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China’s economic rise has surprised the world, and most governments and large corporations feel the need for a China-strategy to shape their relations with this emerging super-power. What do they know, however, about the educational ideas and achievements that have contributed to this economic success? Names of political figures such as Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin are household words, yet how many people have heard of Li Bingde, Gu Mingyuan, Lu Jie or Ye Lan? Substantial research has been done on Chinese educational development by Sinologists and Comparative Educationists, making a wealth of data and analysis available to the specialist reader. Most of these studies have been framed within Western social science parameters, integrating an objectivist assessment of Chinese education into the international research literature. This book conveys an understanding of China’s educational development from within, through portraits of eleven influential educators whose ideas have shaped the educational reforms initiated by Deng Xiaoping in 1978. They are portrayed in the context of their cultural heritage, families, communities and schools, offering their own deeply reflective interpretations of Chinese education. The book is written for the general reader, to provide glimpses into the educational context of China’s recent move onto the world stage.
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Portraits of Influential Chinese Educators
CERC Studies in Comparative Education EDITOR Mark Bray, The University of Hong Kong, China ASSOCIATE EDITORS Mark Mason, The University of Hong Kong, China Anthony Sweeting, The University of Hong Kong, China INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Robert Arnove, Indiana University, USA Beatrice Avalos, Santiago, Chile Nina Borevskaya, Institute of the Far East, Moscow, Russia Michael Crossley, University of Bristol, United Kingdom Gui Qin, Capital Normal University, China Gita Steiner-Khamsi, Teachers College, Columbia University, USA
Comparative Education Research Centre Faculty of Education The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
CERC Studies in Comparative Education 17
Portraits of Influential Chinese Educators by
Ruth Hayhoe University of Toronto, Canada
A C.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN-10 1-4020-5567-6 (HB) ISBN-13 978-1-4020-5567-6 (PB) ISBN-10 1-4020-5568-4 (e-book) ISBN-13 978-1-4020-5568-3 (e-book)
Published by Springer, P.O. Box 17, 3300 AA Dordrecht, The Netherlands. www.springer.com
Printed on acid-free paper
All Rights Reserved © 2007 Springer No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work.
Dedication This book is lovingly dedicated to the memory of Professor Li Bingde who passed away on May 2, 2005, and thus was not able to hold it in his hands. It is also dedicated to all of the influential educators, and their families and students, who were tireless in responding to questions and providing details to ensure its accuracy. Finally, it is dedicated to the people of China, who have so much to be proud of in their educators and educational traditions.
Contents Acknowledgements
ix
A Note about Romanization and Terminology
xi
Foreword
xiii
Map of China
xvii
Chapter One Creating the Portraits – An Interpretive Framework
1
Chapter Two Wang Chengxu – A Leading Figure in Comparative Education