The Ministry of Education Photo: CNS
BEIJING, Aug. 27 (Xinhua)--China will start using revised textbooks covering three disciplines for compulsory education in the coming autumn semester, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) on Tuesday announced the release of
revised textbooks, including Chinese language and history books
featuring new archaeological findings and studies into the origin of
Chinese civilization, which will be implemented in primary and junior
high schools across the country starting from the autumn semester.
These
new editions are set to cover all grades within three years, marking a
significant step in the integration of cultural education into the
curriculum.
One of the key changes in these textbooks is the
emphasis on culture, enriching the content of fine traditional Chinese
culture. For instance, the literature textbooks now include selections
from The Classic of Poetry, the oldest existing collection of Chinese
poetry; poems from the Tang, Song and Yuan dynasties (618-1368) and
excerpts from novels from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), with a
total of 353 pieces representing the essence of Chinese culture.
Students
can learn the Chinese civilization by reading about archaeological
findings such as the Liangzhu Ancient City, the Taosi site, and
Niuheliang site in history textbooks, according to the MOE.
The
profound value concepts, philosophical thought, moral discussions, and
practical methods embedded in traditional Chinese culture provide an
inexhaustible resource for cultural education.
In today's
digital world, where young people are easily influenced by vulgar online
information, these historically tested cultural texts can help them
establish correct values and perspectives, thus enhancing their
humanistic literacy.
The textbooks also highlight China's
technological advancements and stories of role models including
astronauts, heroes who guarded China's borders, scientists, educators,
and frontline workers. This is conducive to cultivating students' spirit
of scientific exploration and inspiring them to pursue careers in
science and technology.
The revision of textbooks by the Ministry
of Education is a strategic move to enhance cultural education, which
is essential for nurturing well-rounded individuals who appreciate and
can carry forward the rich tapestry of Chinese culture.
By
exposing students to the depth and breadth of traditional Chinese
culture, we are not only preserving heritage but also equipping the next
generation with the values and wisdom necessary to navigate the
complexities of the world.
The concept of cultural education is
not new. Many schools have organized activities to bring outstanding
traditional culture into campuses, such as the introduction of
intangible cultural heritage (ICH). In South China's Guangdong Province,
for example, activities related to Cantonese opera, paper-cutting, and
Lingnan guqin, which are national and provincial-level ICH, have been
organized in local primary and high schools.
The MOE has issued
documents encouraging the use of extracurricular venues and public
cultural facilities to organize activities with ICH representatives,
guiding young people to understand and inherit the charm of ICH.
In
higher education, universities will be given support to independently
establish ICH-related undergraduate majors, strengthening the
construction of ICH-related specialties and courses to improve talent
cultivation capabilities.
Traditional Chinese culture, as the
crystallization and essence of Chinese civilization, carries the
national memory and spirit of the Chinese nation. Strengthening the
education of traditional Chinese culture is beneficial for guiding young
people to learn about the long history of Chinese civilization.
These
measures for cultural education will help increase the dissemination
and popularization of excellent traditional culture and promote the deep
integration of the protection and inheritance of excellent traditional
culture with the modern education system. By integrating excellent
traditional culture into campuses, the content of cultural education can
be creatively enriched, and the practical path of cultural education
can be expanded.
The revisions on ethics and rule of law, Chinese and history feature new archeological findings in studying the origin of Chinese civilization, and content to enhance education on national security and rule of law, according to the MOE. Meanwhile, the revisions have reduced difficulty in Chinese language studies.
These
new textbooks will be used by the first grades of primary and middle
schools this year. All grades of the nine-year compulsory education
period will be covered within three years, the MOE said.
The ministry launched the textbook revision work in March 2022. Over 200 experts from universities, research institutions, and primary and middle schools participated in this task.
The MOE said the revised textbooks had been used on a trial basis at over 550 schools across the country, involving more than 2,000 teachers and 100,000 students.
All
teachers who will use the revised textbooks for teaching are required
to complete training by end of this month, the MOE said.
Source: Xinhua, Global Times, https://english.news.cn/20240827/0bb34a6befa14366a446e63dfa5d5a8a/c.html; https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202408/1318812.shtml
艾威肯外籍猎头IJOBINCHINA
WeChat/Whatsapp
