Research On Missionary Primary Schools In Modern China (1840-1937)

The history of missionary work was in close touch with the history of modern China. The missionary work and the work of running schools were complementary to each other. The missionary school was product of semi-colonial and semi-feudal country and was the part of education system in modern China. It was a private education system which was established by church group or churchman himself and was recognized by government and non-government people. The missionary schools included missionary university, missionary middle school and missionary primary school. Missionary primary school was an organic part of religious education system in modern China and the main place of primary missionary work. Although missionary primary school had deep religious color and penetration of western cultures and values, it was in great contrast with the traditional primary school of China in many sides such as educational provision system, curriculum setting, teaching materials editing and translating, teaching methods, teachers training, teaching management and so on. As the enlighten school of new education in modern society, it played a positive role in the change from traditional education to new education of modern China, establishment and development of middle schools and universities, formation of scientific education thoughts and Chinese and western cultural exchanges. Now, the research on religious education is concentrated in missionary middle schools and missionary universities, by contrast, the number of research on missionary primary schools is less. In view of the basic position of religious education system and its irreplaceable role in development of new education of modern China, this paper gives a simple analysis and evaluation of its development course from 1840——1937 in modern society, teaching situation such as curriculum setting,teaching materials choice, teaching methods, teacher's level, and the influence on modern society in order to fix the position in modern society correctly, master the development of missionary primary schools history, evaluate the effects and influence that the missionary primary schools on modern society objectively.