When Society Becomes One Big Classroom .. (Education in the People's Republic of China)

Abstract

Since the founding of new China, education has been extended and expanded to encompass virtually all of Chinese society. The massive expansion of schooling has been accompanied by the transformation of the school's curriculum to serve the people's needs more closely. Study and work are merging, partly through curriculum reform—‐especially the strategy of Open Door Schooling—and partly through development of new systems of education. Attempts to unite theory with practice, springing from a need to gear education to the solution of real problems in China, include the mass education movement known as “ study from Chao‐yang.” Its principle idea is to send students out of the schools to learn, thereby preventing the development of textbook‐bound education. Establishment of Workers’ Universities in the factories and Peasants’ Universities in the countryside also bridges the gap by releasing workers for full‐ or part‐time study of subjects that range from technical courses to creative writing. Educational activities are also conducted regularly through study groups located in each factory or commune production unit. These are intended to enhance people's understanding of their environment and how they can better control their own destiny.