清末各省大学堂与现代中国大学的缘起

1901年9月,清廷应两广总督陶模奏请,谕令各省设大学堂,前因虽是戊戌变法期间康有为倡言在省会改书院为高等中学,却是混淆专门学的高等学与大学,令疆臣们进退维谷。袁世凯率先想出挂羊头卖狗肉之策,以大学的名义办中小学的正斋、备斋,化两难为两便。各省争相跟进,纷纷效法,上演了一出君臣之间心照不宣的闹剧。壬寅、癸卯学制拨乱反正,重回各省高等学堂的轨道。不过,作为普通学向专门学的过渡,来自日本特有的高等学堂究竟应该是一省教育的最高学府,还是大学堂的预科,直到民初仍然聚讼纷纭,摇摆不定。而各方就此展开的争论,对于时下平衡基础教育与高等教育的衔接,仍有借鉴作用。

Provincial Universities in the Late Qing Dynasty and the Origin of Modern University in China

In September of 1901,in response to the request of Tao Mo,governor-general of Guangdong and Guangxi,the emperor’s court gave orders for provincial universities to be established.Although motivated by Kang Youwei’s suggestion to change traditional academies into high schools,the emperor’s court’s orders created confusion between higher specialized schools and universities,which placed provincial governors in a dilemma.Yuan Shikai came up with a solution and began to run new primary and secondary schools in the name of university.Other provincial governors followed his lead.The 1902-1903 school system prohibited such abnormal practices and reinstituted the establishment of provincial high schools.However,the question arose during the transition from general education to specialized education,should the provincial high school serve as the highest educational institution of a province or as a preparatory school for university?There was no agreement until the beginning of the Republic of China.Arguments of both sides can still be our reference in balancing basic education and higher education nowadays.