From Zhang Boling and Yan Xiu founding Nankai School in 1904 to advocate new learning, to 1919 when they founded the private Nankai University, to 1947 when Oxford University announced its recognition of Nankai education, the story of Nankai is a microcosm of China's higher education in the first half of the 20th century - after the war, they still strive to embrace civilization, and commit themselves to politics and still strive to maintain independence. This has also become a portrayal of Zhang Boling's life of struggling to run a school.
▲ Zhang Boling inspected Nankai students who participated in military training
The national flag is three easy, abandoning the rong and following the religion
In 1894, the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War broke out. In 1895, the Beiyang Marine Division was defeated and the entire army was destroyed. In 1898, over the Weihai Weijun Port in China, the Japanese Sun Flag landed, the Chinese Yellow Dragon Flag was raised, and then the Yellow Dragon Flag landed and the British Rice Character Flag was raised.
A 22-year-old sailor sighed after witnessing the acceptance and transfer ceremony: "I was there to witness the three changes of flags between the two days, and the unspeakable mixture of grief and indignation at that time was that I deeply felt that the mainland wanted to survive in the modern world, relying on new education and creating a new generation." I am determined to dedicate myself to the cause of education and national salvation. ”
This sailor was Zhang Boling. He saw the ugly drama of "Three Easy National Flags" staged, which greatly stimulated Zhang Boling, and he resigned from the army in anger and was determined to abandon Rong and follow the religion.
Build an education system in Nankai
After Zhang Boling resigned and returned to Tianjin, he taught at the gentleman Yan Xiu's home.
In 1903 and 1904, Zhang Boling traveled east to Japan twice to inspect Japanese education after the Meiji Restoration, and his scale of running schools and educational methods shocked Zhang Boling, "Knowing that the other countries are rich and strong, it is really out of the revitalization of education, and if Yixin wants to save China, we must start with education." In October 1904, with the support of Yan Xiu, the private middle school was established, and Zhang Boling served as the supervisor (principal) of the school. In 1907, the name of the school was changed to Nankai Middle School.
In 1917, Yan Xiu and Zhang Boling arrived in the United States to investigate the construction of universities and learn how to organize and establish private universities. At that time, Zhang Boling specially entered the Teachers College of Columbia University in the United States to study education - to do a good job, he must first learn well.
That year, Zhang Boling was 41 years old.
In more than a year of study, Zhang Boling worked hard and seriously, constantly compared the education systems of the United States and Japan, and then combined her own practice and ideas, and gradually created a set of educational theories suitable for China.
In 1918, Zhang Boling returned to China and began to establish Chinese his own university. He and Yan Xiu and others began to raise money everywhere, because the most lacking thing to run a private university was funding.
▲ In 1918, Yan Xiu (front row middle) and Zhang Boling (front row, first from right) investigated education in the United States (picture from Southern People Weekly)
In order to raise money, Zhang Boling bowed her head everywhere and begged for help, but he thought it was not shameful: "I am not a beggar, but I am doing it for the sake of learning, and I do not feel embarrassed." With the help of people from all walks of life, on September 25, 1919, Nankai University was officially proclaimed.
Inspired by the success of Nankai Middle School and Nankai University, in 1923, Zhang Boling founded Nankai Girls' Middle School with the support of Yan Xiu; in 1928, Nankai Primary School was officially established; in 1932, Zhang Boling supported the establishment of the Nankai Institute of Economics and the Institute of Applied Chemistry, thus building a complete Nankai education system.
China Private University Takura
Unlike public schools, the principals of private schools must not only manage the school well, but also try to solve the problem of school funding. Nankai's funds are mainly based on fundraising. And fundraising, not everyone is willing to do or do it, in addition to putting down the body, but also pay attention to the way and method. Of course, fundraising alone, like blood transfusions, is not enough, but also needs to enhance the school's own hematopoietic capacity.
After two expeditions to Europe and the United States, Zhang Boling came to a conclusion: "The school is like a big factory, and the students are like the products of the factory." Therefore, it is not only necessary to "set the policy of education according to the needs of society", but also to open factories in schools to meet the needs of students for work-study and to generate income for schools. For example, the chemical plant under the Institute of Applied Chemistry has developed light industrial products such as metal polishing soap and ink, which sell well in the North China and even the national market, which not only expands the social impact, but also achieves corresponding economic benefits.
An important measure of a school's merits is the strength of its teachers. At that time, Nankai University was a private university, lack of funds, the salary of teachers was actually lower than the salary of teachers of other universities, but many famous scholars and professors were still willing to teach at Nankai University, one is because Nankai University never defaults on wages, and the other is because the academic atmosphere of Nankai University is very good, and everyone concentrates on teaching and learning.
There is also a very important point, that is, Zhang Boling's personality charm:
During Zhang Boling's tenure as president, the financial situation of Nankai University was all public and placed in the school library for casual consultation; he himself only received a monthly salary of 120 yuan for a long time, which was only equivalent to 1/3 of the presidents of other universities at that time, while many professors in the school had a monthly salary of 300 yuan; his official car was a rickshaw, which could be used by all teachers in the school; He travels with insecticides because he stays in the cheapest hotels and the hygiene is extremely poor... Under such circumstances, the strength and prestige of Nankai University increased rapidly. At that time, celebrities from all walks of life, from Liang Qichao to Huang Xing, from Zhang Xueliang to Chen Yinke, from Ye Shengtao to Tao Xingzhi, they all sent their children or relatives' children to the Nankai series of schools to study, because they trusted the teachers of Nankai and trusted Zhang Boling's educational philosophy.
In 1947, the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom announced the recognition of Nankai University degrees, and in China at that time, together with Peking University and Tsinghua University, only 7 schools in total were recognized by Oxford University.
▲ Zhang Boling and his wife took a group photo with their families (picture from Southern People Weekly)
Cultivate talents who are "fair and capable"
Faced with the reality of internal and external troubles, the educators of the late Qing Dynasty embraced the ideal of education to save the country, and Zhang Boling's dream of saving the country in his heart was particularly strong, and he has been rushing to the front line of the patriotic salvation movement. "Patriotism" has become the primary purpose of his education and education, he said: "Nankai School was born because of national difficulties, so its school is aimed at correcting the shortcomings of the times and educating talents to save the country." He encouraged the students to "love the country and the world for those who have the greatest sense of public morality" and demanded that "all students have graduated their homework, and after that, they should think about how to serve the country and the public, and be worthy of being Nankai students."
In fact, Zhang Boling attaches great importance to "edutainment", and the most disgusting thing is "dead reading". In Nankai, subjects such as drama and music are highly valued by the school, and the most important of them is physical education.
After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in 1937, the key bombing targets of the Japanese army in Tianjin were Nankai Middle School and Nankai University, and Zhang Boling's more than 30 years of painstaking efforts were destroyed. However, he was not discouraged, and said in a public speech: "Those who are destroyed are the material of Nankai, and the spirit of Nankai will be more and more energetic because of this setback." ”
Many years later, Zhang Boling, who has opened up the road to the success of modern private education, recalled: "For more than 40 years, I have been like a stone, rolling forward on the bumpy road, and dare not stop for a moment. Nankai at the most difficult time, Balitai was shrouded in sad clouds and mist, as if every small tree was crying to me, and I clenched my teeth and did not dare to take a step. A stone just needs to keep rolling, at least not with moss mold, and I am convinced that the stone will roll more and more round, and the road will become wider and wider. In these words, there is no lack of bitterness, but it is more confident and proud.
In the era of the country's fate ups and downs, Zhang Boling adheres to culture and education, inherits the spirit of the national context, like a beacon, illuminating the mountains and rivers filled with gun smoke, and also penetrating the leisurely and magnificent years, setting up a mirror for today's Chinese culture and education, and planting a monument for the growth of future generations.
Excerpt from | "Leadership Digest", January 2022, the original title is "Guoshi Zhang Boling: China's New Education Enlightener"
Source of the manuscript | "Literature and History Expo and People"
This article is written by | Wu Shuangjiang
Responsible Editor | Jing Ning
WeChat Editor | And also