Forum harks back to classics

Traditional Chinese education experts gathered at Beijing Normal University to promote the reading and reciting of classical literature at campus last weekend.

The two-day forum invited scholars from Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland to share their views on traditional culture and education with students, calling on the younger generations to read classical literature and absorb positive energy from the ancient sages including Confucius.

Chinese students before the 20th century attended private schools where they studied by reading and repeating the classics.

"Our traditional way was gradually abandoned in the last century, but we found it very effective and useful, following the nature of human beings," said Hsu Duan, one of the founders of the reviving classical education from Taiwan.

Hsu began reading and reciting classical literature in her own family and neighborhood 30 years ago. As her children grew up, she established some private schools to promote her methods in the 1990s.

"The traditional education strengthens students' memories, and they will benefit from it throughout their life," Hsu told the Global Times. "We need the skill to memorize and recite to become a lawyer or a doctor."

Classical Chinese literature has permanent value for society, believed Wang Lijun, vice director of the Chinese department at Beijing Normal University. "People need to go back to the original content rather than reading the notes taken by later generations or learning the paraphrasing from others," Wang said.

Educator Zhang Xiangtong told the Global Times her organization is cooperating with the Beijing Normal University on training more educators in traditional teaching.

"We are talking to the university to add some courses for students in all semesters," said Zhang, chairman of the Beijing Jinglun Culture Communication Company.

"And we could offer a one-year internship to those students at private schools to make this educational method happen. This is what we're going to do, and the training for teachers is very important."

China has more than 1,000 private schools promoting reading and reciting the classics, Zhang said, mostly in first-tier cities. After finishing courses at these schools, teenagers can then take their college exams.