A Study On Robert·Owen’s Education Concept

With the reform and opening policy,China’s education reform has changed three times greatly and the latest one has been ten years from 2001,and it will last at least 10 years on the basis of the nation’s outline of Medium and long term plan on education reform and development,which ranges from the year 2010 to 2020.This can be called a long-lasting project with remarkable achievement---making it a reality of nine-year compulsive education(six-year primary school and three-year junior middle school); eliminating illiteracy completely,etc.However, there have been quite a few relapses among them such as no obvious actual effect in“easing students’ burden” even though about 100 documents have been issued by national department of education; “much said but little done”,“go through the motions” “speaking loudly of the education for enhancing students’ quality but for the examination in fact” in the reform of the “choosing a good school”or “the college entrance exam”. It can be said that China’s education has come into “the deep-water area” where amount of difficulties should be overcome.The men of insight,especially the faculties, are pondering the way of education reform from different aspects. By concluding Owen’ education concept(Utopian socialism), this article aims to observe if the nation’s education reform is on the right way when it set off on the base of the origin of socialist education so as to find the new revelation to our nation’ education and some new ideas, methods and references. Were it not for this, the article can be considered at least as detailed files on Owen’s education to improve our education reform.The whole thesis consists of 4 chapters. Chapter One is about the formation of Owen’s view of education,introducing its background and ideological heritage., analyzing the reasons of forming Qwen’s view of world and education. He lived in the British society when the capitalist big machine industry was rising,but Owen’s view of world turn to socialism from a bourgeoisie philanthropist, even though it was in the early if socialism with fantasticality.Chaper two is the contents of Owen’s concept of education consisting of five aspects: ideological foundation of Owen’s concept of education---personality is determined by environment; focal point of Owen’s view on socialized children education; distillation of Owen’s concept on education to cultivate the students developing in all round way;new Lanark education-- practicing of Owen’s concept on education.This chapter aims to reveal the core and essence of Owen,s concept on education so as to find the sole purpose of his theory.Chapter three is about Owen’s historic contribution and limitation to education which consists of four aspects, Marx and Engels critically inherited Owen’s concept of personality being formed by environment, human’s development in all round way,education being combined with productive labor,and public education theory and collectivism education thought. The limitation of Owen’s view on education lies in his none-revolutionary character in realizing social innovation and excessive expectations to the function of education,consequently,getting bogged down in the theory of all-powerful education. This chapter a necessary complement to Owen’s education content which renders us to know Owen clearly from both sides so as to grasp his theory precisely and make a better use of it.Chapter four, stating the new revelation and new reference from Owen’s concept of education, is the foothold of this thesis pointing out that the issue of today in China is unfair education, thus we have to look for the inspiration from Owen’s theory of fair education. Here the author suggests the reasonable configuration of education resources,promoting the fair education and deepening the compulsive education comprehensively. In addition, we should adhere the view that education must be combined with productive labor and pay attention to the development of multi-level education,especially vocational education. In the end of the thesis.the author puts forward the point of view of combating the market-oriented education.“Do not forget history, because it is a guide to the future.” And, as time goes on, we want to draw lessons from Owen’s education concept.