A Study Of The Influences Of Imperial Examination On Official Education In Song Dynasty

During the 300 years' development of Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Imperial Examination System of Song Dynasty had been being replenishment and going to be completed. The attention of Song government to the imperial examination made it a strong influence on the aspects of the society. It's obviously, the imperial exams based on the educational system, and the public school as an important part of Song's education, had closely linkage with imperial examination system, therefore,the imperial exam' influences on official education were so deeply and widely.By Song government's encouragement, learning knowledge and accepting the education had been one of the main social values for the Song's people. But the negative consequences that it brought people not really knowledge, but the seeking benefits by the exams. Reading and learning for looking for the opportunities to be an official had been the common phenomenon. With the changing of the Imperial Examination System in the later of Song dynasty, the exam system had facing the lots of cases, such as it had been abolished and restored in different periods. By these reasons, the public education was facing the kinds of problems and had various situations in different historical times, for examples, the early Songs public education was so weak, so as the people launched the "Three Times Movements" for advocating the public education, but the depression still lasted to Southern Song period. The examine system affected all aspect of the society during that time. The student entrance to schools or upgrades all depended on the imperial exams. One of the important rules was the educational official must be selected by the imperial exams and those officials had to passed the similar exams like the imperial exams. In addition, the teaching contexts of the educational officials had to follow the imperial exams.The emergence of "Su Hu teaching method" was the good example of the results of the imperial exams, and its achievements focused on the students rate of passing the imperial exams. In all, the influences of the Imperial Education System in Song dynasty were diverse and profound.