유경당(兪慶棠)의 민중교육론(民衆敎育論) 고찰(考察)

Yu Qingtang(兪慶棠, 1897-1949) intended to change the framework and contents of traditional education by adopting progressive pragmatist education, prevailing trend in western education. Recognizing the reality of China, priority should be given to dissemination of education itself, as the change of traditional education to modern education. Therefore, she focused on efforts to bring various experiments and experiences outside the institution into institutional systems for flexible institutional changes that would expand more educational opportunities. Yu''s generally cooperation with Nationalist Revolution and her participation in Nanjing national government as the Director of the Social Education Department of Shanghai Education Bureau enabled administrative support including educational expenses which lead to remarkable achievements in the construction of numerous public education institutions in Jiangsu Province and in the implementation of public education throughout the country. However, she experienced conflict with the government in the process of conducting more professional and scientific research and experiments through the activities with the Jiangsu Provincial College of Education and the College of Education in Shanghai. In addition, based on the idea of saving country by education, she opposed nonresistant policy and cooperated beyond political faction in anti-Japanese movement. She prioritized the national mission of education, such as organizing and supporting production activities as a rear base in the anti-Japanese war. Because she put forward the realization of the public education, she participated in the Political and Economic Cooperative Council as a representative of the education system and became the president of the social education department of the central people''s government education department in 1949. Being a woman on her own, Yu Qingtang was well aware of the issues of women education and children development. Women''s education has to be expanded from urban women education to rural women, and it should be oriented toward practical vocational education. Since the actual producers of China, such as workers and farmers, who were self-sufficient and autonomous would bring about social changes and progress, Yu insisted through her public education theory that the range of beneficiaries of education should be expanded to embrace every Chinese. This is not merely composed of the theoretical aspect, but it was carried out through practical experiments and surveys in the area of Jiangsu Province, as well as the activities of the Chinese social education institute through nationwide and global networks.