Studying On The Function Of Academies Of Hubei Province

The academy was the special education institution of ancient China. It cultivated a large number of talented people and had the function to transmit the knowledge and exert educational effect on the whole society, which had an important role in the educational history and social history. Emerging in North Song Dynasty and quitting the stage of history because of the reformation of the academy, the academy of Hubei province lasted nearly one thousand years.The academy was a place of many Confucian intellectuals and had the function to spread, accumulate, study and elucidate Confucianism. The preaching in academy was an important way to spread Confucianism and the basis of accumulation and researching. The preaching in academy of Hubei province began in North Song Dynasty, but we can know little about the preaching in academy of Hubei province in Song Dynasty due to the limited data. In Yuan Dynasty, the function of teaching of the academy of Hubei province got a further development. There were many people gave lectures in the academy of Hubei province including some masters. During that time, the lectures were based on Neo-Confucianism, which reflected the close relationship between teaching in academy and the evolution of the academic thoughts. It was a thriving age for teaching in academy of Hubei province In Ming Dynasty. During that time, many people gave lectures in academy of Hubei province and teaching content covered the main schools of Confucianism, but they gave priority to Yang-ming's Theory. In Qing Dynasty, the number of teachers in academy in Hubei province had a further increase, which reflected the prosperity of teaching in Academies of Hubei province. In the late Qing Dynasty, the content of lectures in academies of Hubei province not only had China's traditional knowledge but also had Western Learning. It was a period of change of the academic lectures, which reflected the transition from academy to school.The educational function of Hubei Academy was mainly reflected in four aspects, namely to imperial examinations to point to, service for imperial examinations; Moral cultivation, pay attention to the students' good moral character education and the cultivation of good behavior; practical knowledge of managing state affairs, pay attention to the cultivate students practical ability; Deliver knowledge, inherit Confucianism, develop Confucianism as well as spread Confucianism.The academies of Hubei province had the function to offer sacrifices to gods or ancestors in Song Dynasty and it gradually develop this function well in late dynasties. The academies of Hubei province had diverse ritual objects, a set of excellent and solemn sacrificial ceremony and the separate fee for religious sacrifice. The religious sacrifice in academies of Hubei province had diverse cultural connotations. It had the function to commend Confucius and other masters of Confucianism as well as advertise schools and reveal academic origins. Additionally, it was also the way to teach students both in Confucianism and Moral education.The academies of Hubei province collected books in Song Dynasties and they gradually developed this function well in late dynasties. These books which the academies of Hubei province collected covered Confucian classics, historical records, philosophical writings and miscellaneous works and the academies of Hubei province had some different ways to get these books. Besides, the academies of Hubei province had a complete library management system.The academies of Hubei province also had the social educational function. The academies of Hubei province had three main ways to exert educational effect on the whole society. One of the three ways was through teaching students to be men to set good examples that whole society could admire and learn from. One way was the teachers of academies of Hubei province to educate social members directly. One way the academies exert the educational effect on whole society is through the sacrificial activities.