Once upon a time, our textbooks were filled with stories of national heroes and historical figures, inspiring generations of Chinese to fight for the interests of the country and the people. However, in recent years, these heroes have gradually disappeared from textbooks and have been replaced by foreign celebrities and traffic stars. Is there some kind of conspiracy behind this phenomenon? Is our national spirit slowly eroding? Will the younger generation's perception of heroes gradually fade away? These are questions worth pondering.
The status of national heroes in textbooks is gradually marginalized
Back in the 80s of the 20th century, the Chinese textbooks at that time were densely printed with the deeds of heroes. Since the first grade of primary school, there have been many stories about heroes and models such as Lei Feng, Huang Jiguang, and Qiu Shaoyun. When I reach junior high school, I will learn the deeds of heroes such as Dong Cunrui, Liu Hulan, and the Five Heroes of Langya Mountain. In high school textbooks, more historical figures will be involved, such as Lin Zexu, Zuo Zongtang, Zeng Guofan, etc.
At that time, the stories of heroes were everywhere, and children were able to receive heroism from an early age. Everyone can recite a few famous sentences such as "the people's soldiers, brave and good at fighting", "the five heroes of Langya Mountain, bright swords to kill the enemy, jackals and tigers". The image of the hero is like a mirror, shining on the heart of every Chinese child, inspiring them to establish lofty ideals from an early age and strive for the prosperity and strength of the motherland.
However, the times have changed, and the status of heroes in textbooks has become increasingly marginalized. Since the 90s of the last century, the number of heroic characters in Chinese textbooks has gradually decreased. Instead, there are a large number of articles about foreign celebrities, such as Newton, Leonardo da Vinci, Edison, etc. After entering the new century, this trend has become more obvious, and the proportion of heroic chapters has plummeted, but some traffic stars and Internet celebrities have begun to appear frequently in textbooks.
According to some data, in the current edition of Chinese textbooks, only about 10% of the articles introduce Chinese heroes, while more than 40% of the articles introduce foreign celebrities and traffic stars. It can be said that the position of heroes in textbooks has been completely marginalized. Generations of Chinese children are gradually losing the opportunity to be nurtured by heroism.
The importance of national heroes in modern society
For a nation, heroes are like a banner guiding the direction of the nation. Their deeds not only demonstrate the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, but also an important part of our national spirit.
Tracing back to its roots, China has had a tradition of hero worship since ancient times. From the hundred schools of thought in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, to the "Historical Records" of the Han Dynasty, and then to the heroes described in the novels of the Ming and Qing dynasties, all show the spirit of the Chinese nation's pursuit of justice and courageous sacrifice. This spirit has a long history and has turned into a torrent that infiltrates the heart of every Chinese.
Take the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression as an example, it is precisely because of a large number of heroes such as Zuo Quan, Dai Anlan, Lai Chuanzhu, etc., that the majestic force of the whole nation to hate the enemy and go to the national disaster together was condensed. With their blood and lives, they wrote a magnificent epic of the Chinese nation's unremitting self-improvement.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, a large number of heroic models emerged, such as Qiu Shaoyun, Huang Jiguang, Wang Jie, etc. They have interpreted the purpose of the communists to "serve the people wholeheartedly" with practical deeds, and have set a model of patriotism for us with their lives.
It can be said that without heroes, there would be no spiritual pillar of the Chinese nation. A nation without heroes is like a team without a flag, marching without a flag, and the direction is difficult to determine. On the contrary, as long as we always remember the deeds of heroes, we can draw strength from them and unite the centripetal force of the nation.
In the new era, the role of heroes is still indispensable. In this materialistic era, we need the spiritual strength of heroes to purify the social atmosphere and strengthen people's ideals and beliefs. For example, astronauts, scientists, anti-epidemic warriors, etc., they have shown the spiritual outlook of contemporary Chinese with practical actions, which is worthy of our vigorous publicity and learning.
At the same time, the stories of heroes are also the best books for patriotic education. Familiarizing children with the deeds of heroes from an early age can fundamentally cultivate their feelings for their family and country and stimulate their enthusiasm for fighting for the prosperity and strength of the country. The relay struggle of young people from generation to generation is an important reason why the Chinese nation will never decline.
In short, for a nation, heroes are the pillars of the spirit, the embodiment of values, and the source of national strength. We must attach importance to the important role of heroes in modern society, so that their spirit will always accompany the Chinese nation on its way forward.
Potential reasons for the deletion of national heroes in textbooks
Why is there a phenomenon of deletion of national heroes from textbooks? On the surface, this may simply be a change in the perception of education, or it may be influenced by a foreign culture. But if we go back to the roots, we may find some deeper causes.
First, a shift in the perception of education may be an important factor. Since the 90s of the last century, the educational philosophy of the mainland has begun to change, focusing on cultivating students' innovative spirit and practical ability, rather than pure moral education. In this context, textbook writers may believe that exaggerating the deeds of heroes too much is easy for students to have a one-sided understanding of heroism, which is not conducive to their all-round development.
Therefore, they began to reduce the length of heroes and instead add more content about science, art, life, etc., in an attempt to create a more open and diverse learning environment for students. It can be said that this is a good intention, but the approach is a bit extreme.
Second, the influence of foreign culture is also a factor that cannot be ignored. With the continuous deepening of reform and opening up, Western lifestyles and values began to pour in in large numbers, which had a certain impact on the mainland's ideology.
Against this backdrop, some people began to question whether heroic education was too archaic and monolithic, arguing that students should be introduced to more advanced foreign cultures. As a result, textbook writers began to introduce a large number of stories of foreign celebrities in an attempt to broaden students' international perspectives.
It can be said that this practice is also done with good intentions, but if it is too paranoid, it can lead to the loss of national culture. We should have a trade-off, and while learning from foreign cultures, we should also adhere to our own national characteristics.
In addition to the above reasons, there is another possibility that is worth pondering. That is, are there certain forces that consciously want to infiltrate the ideology of the mainland? By weakening the education of heroism, it slowly erodes our national spirit.
This speculation may seem exaggerated, but if we look back at history, it is not difficult to find some clues. For example, in the 80s of the last century, some people advocated the slogan of so-called "comprehensive westernization" in an attempt to completely negate the socialist system on the mainland. Although this tendency has since been curbed, its shadow has persisted.
Therefore, we cannot completely rule out whether there are also people who consciously want to infiltrate our ideology in the process of writing textbooks. By reducing the content of national heroes, the national self-confidence of the younger generation is slowly eroding. Although there is no conclusive evidence for this speculation, we still need to be vigilant.
Pay attention to the necessity of educating national heroes
National heroes are the embodiment of a nation's spirit, and their deeds embody the strength of the nation and inspire generations to strive for the prosperity and strength of the country. Attaching importance to the education of national heroes is of great significance for strengthening young people's ideals and beliefs, enhancing national self-confidence, and inheriting the national spirit.
Since ancient times, the Chinese nation has given birth to many heroes who can sing and cry. From Wu Zixu and Wu Qi in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, to Zuo Quan and Dai Anlan during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and then to Qiu Shaoyun and Huang Jiguang after the founding of New China, they all wrote the magnificent epic of the nation with blood and life. They have interpreted the true meaning of patriotism with practical actions and set a glorious example for us with their lives.
It can be said that national heroes are an important source of the spirit of the Chinese nation. A nation without heroes is like a team without a flag, marching without a flag, and the direction is difficult to determine. On the contrary, as long as we always remember the deeds of heroes, we can draw strength from them and unite the centripetal force of the nation.
In the new era, the spiritual power of national heroes is still precious. In this materialistic era, we need the spiritual support of heroes to purify the social atmosphere and strengthen people's ideals and beliefs. For example, astronauts, scientists, anti-epidemic warriors, etc., they have shown the spiritual outlook of contemporary Chinese with practical actions, which is worthy of our vigorous publicity and learning.
At the same time, the stories of heroes are also the best books for patriotic education. Familiarizing children with the deeds of heroes from an early age can fundamentally cultivate their feelings for their family and country and stimulate their enthusiasm for fighting for the prosperity and strength of the country. The relay struggle of young people from generation to generation is an important reason why the Chinese nation will never decline.
It can be said that attaching importance to the education of national heroes is not only respect for heroes, but also respect for the entire nation. If a nation does not even cherish its own heroes, it is tantamount to denying its own cultural foundation and losing its spiritual pillar. On the contrary, only by remembering and advocating heroes can the banner of the national spirit fly high forever.
Therefore, we must attach great importance to the education of national heroes, so that the spirit of heroes will always accompany the Chinese nation on the way forward. Whether it is in school education or social propaganda, heroes should be given the respect and attention they deserve. Only in this way can our national spirit be passed on from generation to generation, and our cultural self-confidence can be everlasting.
He called for a re-examination of textbook writing and the restoration of the status of a national hero
In the face of the increasing marginalization of the status of national heroes in textbooks, it is necessary to call on relevant departments to re-examine the concept and direction of textbook compilation, and return heroes to the textbooks of primary and secondary school students with due respect.
First of all, the education sector should attach great importance to this issue. They need to organize experts and scholars to conduct a comprehensive review of existing textbooks, eliminate those content that is too entertaining and commercial, and restore the original authority and seriousness of the textbooks.
At the same time, in the process of compiling the new textbook, the relevant departments must adhere to the correct political direction and uphold the educational concept of patriotism. We must not allow some people with ulterior motives to infiltrate erroneous ideologies in textbooks and influence the minds of young students.
Second, textbook writers must pay sufficient attention and respect to national heroes when selecting content. They should extensively solicit the opinions of all sectors of society, fully listen to the voices of the masses, and restore the proper status of heroes in textbooks.
In terms of the selection of chapters, we can appropriately add some heroes who emerged after the founding of New China, such as astronauts, scientists, and anti-epidemic warriors, so that students can understand the spiritual outlook of contemporary heroes. At the same time, we cannot ignore the heroic tradition in our history, and we should retain some classic heroic stories, such as Yue Fei, Lin Zexu, Zuo Zongtang, etc.
In terms of content arrangement, we can consider setting up a special "heroes" column to systematically introduce heroic deeds in different periods and fields. At the same time, it is also necessary to pay attention to the cognitive ability of students of different ages, and appropriately sort out and grade the content.
In addition to textbooks, we can also make full use of the power of new media to vividly show the stories of heroes through videos, animations and other forms. This will not only help to increase students' interest in learning, but also allow the heroic spirit to spread among young people.
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In short, we must attach great importance to the status of national heroes in textbooks and bring them back to the children's perspective. Only in this way can we truly strengthen the ideals and convictions of the younger generation, enhance their national self-confidence, and arouse their enthusiasm for striving for the prosperity and strength of the motherland. Let us join hands to build a heroic division and work hard for the great rejuvenation of the nation!