Desarrollo del sistema educativo en la república de China (1912-1949)de la tradición a la modernidad

Abstract

Abstract This thesis comprises a study and analysis of the development and evolution of the Chinese education system, particularly focusing on the period between the last years of the Qing dynasty and beginning of the Republic of China in 1912 and the end of the Republic in 1949. Anchored in a classical, traditional system – politically, socially and educationally – the country recognized the need to modernize in response to defeats suffered at the hands of foreign powers, which highlighted China’s shortcomings in the face of a new world order. In an attempt to modernize China, an initiative emerged to promote education, incorporating instruction that was more in line with the times, and following the Western model. The main motivations behind this thesis include both a personal interest in Chinese culture and the status of education, a driving force in social development and modernization, and the lack of works that focus on this topic. The primary objective of the study is to analyse the transformation process in education, beginning when China was a traditional society in which the cornerstone of education was Confucianism, a slow process full of contradictions and obstacles. The core focal point of the thesis is an extensive study of the evolution of education during the period of the Republic of China, at which time the bases for modern, contemporary education were laid. To that end, the study stretches from the early processes of modernizing education to the steps taken in the field during the Republic, primarily in higher education. Here, the role of important reformists, particularly Cai Yuanpei, is also analysed. The study draws on a synchronic-diachronic descriptive analysis, focusing on education in China largely between 1912 and 1949. The pioneering nature of the thesis can be found in a number of points. Firstly, very few studies have been done that bring together all the data related to this topic. Moreover, studies of the history of China and education and reform include almost no academic works that successfully incorporate both subjects. This thesis is divided into seven chapters, the first of which establishes the theoretical framework. The following six chapters provide an examination of: the state of Chinese education prior to the nineteenth century, when it was based on Confucian philosophy and neglected other areas of study; the modernization process in education during the last years of the empire, part of an attempt to save the nation through initiatives like the Hundred Days of Reform; the educational reforms and proposals in the Republic of China after its foundation; the reformist efforts of Cai Yuanpei of this time; both Minister of Education during the Republic and Chancellor of the prestigious Beijing University, he also founded several research centres, academies and institutes and championed women’s education. In short, he was a crucial figure in the process of modernizing the educational model; the final years of the Republic of China and the state of education during a time of war, shortly before the victory of the Communist Party of China in 1949. A final section provides some conclusions that analyse and evaluate the material in the previous chapters. Appendices with visual or textual information are included, as are lists of the tables and figures that appear in the body of the thesis. This study takes advantage of a number of different bibliographical sources in a variety of languages, most notably Spanish, English, Russian and Chinese, with some additional material in French and German.