영조대 만민 교육 이념의 실천과 동몽의례

Abstract

This article examines the extraordinary practices of King Yeong-jo to rebuild the educational tradition that began during the reign of King Jung-jong, when even commoners were subject to public education and education was emphasized from childhood. The memory of active childhood education in Joseon ceased in the late 17th century. Teachers who taught children had only 3-15 students to teach, and teaching was seen as a pathway to higher government positions. Because of the mix of children of different statuses, the low trust in teachers, and the fact that the children of higher status and wealthier families were ashamed to go to teachers in public schools to learn, the state-built schools stagnated. King Yeongjo first attempted to reinstate the Dongmong-Yekang(童蒙禮講). The Dongmong-Yekang was a system for checking whether the education of children practiced by instructors is going well. Each instructor would come to Department of Education(Yejo, 禮曹) with the children they taught, and they would be tested on memorization and writing. Even after the restoration of the Yekang, the negative atmosphere toward state-run children’s schools did not improve, so Yeongjo held public classes with teachers and children inside the palace. A total of 41 ceremonies were held between 1757 and 1775. The special ceremonies led by the king gave special significance to Education for Children, creating an atmosphere where young students would go to Dongmong instructors to learn. King Yeongjo’s rituals to promote children’s education continued during the reign of King Jeongjo. Although many commoners were still uneducated, the ideal of enrollment to educate all the people for the betterment of society and the nation was not abandoned and remained a challenge for the Joseon people in the 19th century.