Gao Yang's Concept On Improving The Life Of People

Gao Yang(1892-1943)was a famous social educator in the 1920 s and 1930 s.Starting from 1930,he established and long-term hosted the first university of China which concentrated on cultivating talents of the public education ——Educational College of Jiangsu Province.Gao Yang adhered to the implementation of the public education should focus on improving popular lives,there was a close relationship between his self-contained improvement view of people's lives and individual education experience,the influence of contemporary rural construction party and the reference of western experience about “Education remoulds Society”.Gao Yang sincerely believed in the idea “Education saves Country” and tried to start from the improvement of popular lives to achieve the purpose “The renaissance of the Chinese Nation”,developing a common way of saving country through education.Gao Yang's concept of improving people's lives had clear problem consciousness,in short,he would increase the improvement of people's lives to the height of saving the nation from subjugation in modern times,and thought “the centre of the politics is the people's livelihood”.He associated the improvement of people's lives with national prosperity and strength,thought the improvement of people's lives must focus on changing embarrassed livelihood of the public;he considered the improvement of people's lives together with enhancing of national quality,thought the key to enhance the national quality is changing backward concept of livelihood.Based on the thinking logic above,Gao Yang has formed the basic train of thought about the improvement of people's lives.Proceeding from China's basic national conditions,Gao Yang fully realized the importance of peasant problem on improving people's lives,attaching great importance to the improvement of villagers' living.He adhered to the basic principle of “Teaching one to fish”,dedicated to helping people,meanwhile,prompting people to achieve self-reliance eventually.Gao Yang specially emphasized,the improvement of people's lives should meet the needs of the people,adjusting measures according to local conditions,proper occasions and circumstances,improving the effectiveness of modification and efficiency.In the basic items which confirmed by Gao Yang about the improvement of people's living,on the one hand,each item had its necessity,on the other hand,he emphasized the connection between each other,or we could say that Gao Yang's improved concepts of people's lives were sui generis.As for the specific ways to improve the people's lives,for example,raising the funds,training of service personnel and “Pay attention to practice” place social experiment,etc.According to the social and historical conditions at that time,Gao Yang carried out many practical guidance.Gao Yang's career about the improvement of farmers' lives,in the side of reality of social problems,it was both reasonable and necessary,not only without conflict with political revolution,but also “mutual promotion and support”,it demonstrated the features of social transformation which deserved specialized discussion.