영국 교육 체제에 대한 청말 사신들의 기록과 개혁 담론

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the impact of the Western educational system on the educational reforms in late Qing China by analyzing the travel diaries of Qing envoys who observed and recorded the educational system in 19th-century Britain. During the late Qing period, China faced external pressure from Western powers and internal demands for reform. In response, Chinese envoys were sent to Western countries to observe and learn from their institutions and practices. Among these envoys, individuals like Guo Songdao, Yu Xuehong, Zhang Deyi, Wang Tao, Ye Xiaochang, and Xue Fucheng closely observed the British educational system and documented their findings in their travel diaries. The paper focuses on the practical, systematic, universal, and socially inclusive aspects of the British educational system that these envoys observed, and it discusses how these experiences led them to critically reassess the traditional Chinese educational system and recognize the need for reform. The study highlights the stark contrast between the British emphasis on practical, vocational, and technical education, which was closely linked to industrialization, and the more literary and examination-oriented approach of the Chinese system. The paper also analyzes the specific reform proposals made by the envoys, such as the establishment of new educational institutions modeled after those in the West. This study reveals that the insights and proposals of these envoys, based on their experiences with the British educational system, laid the groundwork for significant educational reforms in modern China. Although their proposed reforms were not fully implemented due to the political and social constraints of the time, their records significantly influenced the discourse on educational reform in China. Moreover, the paper argues that the educational theories and proposals of the late Qing envoys continue to offer relevant insights for contemporary education policy and philosophy.