Xiangxue in Western Zhou Dynasty was mainly ruled by Da Situ. He is not only person in charge of local civil affairs, but also person in charge of local educational affairs. Officials such as junior Situ, city teacher, local doctor, governor, and Danzheng, under administration of big Situ, are also heads of educational institutions at all levels.

Teaching staff of a rural school

The goal of education in country is to prepare children to become excellent officials and soldiers at all levels. Education and politics are inseparable. In sinology assessment system, this is associated with assignment of official titles. After graduation, Xiao Xu, Da Xu, Xiao Lezheng and others are going to evaluate students. For those who are not qualified, they will be first educated, and if they do not listen to re-education, they will be exiled. For those who excel in evaluation, they must be added to ranks. According to Book of Rites, those who are selected through evaluation are called "Jinshi" and list is given by Zhou Tianzi. Finally, through Sima to see refinement of talents, and then determine their official ranks, and finally, “talk to king, and then decide, decide, and then make an official; appoint an official, and then repair him. ; position, and then pay him."

Rural studies also have corresponding scores. At first, survey was led by a local doctor, and prominent ones were named "Xu Shi" and "Selected Scholars". These outstanding talents were then presented to Situ, and Situ selected most outstanding to enter a university called junshi. Those who did not pass test, Situ asked local elders to enlighten. If they continue to remain same, their educational qualifications will be reduced and they will even be educated by Sui outside suburbs. If you still don't listen to it at end, it is banished and never used again.

Confucius said: "If you study well, you will be an official." Already under Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, fate of educated was connected with a service career and a service career. The difference from later ones is that education during Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties was monopolized by state, and after Spring and Autumn periods and Warring States, by private participation. But in any case, in end, it is necessary to follow path of a “service career”, an open country. This is goal and only way.

The ancients summarized educational content of Western Zhou Dynasty as "six arts", i.e. rites, music, archery, imperialism, calligraphy, and mathematics. In fact, education in antiquity was by no means limited to these six basic subjects, for example, ancients also taught knowledge of criminal law, agriculture and divination. For ease of discussion, editor summarizes content of Xia, Shang, and Zhou's education as moral education, basic skills training, religious ritual and music education, and military education.

Six art

The first thing to put in first place is moral education. The word "learning" in education comes from "filial piety". Confucius said: “Filial piety is foundation of virtue, and root of learning is life.” In other words, the ancients believed that most basic moral concept was filial piety. In filial piety, offspring will obey their father's wishes, obey their father's orders, and inherit his career. The moral ideas of Zhou people about benevolence, righteousness, fidelity and faith, based on filial piety, also became an important content of moral education. In Xiangxue of Western Zhou Dynasty, Da Situ "taught people six virtues", namely knowledge, benevolence, wisdom, righteousness, fidelity, and harmony; The Western Zhou Dynasty promoted "governing country by virtue", which shows that moral education has an important place in education of Western Zhou Dynasty.

Basic skills and general knowledge education, which is content of education that ordinary students should receive at stage of primary education. Calligraphy (calligraphy) and mathematics (arithmetic) in Six Arts refer to this kind of education. Xu Shen said, "Zhou Li entered elementary school at age of eight, and Bao family taught country's sons six books at first." Judging by inscriptions on bones of oracle, education in calligraphy and mathematics already existed in Shang Dynasty, not to mention Western Zhou Dynasty. Hanshu reports that during reign of King Zhou Xuan there were already books on calligraphy for children. It is recorded in "Zhou Li" that arithmetic education in Western Zhou Dynasty is basically "Nine Numbers", that is, fantian (land area calculation), corn (proportional exchange problem), difference (proportional distribution problem), Shaoguang (square root ). in volume calculation) ), commercial value (engineering calculation), average loss (corvee transportation and distribution), equation, insufficient gain (hypothetical method) and side effects (Pythagorean theorem). This knowledge of "nine numbers" laid foundation for later "Nine Chapters on Arithmetic". In addition to calligraphy and arithmetic, knowledge of agriculture and animal husbandry, land and minerals are most basic content of education.

The inscription "Sanshi Pang" in bronze inscriptions of Western Zhou Dynasty

The ancients believed in ghosts and gods and relied on their superstitions to formulate a system of religious etiquette to deify ruling position. Therefore, religious education in Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties was not separated from ritual and musical education. During Xia and Shang dynasties, people respected heaven and ghosts, so religious atmosphere of ritual and music education was very majestic. In addition to teaching poetry, playing musical instruments and dancing, divination, sacrifices, etc. were also necessary. During Western Zhou Dynasty, concept of "respect for heaven and man" was promoted, and system of rituals and music was reformed so that religious content in rituals and music was reduced and norms of etiquette were improved. The ancients believed that these etiquette norms not only support hierarchy of nobles, but also have a moral effect on children. The Book of Rites says: “Where three kings teach sons, they should use etiquette and music. Music is meant to develop on inside, etiquette is meant to develop on outside. In addition, ceremony and music are intertwined in middle and released from outside, so they are also very successful, respectful and gentle.” Etiquette training in Western Zhou Dynasty mainly included auspicious rituals, cruel rituals, military rituals, guest rituals, and laudatory rituals, collectively referred to as "five rituals".

Xia, Shang and Zhou were era of aristocratic rule. The nobles did not have to engage in industrial activities, but they had to engage in military activities. At that time, nobles were called "nationals" because they mostly lived in cities. They wanted to use military to rule and control "savages" with a large population. Therefore, one of main duties of Chinese people is to "defend country by war," so military training is a necessary education. Archery (archery) and driving (driving) in Six Arts are military training. In Western Zhou Dynasty, there were five standards of archery training, namely "Bai Shi" (shooting through target), Shen Lian (three arrows in a row), Yan Zhu (shooting at target, high neck and low arrowhead). ), Xiangchi (competition of humility, if emperor and his ministers are on same field, ministers need to step back on one foot), Jing Yi (release four arrows to form a well). There are also five driving skills called "Five Imperials", namely: Ming and Luan (stability test), Zhushuiqu (curve driving), Guojunbiao (accurate passage through bottlenecks), and Wujiaoyuqu (handling test). left (drives animals well to left so that monarch can shoot and hunt). But in fact, military education goes far beyond archery and defense.

According to this educational content, civilians also do not have right to receive education. For example, books in ancient times were mainly bamboo and wooden planks, and writing tools were knives and pens. These materials are very heavy and expensive, and only nobles can make them, and earliest books are only in national archives, so situation is that "only officials have books, but people do not have books." Both ceremonial and musical education, and military education required products from precious bronze that civilians could not make, which led to phenomenon that "only officials have weapons, but people do not." Therefore, main reason for peculiarities and limitations of education of Xia, Shang and Zhou was relatively low productivity. During Spring and Autumn period and Warring States Period, with development of productive forces, this trend of official and academic monopoly was broken, leading to cultural flourishing of "hundred schools of thought."