Sheng Xuan-huai And Early Education Modernization In China

During the process of transformation from traditional education to modern education in Late Qing Dynasty (1840-1911), Sheng Xuan-huai (1844-1916) always keened to set up various kinds of modern schools and cultural institutions. He not only had many pioneering contributions but also gain much, and thus he was a not allow to neglect the important role and an insurmountable historical figures in education history research. The gentry merchant class, Sheng belongs to it, also has a great and far-reaching effect as in the modern education field. This paper bases on first-hand materials and the related research results and uses various research methods to discuss Sheng Xuan-huai and the gentry merchant's practice and ideas on education, in order to understand the important figure and pushing community as well as their role in the process of China's education modernization.In particular, the paper is divided into five parts. The first part including Chapter1and2elaborates the motivation, process, content and result of Sheng Xuan-huai's education practice. The second one is Chapter3to study material resources, human resources and intervention on Sheng's education activity. The third is Chapter4to study deeply his educational activities and the thought specific evolution of morphology and evolution with Nanyang College as case study. The fourth that is Chapter5On Sheng's educational thought connotation and characteristics of the times The last one including Chapter6reviews respectively education contribution, historical role and limitations on Sheng Xuan-huai and the gentry merchant class. The main contents and viewpoints are as follows:The motivation of Sheng Xuan-huai devoting to new education included his family that had tradition of attaching importance to education, internal talent demand of his new enterprises, promote from education westernization and influence by Li Hong-zhang. Sheng's educational activities can be can be divided into two periods. The earlier period is from the late1860's to1895.Sheng engaged in industrial technology education and presided or participated in more than10industrial school of telegraph, ships, railway, mining technology. These schools cultivated practical talents as a self-employed industrial system. In the later period from1895to1916he found Peiyang University, Nanyang College and donated some schools. Also he devoted to overseas education, translation of western, library as auxiliary for school education. The later education activity is the continuation and improvement to the earlier and has greater actual effect and social influence than the previous.As a gentry merchant with much political and economic resources, Sheng Xuan-huai had unique advantages and implementation capacity engaged in modern educational activities. His enterprises in Westernization Movement produced the internal momentum and financial security and his political status could provide protection for the education activities. At the same time, he could together with a group of intellectuals as the main body in education staff with his power. Sheng's educational activities and achievements not only due to his personal but officials, businessmen, intellectuals three condensed into groups together the common result. He served as a planer of school, founder director, financing, agent between officials and businessmen, so that he became a participant in the depth of educational activity.The paper study the evolutions of Nanyang College's name, purpose, funds as a case in order that we understand the adaptation on Sheng Xuan-huai's education planning, implementation and evolution in general. Between planning and implementation on his education there are great differences which mainly embody the nature, characterization, local, return change. Sheng Xuan-huai overcame from various of resistance from government, folk and others in his educational process. It reflects his strong enterprising consciousness and adjustment as well as complexity and variability about his education idea.Sheng Xuan-huai's thought on education has five aspects:education function of salvation, talent view of learning in order to practice, the western view of technology and political science, education aim of Confucianism for the body and the western learning to use, the opinion of three grade school system. His education theory system lacks of integrity but has three features of pursuit of effective, practical, pioneering and innovative. Therefore his idea was easy to implement and gained better education effect and achievement. So the paper thinks that Sheng Xuan-huai is a special practice educator.By virtue of his economic strength and social status, Sheng vigorously promoted the modern education all his life and some pioneering work in educational field. He is a pioneer founding modern general education system. He also is an initiative of higher education, normal education in China. In general he is a practice educator with.a rich pioneering and innovative spirit, obtain important contributions in early modern education And then the paper thinks the gentry merchant class is the most innovative vitality of one of the important driving force in Late Qing Dynasty. They are elites in advocating and carrying out the modern education before1904and a historical role of transition. The class effectively promoted transformation during the process of transformation from traditional education to modern education. Their education activities exerted an important influence at that time and later.