On Instruction And Administration In Academies Of The Song Dynasty

A special organization of education in ancient China is the academy, which plays an important role in education as well as academic and cultural development in the later ancient China. The academies in the Song Dynasty are in the prime of development. In the academies, teaching and academic research are integrated, where Academic arguments and exchanges are promoted, exhibiting scholarly spirit of academic freedom and contending of various schools. The"lecturing system"prevails in the period of the South Song Dynasty, which later turns into a major way of lectures in the academies.In the academies of the Song Dynasty, not only supervisors there play a dominant part but also students participate in instruction and administration. Thus, an opening managerial style is formed in the academies. Virtue and learning are considered as essence in the academies, lectures are open to any learners, scholars and masters are free to discourse on an academic subject alternatively in different academies. In the academies, teaching is provided to anyone regardless of his family background. In the academies, self-teaching is taken seriously and independent research is advocated. As a result, students'ability is developed to do scholarly research on their own. The curricula in the academies are simple, where teaching proceeds according to students'individual talent and taste, students'personalities are respected and developed. As to students'performance in the academies, not only their school achievements but also their virtue is treasured. Teachers and students are on friendly terms. Most of academies in the Song Dynasty are built in scenic places, which help to cultivate students'characters and develop the mind. In addition, funds for running the academies are raised through various...