The History, Current Situation And Prospect Of Huian Women's Education

The corrupt marital customs of Huian women and the collective suicide they committed have ever aroused quite a nationwide stir. Such kinds of misfortunes, in my opinion, are closely related to their backward education. Focusing on the following topic, i.e., the history, current situation and prospect of Huian women, this paper aims to offer the local government some advice for reference to solve the problem of women's education. The paper, by referring to historical documents and literatures, makes a comparatively systematic study on the history and current situation of Huian women, makes an all-round analysis, reflection and assessment of its development and stagnation, and on the basis of the research, raises some countermeasures and points out the prospect for Huian women's education. It holds the views as follows: as a result of the undeveloped economy and the old feudal ethical practices, Huian women's education developed hard and slowly at the very beginning; it was not until the reform and opening period that the education of Huian women improved to some extent, owing to the perfection of state policies on women's education and the growth of Huian's economy; such improvement exerted an active influence on Huian's social and economic development as well as on the formation of Huian women's consciousness of their principal part; however, Huian women's education remains somewhat stagnated because of the local feudal mentality, the psychological obstruction of women themselves, the deviation made in education and the shock of commodity economy, resulting in women's long-term stay at their own parents' home after marriage, the continuation of such old practices as baby engagement and early marriage, the flood of religious superstition and the commission of collective suicide. In a word, acting on the development of Huian women' education are such factors as state policies on women's education, the patriarchal character of society, Huian's cultural, social and economic development as well as women's consciousness of their principal part in the society.