Hu Shi on Education

Authored by Hu Shi (1891-1962)-a leading figure of China's New Culture Movement and a lifelong advocate for educational reform-this essential collection, masterfully translated by Zhang Hui, brings together Hu's most influential essays, speeches, and proposals on education. Spanning compulsory education, secondary and higher education, family education, women's education, study abroad policies, and the art of reading and scholarship, the book presents Hu's core belief that education is the foundation of a modern, democratic, and scientifically minded nation.

Hu Shi championed vernacular language teaching, critical thinking, and the cultivation of independent personality. He advocated for educational freedom, women's access to universities, and a pragmatic approach to learning grounded in evidence and doubt. Written over four decades, these texts remain remarkably relevant to contemporary debates on educational reform, student autonomy, and the role of universities in society.

Essential reading for educators, historians of modern China, and anyone interested in the intellectual foundations of China's educational transformation.