Chapter 7 Section 6 Combination of tutoring and school education

The formation of the patriarchal system in the Western Zhou Dynasty not only made the aristocratic ruling class realize the importance of family education, but also with the multiplication of descendants and the increase of small feudal kingdoms, they increasingly felt that small-scale family education could not meet the needs of real politics.As a result, the scale of education for noble children was gradually expanded, that is, schools for noble children began to be established on the basis of family education. As early as the Xia and Shang dynasties, it was rumored that there were aristocratic schools, but due to insufficient documentation, it is difficult to say that a teaching institution dedicated to training noble children did exist.But in the Western Zhou Dynasty, school education for the nobility not only existed, but also formed a complete school system.One of the characteristics of school education in the Western Zhou Dynasty was the close combination of family education and school education of the nobility, showing obvious class characteristics.

The aristocratic school in the Western Zhou Dynasty was called Guoxue, which was divided into two levels: university and primary school.The distinction between universities and primary schools is mainly based on the age and status of students, not higher education and primary education in the modern sense.The universities in the Western Zhou Dynasty were set up by the emperor and were relatively large in scale, known as the Four Schools and the Five Schools.The so-called four schools are "Chengjun" in the south, "Shangxiang (Xiangxiang)" in the north, "Dongxu" in the east, and "Gu Zong" in the west; Built "Biyong".Whether it is the Four Schools or the Five Schools, it is specially set up for the upper-class noble children of the ruling class. These noble children who are eligible to enter the school are called the sons of the country, ranging from the crown prince to the children of princes and ministers. He is a natural hereditary patriarchal privilege and the legal successor to the throne of the Son of Heaven and the princes and monarchs.Later, the feudal lords also established universities, but in order to distinguish them from the universities established by the emperor, they were called "Pan Palace", because unlike Piyong, which was surrounded by water on all sides, it was only allowed to face half of the water, and its scale was also small.This is a concrete reflection of the Western Zhou hierarchy in education.

The establishment of aristocratic schools has opened up a new world for the family education of noble children, but school education is based on family education.In the Western Zhou Dynasty, family education started from prenatal education, and its lower limit was different according to the status of the students.Generally speaking, the crown prince enters elementary school at the age of eight, that is, family education is mainly used before the age of eight; the eldest son of a public minister and the legitimate son of a doctor and Yuanshi enters elementary school at the age of 13.The princes of the vassal states generally entered primary school at the age of eight.Before entering elementary school, they were educated at home, and tutors were specially in charge of tutoring.Women cannot enjoy school education. They receive Mu education in their boudoirs since they were young, and they get married when they are 20 years old.

Prenatal education was attached great importance in the early Western Zhou Dynasty, and it was an important part of family education.It is mainly the environmental education of the fetus. For example, Jia Yi said in "New Book Prenatal Education": "The concubine of Zhou became a king in her body. ], although you are angry but don’t scold, that’s what prenatal education is.” Prenatal education is followed by early childhood education. "Cheng Wang was born, the benevolent raised him, the filial piety swaddled him, and the four sages followed him." Therefore, "Da Dai Ji·Bao Fu" said that when the children of the nobles were their own children, family education had already begun.

Since children can learn to eat, family teachers such as Shi, Fu, and Bao teach them to use their right hand, teach them to speak when they can speak, and teach them to walk when they can walk.Then teach counting and identifying directions; teach music to cultivate temperament; teach literacy to instill knowledge; teach etiquette to cultivate respect for parents and brothers; teach military games to exercise their bodies.Teacher, Fu, and Bao are responsible for tutoring and have their own division of labor.Bao, mainly protects its body; Fu, mainly coaches its morality; Shi, mainly teaches its knowledge.Through the education of teachers, teachers, and protection, the children of nobles can get a relatively comprehensive development in three aspects: morality, intelligence, and physique, and make necessary preparations for entering Chinese studies and receiving formal school education.

After the children of the upper-class nobles entered school, family education only came to an end, and it did not stop there, but continued as a necessary supplement to school education. According to "Da Dai Ji Bao Fu", "Zhou Li" and "Book of Rites", after the prince entered school, he returned to the palace for family education. "Baofu" said: "Retire from study and end up with the Taifu, and the Taifu will punish him if he fails to achieve his failure, so that he will be virtuous and wise and reasonable." That is to say, after the crown prince returned to the palace from the Taixue, The Taifu should provide counseling to correct their bad behaviors and make them understand and be proficient in the knowledge they did not learn in school, so that their virtues and knowledge can be developed and they can fully grasp the knowledge they have learned.It can be seen that the family education and school education of the upper-class noble children in the Western Zhou Dynasty were closely integrated and mutually promoted.