義和團 사건 후 京師大學堂의 정지와 再開

Abstract

The Imperial University(京師大學堂), a symbol of Wu-xu Reform(戊戌改革), survived the coup opening on the 18th of January in 1899. However, the life of the university was vulnerable in the face of the condemnations against its poor management and demands for its abolition. Although the university had been permitted to exist and had got the chance to innovate itself through the aid of minister of education, Sun Jia-nai(孫家鼐) who had protected the university by means of resignation, it was doomed to suspension because of the Boxer Rebellion(義和團) in July 1900. However, after the Boxer Rebellion in Januaary 1902 Ch'ing government ordered to reopen the Imperial University in the tendency of educational revolution in which Baguwen(八股文) was abolished in the state examination(Ke-ju) and shu-wien were reformed into modern schools, and appointed the minister of law Zhang Bai-xi(張百熙) as minister of education. An enlightened official Zhang Bai-xi made preparations to reopen the Imperial University. And W.A.P. Martin who had been in charge of western subjects tried to found out western teachers who had taught before suspension. However, as soon as he found out them, there happened some troubles in regard with their wages unpaid during 15 months since suspension and their legal status. An extreme tension between two assertions was maintained for a while, with western teachers arguing that the unpayment of their wage was due to the conditions of the university and minister of education arguing that he could not pay the wages because they did not work for the time. Then western teachers asked Chinese department of foreign affairs to solve the problem. This conflicts ended with the resignation of all western teachers. After this Chinese modern education was inclined to model after Japanese educational system rather than western system. Zhang's report of Feb. 13th 1902 about plan for administration of the Imperial University was a blue-print for its future. The establishment of preparatory courses for the unqualified students and short courses for the officials to learn modern subjects was planned and it was an outstanding change in the organization of the university. On the 15th of August, 1902, Zhang drafted the ‘Authorized School Regulation(欽定學堂章程)’ or ‘Ren-Yin Educational system(壬寅學制)’, which was already included in Feb. 13th's report. And the Imperial University Regulation was made concrete and extended from Feb. 13th's report. Although "Authorized School Regulation existed for just a short time before it was replaced by Presented School Regulation in 1904, it was an active one on which modern schools were established and the above-mentioned preparatory courses and short courses of the Imperial University were founded. After well-organized smooth preparations for the reopening of the university with the financial helps of many provinces, the Imperial University was able to open the short courses with the newly selected students on the 17th of Dec. 1902. The university of the time had a very obvious limit, because the preparatory courses which would make the school a real university could not open. However, the historical meaning of the establishment of short courses could not be devalued, because it was the first large step toward future Beijing University.