Identify Oneself With Supporting Education

Abstract: Zhang Yuanji(1867-1959) was an active educationalist in publishing and education area in China modern times. With the aim to save the nation, he devoted all his life to the Chinese educational publishing undertakings, actively engaging in publishing to promote education in China, introducing new trends of thoughts of education around the world, bringing in a world view to the people, when he was young, he ever presided over Nan Yang Translation College, introducing the "fresh water" from western theories, setting up the Diplomatic Newspaper to cultivate the people's awareness. Later, he transferred to Commerce Publishing Bureau, editing and publishing new types of schoolbooks, transmitting new education theory. During the May Four Period, he published many academic books and magazines, promoting the development of New Culture Campaign. He successively set up many education organizations to put his education ideals into practice, such as the Shang Gong primary school, the primary normal seminar class, correspondence school etc. And he was the first one in Chinese modern times to set up correspondence education. Zhang Yuanji's thoughts of saving the country by education was best embodied by his celebrity education claim, subject education claim, civilian education claim, education for independence claim, civic virtues education claim, the claim of promoting the transmission of Chinese culture by promoting communication between China and the western. With the constant progress of society and education's vigorous development, giving proper evaluation to Mr. Zhang Yuanji's status in the education history in China modern times will help the publishing circle to recognize properly the supportive function of publishing on education and will also help the education circle to reflect the problems in education deeply. His claim of "the way to be strong and prosperous lies in education ""it's our duty to support education ""publishing will help the most civilian" "enlightening education is the essence of education" "education should not be noblized, but should be pauperized, not urbanized but countrylized, not westernized but nativilized" "keep the model of forefather, save the national's spirit from damage" etc. can still be used for references these days.