Discourses on the Education of China, 1st Edition

“In this book, I try my best to contribute my observations and reflections on Chinese educational issues, to raise awareness and inspire confidence and hope.” —Zhu Yongxin As one of China’s leading experts on education, Professor Zhu Yongxin has seen schools change and grow by leaps and bounds. But with this change comes a wide range of new challenges which need to be recognized and addressed. In these insightful essays and discourses, Yongxin examines China’s past, present, and future—offering new ideas for moving forward as educators, as a community, and as a nation. You’ll discover: * The greatest achievements of modern Chinese education * The biggest problems facing the school system today * The best solutions for ensuring a brighter tomorrow Chinese education has witnessed radical changes and remarkable achievements over the past forty years. While there have been many advancements, there also have been many mistakes, leading to a growing crisis in education that needs to be fixed. Only by raising awareness of the problems and defects in the system can China build upon its past successes and create future opportunities for educational excellence. In Discourses on the Education of China, Professor Zhu Yongxin addresses these challenges head-on. Drawing from his lifelong experience as an educator, as well as his firsthand observations and illuminating insights, Yongxin tackles some of the biggest issues in education today, including: * The lack of adequate funding and school resources * The gap between eastern and western China, rural and urban schools * The devaluing of teachers and decreasing involvement of parents * The need for moral education as well as intellectual education * The wide-ranging challenges of compulsory education * The question of public versus privately run schools * The rise of the Internet and decline of reading skills * The essential keys to building a better learning environment For anyone interested in the future of education in China, this book is a powerful wake-up call. New problems demand new solutions, and the only way to achieve this is by shining a light on each problem—one by one—and searching for bold new strategies to provide the best education for the next generation. “I believe we can go beyond the plight of education and create a brilliant tomorrow,” Zhu Yongxin writes. “We must be full of hope…” Zhu Yongxin is a member of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, vice chairman of the China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD), and vice president of Chinese Society of Education (CSE). He also serves as a professor and PhD supervisor at Soochow University. A sponsor of the New Education Experiment in China, Professor Zhu has won several awards for his influential work, including “60 great contributors in China’s Education of 60 years” (2009), “30th Anniversary of Reform and Opening Up: Person of the Year in China’s Education Area” (2008), “Top 10 News Figures in China’s Reform” (2007), and “Top 10 Elites in China’s Education” (2006). Professor Zhu has published more than 400 articles on education both at home and abroad, and published over 30 books as well.