Research On Transition In Education Of Dong Village Located In Zhaoxing Town

Educational transition, as the embodiment and miniature of social transformation as well as the component and carrier of educational development, is under the profound influence of social transition. With the transformation and reform of the Chinese society in different historical periods, the education in vast villages of China has also been modernized step by step following the development of the village society. Being a part of the village society, village education has experienced diversified fluctuations and billows, intertwined by prosperity and stagnation, along with the transformation of the society. The process of transition in education labels the paths for social transition and transformation of the villages, and moreover, retains the marks for reform of educational practices and evolution of educational thoughts in villages.Dong Village in Zhaoxing Town is such a village inhabited by minorities which has undergone the hundreds of years’ transition and development of Chinese village education, and is still trying to work out ways for development and transition. As one of the 25 towns in Liping County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, Dong Village in Zhaoxing Town is located at the Golden Triangle area bordered by Guizhou, Guangxi and Hunan provinces. Regarded as the center of Zhao Cave inhabited by Dong People since ancient times, the village, upon its establishment in 1372 at the Ming Dynasty, has experienced long-term winding transitions in its education. The process of transition in education in the whole village can be divided into following three sequential stages:from 1372 when the village was established to 1504 when the Ming Dynasty was ruled by the Emperor Aisin Gioro Hongli, village education referred to social education in the village because there were no schools; from 1504 when the Ming Dynasty was ruled by the Emperor Aisin Gioro Hongli to 1935 of the Republic of China, the government of the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty established public schools and academies in the prefecture, and private schools in the rural areas, marking that the education of Dong Village in Zhaoxing Town was regularized by the national government, and traditional education took its form and gradually became the main form of education accepted by villagers, but its development and transition are distorted. In 1905, the Qing Government ceased to run schools, making the education in Dong Village non-existent except in name; in 1935 of the Republic of China, the first modern elementary school was established in Dong Village, which indicated a new era for development of village education, but because of social turbulence at that time, the school was developed in restricted manner. In 1949, the school was taken over by the socialist national government and set off on a new path. The school was expanding in its scale and changing in its running guidelines and curriculum provision along with the development of the times, thus developing into a complete elementary school in 1954. Since 1955, China initiated a series of political campaigns in consecutive years, which peaked in the Cultural Revolution. During this period, the school education was seriously influenced and the school even ceased to run. After bringing order out of chaos and implementing reform and opening-up policy, the school was recovered and modernized gradually. In the same time, the night school Farmers’ Middle School oriented to the farmers in Zhaoxing Town has developed into the Farmers’ Culture and Technology School and witnessed glorious performances since its establishment in 1951, training tremendous talents for Dong Village in Zhaoxing Town and its neighboring areas, and displaying the functions of education in serving the society and the individuals. The transitions of village education in different historical periods demonstrate the transitions in the Dong People’s demand for education with conspicuous features presented. Along with the progress of times and the transition of political powers, modern school education representing the state will has witnessed tremendous development in the village. In the meantime, the economy and urbanization in the village is also growing rigorously. Propelled by the gradual opening and the frequent movement of persons in Dong Village, its tourist industry has developed into its dominant industry, which impacts and challenges increasingly the value concept, minority culture, behavioral habit and lifestyle of villagers in many villages inhabited by minorities, for example in Dong Village in Zhaoxing Town, both for internal and external reasons, thus bringing about new crisis over village education. Village education, however, plays an irreplaceable role in promoting integrated development of individuals and maintaining stability and harmony of the rural society. In view of this, this research, relying on the field investigation and the theories and methods related to such disciplines as cultural philosophy, political culturology and educational anthropology, sorts out the research achievements related to historical culture, village education and social evolution of Dong Village in Zhaoxing Town, analyzes in depth the educational transitions in Dong Village in the longitudinal perspective, investigates in details into the education of Dong Village in different periods since its establishment, and summarizes the courses, the features and the reasons of transitions in education of Dong Village, and carries out a comprehensive historical overview to the whole process of transition. Finally, rational considerations are rendered to scientific orientation and selection of education in villages inhabited by minorities. By doing so, it can broaden the vision for research of educational theories for ethnic villages, enrich the research results related to ethnic village education, and provide new theoretical perspectives and thinking modes for research of village education in minority areas. It is, moreover, conducive to accelerating reform and development of village education in minority areas, which has realistic value and significance in realizing ethnic equality and unity.In order to enhance and guide the healthful progress of education in Dong Village and to improve people’s well-being, this research, upon insightful study over the transitions in education of Dong Village, reflects theoretically and discusses the primary attributes of education, and then further puts forward that education is an essential activity to meet human’s demand for survival and development. Its objectives are to improve human’s quality in living and development and promote the harmonious and comprehensive progress of the society. The rational ideas raised for reasonable orientation in the research are expressed as follows:Establishing the overall development view that is oriented to improve people’s well-being to facilitate harmonious and symbiotic development of education, man, nature and society in the ethnic area; building mutually adaptable and nourishing relations between the individuals’realization of demand for education and the objectives of the village education; and further specifying the government’s responsibilities in ethic village education with a view to not only propelling the development of the educational causes in the ethnic village, but also boosting development of society, economy and culture of the ethnic village.