Research On The Institutional Change Of Higher Agricultural Education In New China(1949—1978)

In combing the historical data of the development of higher agricultural education from the founding of New China to the reform and opening up,it is found that the development process of higher agricultural education is in fact regulated and shaped by the institutional background in which it can be carried out.In this way,the system has become the most noteworthy factor.With the help of the analysis method of historical institutionalism,through the pursuit of the historical track of the development of higher agricultural education in China,the structural causality and historical causality that affect the development process of higher agricultural education have become the direction of the paper.Through reading and exploring a series of higher agricultural education systems issued by the party and the state from 1949 to 1978,the history of 38 higher agricultural colleges and universities with a long history of running schools,as well as relevant competent departments and university archives,this paper divides the changes of higher agricultural education system in China from 1949 to 1978 into four stages and examines them one by one.The initial foundation stage(1949—1956):in the early days of the founding of new China,the party and the state attached great importance to the restoration and construction of higher agricultural education,focusing on the reception and transformation of higher agricultural education in old China,and sublating the higher agricultural education system in old China.Starting from the establishment of the new democratic education policy of the People’s Republic of China,the basic systems such as the purpose,school system,management system and enrollment distribution of higher agricultural education have been established successively.Through international reference norms,the layout of higher agricultural education colleges and departments and the internal operation system of higher agricultural colleges and universities such as teaching and scientific research have been established,and the institutional framework of higher agricultural education in the People’s Republic of China has been initially formed.The institutional change of higher agricultural education in this stage shows the characteristics of typical mandatory,distinct political and obvious transition.During this period,almost all the institutional changes of higher agricultural education were promoted by the government and distributed authoritatively through policy resources,which highlighted the mandatory nature of institutional changes.The change orientation of higher agricultural education system has distinct political nature.The purpose and task of higher agricultural education have distinct new democratic nature.Ideological and political education is in line with the needs of socialist regime construction in New China in terms of curriculum arrangement and team building.The management of higher agricultural education pays more attention to the unified management and overall coordination of the central government.However,many higher agricultural education systems are the product of the conflict and compromise between the old and new cultures and systems.They are transitional systems in the early days of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and have obvious transitional nature.The tortuous development stage(1956—1966):it mainly focuses on the institutional changes of higher agricultural education in the 10 years from the basic completion of socialist transformation to the "Cultural Revolution," and focuses on the summary of the basic system of education-the change of the new democratic education policy to the socialist education policy and the party ’s education work policy.The "educational revolution "carried out by the "Great Leap Forward" has led to the "catch-up" institutional change in the field of higher agricultural education.The "progressive" institutional change in the adjustment period of higher agricultural education after the "Great Leap Forward"reflection,as well as the "innovative" change of the "semi-agricultural and semi-reading"system based on solving the shortage of production professionals.In this stage,higher agricultural education developed rapidly in twists and turns,which laid a good practical foundation for the establishment of higher agricultural education system in New China.In the institutional change of higher agricultural education in this stage,compulsory change is still the main form,but the situation of weak interaction between compulsory change and induced change began to appear.The ’half-agricultural and half-reading’ system actively explored by Jiangxi Communist Labor University promoted the innovation of higher agricultural education system from bottom to top in some aspects.With the central government decentralizing the management power of most higher agricultural colleges and universities to local areas,the endogenous power of induced institutional change gradually increased.The change of convergence and the change of divergence exist at the same time.There are not only typical convergence institutional changes such as the decentralization of rural labor exercise by teachers and students,the construction system of national key universities,the enrollment examination and the distribution system of graduates,but also typical divergence institutional changes such as "moving to rural areas to run schools" and promoting "half-agricultural and half-reading" in higher agricultural colleges and universities.At the same time,major educational laws and regulations such as ’Sixty Higher Education’ began to become an important carrier to promote the change of higher agricultural education system.Serious setback stage(1966—1976):In the 10 years of the ’Cultural Revolution’,the education route of the ’first 17 years’ that higher agricultural education originally adhered to was completely negated,and the basic management system was seriously damaged.Higher agricultural colleges and universities were forced to ’move and disperse’and promote the ’Korean agricultural experience’ and other systems,making higher agricultural education a ’hardest hit’ for higher education,but from the other side,it provides a failure lesson for the future change of higher agricultural education system.The change of higher agricultural education system in this stage shows that political orientation has become the primary factor affecting the mandatory change of higher agricultural education system.Under the wrong political orientation,the system of stopping the college entrance examination and enrollment,the management and reform of workers,peasants and soldiers,and the promotion of "agricultural experience" seriously violates the law of higher agricultural education,resulting in a rare regression of higher agricultural education.Mandatory radical institutional change will inevitably lead to higher agricultural education to pay a heavy price.The ’summary of the National Education Work Conference’ and the ’two estimates’ produced by the two counter-revolutionary groups of Lin Biao and Jiang Qing completely negate the educational route of the ’first 17 years’.The radical promotion of ’shortening the school system’,’streamlining the curriculum’,’all agricultural and forestry colleges and universities are moving to rural or forest areas ’and other systems that seriously violate the laws of higher agricultural education,resulting in higher agricultural colleges and universities.The order of running schools is almost in chaos.It has caused a serious situation of agricultural talents in a period of time and lack of successors.The stage of bringing order out of chaos and initial recovery(1976—1978):In the two years after crushing the "Gang of Four," the higher agricultural education system was gradually restored and adjusted.Higher agricultural colleges began to bring order out of chaos and clear up the root causes.Recruitment,personnel training,scientific research,party building and internal management were basically restored and developed steadily.Higher agricultural education entered a new era of adjustment,reform and development.The institutional change of higher agricultural education in this stage has the nature of stock revolution and radicalization.The central government has quickly restored and updated a series of new higher agricultural education systems,replaced the destructive systems implemented during the ’Cultural Revolution’,and reduced the institutional transaction costs as much as possible,so as to accelerate the transformation and development of higher agricultural education suitable for national conditions.At the same time,the informal higher agricultural education system seriously affects and restricts its institutional change.The destruction of the thoughts of teachers and students in higher agricultural colleges and universities during the ’Cultural Revolution ’has greatly affected the induced institutional change that should have spontaneously promoted higher agricultural education.It is urgent to adjust and update people ’s ideas and promote the effective change of higher agricultural education system by overthrowing the ’two estimates’ and criticizing the ’agricultural experience’.In summary,in just 30 years after the founding of the People’s Republic of China,every important institutional change was mapped in the field of higher agricultural education.The change of higher agricultural education system is closely related to China ’s political,economic and social development,and has its own laws.We must always adhere to the party ’s overall leadership over colleges and universities,and need the necessary international reference.A stable and innovative system is crucial to the development of higher agricultural education.