LA project (group 4)

1. Topic: Education in Communist China and The Little Red Book Done by Li Lidao 09, Tan Yi Zhao 24, Loke Hsien Jie 12 and Glen Mun LA project (group 4)

2. Brief introduction on education at that time Length of education was reduced • Primary and secondary: from 6 to 5 years • Colleges: from 4 or 5 to 31/2 years Curriculum of education was modified • Focus on political studies and skills which were more practical (for example: agriculture studies to increase crop production). • Stress on analytical, critical and creative ability Admission policy was changed • No more entrance exams. • Based on the recommendations of the revolutionary committee at their work place (factory/ commune) Governance of schools • School was also governed by local peasant, workers or soldiers instead of intellectual bourgeois. More schools were also built in rural areas

3. Educational structure Top priority Academic Subjects

4. Why such education structures??? • Mao felt that students should be involved in other activities such as working with peasants, factory workers or training with soldiers • Academic is not the top priority

5. Political education (part 1) Aim • To instill principles of communism into the younger generation. • To nurture them into devoted followers of the communist party Content of political education • Includes memorising Mao’s little red book • Teachers criticising politicians who’s anti-communism in front of them (for example Confucius and Lin biao) • Told how fortunate they are and all the benefits of the communist party ruling the country and how hard life was in other countries

6. Political education ( part 2) • Students were also told to get involved in rallies of the party and shout slogans. • Students also learnt slogans under their Chinese curriculum such as: long life chairman Mao, rebel is justified or support agriculture on a great scale. • As they were not being exposed to anything which contradicted to what was taught, the political education was a great success.

7. Mao´s Little red book (General information) • It’s official name is: Quotations from Chairman Mao • Contains quotations from chairman Mao • The aim of the book is to transform the china society using Maoism or Mao’s ideology • The little red book was first published in April 1964 and stopped publishing in 1976 • The people at the workforce had to study the book during working hours as it was said that the understanding of Mao’s quotes would bring enlightenment to the work unit. • Students were told to bring the book everywhere they go • Students were tested on how well they have memorized the book • It contains 33 chapters, each chapter describes a value they were supposed to have

8. Effects of Mao´s political education • All students followed and believed what was taught and wanted to be a red guard as well. • The red guards followed the orders and destroyed old books, artworks, heritage sites and temples. Some even captured “anti-communism” individuals, brought them to a firing square and occasionally given the authority to shot them to death. • Innocent students carrying out such unimaginable acts further proves the devastating effect of Mao's political education on students. • Since most of the time at school was spent on political studies, and entry exams were abolished, students did not achieve much academic progress. Not putting academic at the top priority also gave students such a impression that studying is useless.

9. Link between Chinese language and political studies • Although most of the time in school was reserved for political studies, however, students still learnt math and Chinese language. • Some passages in their Chinese textbook was used to facilitate political studies. Slogans of the communist party Lower primary textbook Other stories not related to political science Inspiring stories of the red army fighting fearlessly against the Japanese or guomindang regime, politicians contributing selflessly and how hard life was in Taiwan or other countries not ruled by communists Upper primary and secondary text

10. Thank you • Acknowledgements • fcis.oise.utoronto.ca/~daniel_sc/assignment1/1966chinarev.html • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Guards_(People's_Republic_of_Chin) • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Red_Book • zhidao.baidu.com • www.wyzxsx.com • http://www.google.com.sg/images?q=culture%20revolution&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&oe=&rlz=1I7GFRC_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1419&bih=756

11. KWL worksheet (li lidao) KWL worksheet (lilidao 09)

12. KWL worksheet (li lidao) Done By: Tan Yi Zhao 24

13. Glen Mun

14. Loke Hsien Jie 12