Editor's Introduction

Abstract

The materials selected for translation in this issue of Chinese Education deal with the teaching profession in postrevolutionary China, focusing mainly but not exclusively on the primary and secondary levels. They are restricted to the period before the Cultural Revolution, particularly the early and mid-1950s, for two main reasons. First, the informational quality of published material during this period was much higher than the decade after 1966, particularly given the availability of specialized educational journals such as People's Education (Renmin jiaoyu), Teachers' News (Jiaoshi bao) or Primary School Education Bulletin (Xiaoxue jiaoyu tongxun) and a wealth of local newspapers. Second, a much smaller proportion of Chinese language materials was translated in the earlier period, whereas the supply of available translations is reasonably adequate for the Cultural Revolution and its aftermath.