On Zhang Jian's School-running Thoughts

Zhang Jian, as a famous businessman, educator in Qing dynasty, is one of the pioneers and founders of modern education of our country. The education achievement he made is incomparable by any educator of his time, much of it took the lead in the education history of China, which promote the modernization of Chinese education of Nantong and even China. His educational thoughts was proposed on the basis of criticizing the ancient education thought and inheriting the reform thought since the opium war and absorption of advanced education, and formed gradually in the education process.Zhang Jian was famous mainly as an educational practitioner, and he founded a large social education institution including general education, normal education, higher education, vocational education and various special educations, which made a beneficial exploration for modern managerial practice. His school-running thoughts has the characteristics of time, progress, advance, practicalness and operability, etc. It is said without any overstation that his exploration about saving the nation by engaging in industry and by education set a milestone in modern China, especially his school-running practice was regarded as a brilliant banner in Chinese education and ideology history.This paper attempts to study his school-running thoughts from a wide and deep perspective, hoping to offer some enlightenment and reference for the present school-running practices.This paper is divided into four parts:Part one is the motivation of Zhang Jian's school-running practice in terms of educational factors, political factors and economical factors, which lay the basis for his school-running practice.Part two is the main content of Zhang Jian's school-running thoughts. Zhang thinks that normal education is the mother of all educations and therefore school-running practice should start from the teacher-training. Hence, this paper studies the normal education firstly, focusing on some insights in fund raising, education management and teachers team construction. Then, it researches the basic education. Zhang held that primary education is the basis of all educations, emphasizing the reform of credit system and curriculum. He also attached great importance to the popular of education, founding a few kindergartens and middle schools, and universally founding schools in rural areas. Then the paper illustrates the higher education he established. Industrial education is a distinguishing feature of his educational thoughts. The industry raises money for education and education cultivates talents for industries, which form a good cycle. Besides, Zhang Jian also paid great attention to the education of women, he not only established woman normal education but also a series of woman vocational education. Finally, this paper illustrates the special education he set for the blind and the mutes.Part three is the features of Zhang's school-running thoughts, including the complete school-running system, combination of industry with education for use, taking the all-round development of students into consideration, encouraging the arduous and thrift style of study.Part four is the impact and enlightenment of Zhang's school-running thoughts on the present school-running practice.