James Yen's Civilian Education Thought And Its Significance Of The Contemporary Citizen Education

James Yen is a well-known civilian educator and social practitioner,and he also is an active advocate of civilian education during the period of Republic of China.It is easier to form a citizen education system with Chinese characteristics through learning from James Yen's civilian education.First of all,the paper analyzes the background of the formation of James Yen's idea of civilian education.James Yen did not come up with the idea of civilian education by chance,it happened under the pressure of international and domestic environment.The traditionally education theory was subjected to criticism due to the raise of New Education Movement in west Europe and Progressive Education Movement in American.Interiorly,China's intellectuals were influenced by the world war?and the education revolution in Europe and American,trying to carry out the civilian education movement in the semi-colonial and semi-feudal society to save the nation and the people.James Yen's idea of civilian education possesses abundant and systemic content.James Yen came up with the idea of civilian education with the tenet of “No illiterate,be new people”,the idea includes four major educational contents,namely,literature education,livelihood education,health education and citizen education;Three major educational methods,namely,school education,society education,and family education;as well as innovative educational methods,namely,test demonstration,radio system,guide system.Although the ideas above were successfully verified in Hebei Dingxian experiment,but there were still limitations of these ideas aiming at saving the nation.And only the reform of the fundamental political system and eliminate exploitation can save the nation for good.The significance of James Yen's idea of civilian education on the contemporary citizen education.On the one hand,it is necessary to clarify the importance of civilian education,and using James Yen's idea of civilian education as a seedbed to renovate education methods and principles,improve the content of civilian education,and form an education system with Chinese characteristics.On the other hand,learn from James Yen's ideas of social transformation which emphases on comprehensive control,coordinate the relationship between citizen education and cultural traditions and economic construction,support the development of citizen education with the economy,and emphasize the positive effects of outstanding traditional values.Although the movement of Civilians' education failed,but James Yen's idea of civilian education possess abundant and systemic content,have a great significance on the development of contemporary China society especially on the cultivation of qualified socialist citizens.