19??) imperilded technical training programs. Mao's Hundred Flowers Movement (195?) and Anti-Rightest Campaign (1957) alienated many intellectuals, many of the same people that were needed to achieve the Government's educational reforms. [Surowski]

New Appraoch

The Government after breaking with the Soviets needed a new educational model. The approach adopted was to resurect earlier attempts at siking a ballance between Confucian and Western-style education. Mao called this approach "walking on two legs" ( liangtiaotui zoulu ) exhortation. It was a two-track: (1) vocational and work-study schooling, and (2) regular university, college and college preparatory schooling. One writer indicates, "This two-track system developed fairly smoothly, until the breakout of the Cultural Revolution in 1966." [Surowski]

Sources

Chun Chang, January 14, 2002

David B. Surowski, "History of the Educational System of China: An essay commissioned by Projects for International Education Research," undated essay accessed August 29, 2002.

Created: August 29, 2002
Last updated: August 29, 2002