Chapter 12 Section 7 The Significance of the Rise of Private Schools

The rise of private schools during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period occupied an important position in the history of the development of school education in ancient China.Private schools broke through the old tradition of strict official schools in the Western Zhou Dynasty, moved schools from palaces and government offices to private schools, expanded educational objects from nobles to common people, and taught teachers everywhere in private identities. Students can choose teachers freely. wider connections.Because each school and faction argued with each other and supplemented each other, a grand occasion of contention among a hundred schools of thought emerged.This has not only promoted the development and prosperity of academic thought, but also cultivated a large number of talents, and also created a group of private masters shining with wisdom, such as Confucius, Mozi, Mencius, Xunzi, Han Feizi and so on.

The development of private schools during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period also promoted the development of educational thought and educational theory. A large number of educational materials are preserved in classics such as "Spring and Autumn", and there are also educational monographs such as "Great Learning", "The Doctrine of the Mean", "Study Records", "Encouraging Learning", "Discipleship", etc., which expound the role of education. , school system, moral education system, teaching principles and methods, the status of teachers and other theories have become a summary of the rich school education experience and educational thoughts of this era, and laid the foundation for ancient Chinese school education theories.Since then, there have been two school education systems in the history of school education in ancient China, one is official school and the other is private school.After that, the style of private lectures in ancient China continued.As the official schools of various dynasties in ancient China flourished and fell into disuse, or in name only, private schools have always shouldered the important task of imparting cultural knowledge and cultivating talents. It has made great contributions to the cultural and educational cause of ancient China.