The Effect Of Schools Of Aesthetic Education And Their Thought In China On School Curriculum Since The First Opium War

The purpose of this study is that, firstly, it may draw a outline of the influence of aesthetic education theory on practices and its limitations; secondly, it may clarify the obscure understanding of aesthetic education; and thirdly, it may be helpful to the practices under the guideline of aesthetic education theory.The thought and schools of aesthetic education in china originated from aesthetic education based on traditional Chinese culture, capitalism and Marxism in conformity with Chinese reality. Of all these, the followings are the most influential ones that had grater impact on school curriculum. They are: (1) the reformers and no-reformers' attitudes towards aesthetic education before the Republic of China with Zhang Zhidong, Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao as the representatives; (2) Cai Yuanpei's idea of aesthetic education used as opposing religion; (3) Mao Zedong's explanation for literature and art; (4)schools of art education; (5) modem schools of aesthetic education and their thought like the Comprehensive Aesthetic Education after the 1980's.The form of art curriculum was established before the Republic of China by the reformers through introducing western school system. The goal, contents and class hour of art curriculum were roughly completed by the time of Democracy of Capitalism under the influence of Cai's ideaabout aesthetic education, which lay the foundation of art curriculum. Instead of focusing on only class curriculum, Marxists intended to make the curriculum of aesthetic education closer to civilians and their lives through various activities emphasizing on class and political nature, thus showing the orientation of the future curriculum affected by aesthetic education. During the last twenty years of the 20*, some new ideas about aesthetic education like Educational Aesthetics and Comprehensive Aesthetic Education came into being due to the improvement of both material level and better understanding of aesthetic education. As a result, the schools of modern aesthetic education and their thought not only affect art curriculum but also all disciplines, curriculum embodying the value of aesthetic education and curriculum model of aesthetic education and its experiments, etc.The conclusions we draw from the analysis are: (1) the effect of schools of aesthetic education and their thought on curriculum is restricted by material level and government's decision making; (2) art curriculum were the first that were influenced by them and then the rest; and in the course of the influence the definition of aesthetic education has been improved to a more perfect one with its practices being developed correspondingly (3) the theory of aesthetic education and the definition of curriculum have been influencing each other and are mutually promotive.The first thing that we have to do is to establish an organization to bring into full play the directive function of aesthetic education. Then, the essence of aesthetic education should be paid attention to in school curriculum with a combination of the characteristics of both aesthetic education and curriculum. While aesthetic education is being put in practice, we must be fully aware of the development of curriculum so as to achieve the goal of education perfectly..