When Li Zhiyun approached several officials of the Imperial College and told them about the elementary school he planned, the officials looked at each other in confusion.
Kong Yingda, who was then a doctor of the Imperial College, asked: "Your Highness, please tell me what are the specific explanations for this academic year system and entrance exams?"
Li Zhiyun explained: "This school year system is divided into three years in primary school. Children can enter school as first-grade students when they are five years old at the earliest and eight years old at the latest. At the end of each year, an entrance examination is held.
You must pass every subject before you can be promoted to the next grade, a second-grade primary school student, and so on."
Kong Yingda asked again: "What about after three years of elementary school?"
"A five-year middle school system will be set up, and each subject will be gradually deepened. Of course, the entrance examination for middle school grades will be more stringent. Then, in order to build the first university in the Tang Dynasty, anyone who enters the university from elementary school, middle school, or entrance examination can freely
If you choose the discipline of writing, it will not count. The university system is tentatively scheduled for four years."
Although the concept Li Zhiyun mentioned was very novel, Kong Yingda was engaged in education, and he quickly thought of the scene of a hundred schools of thought contending during the Warring States Period.
"Your Highness wants to rebuild Jixia Academy?"
"No." Li Zhiyun said: "The first university in the Tang Dynasty, students can freely choose the direction of study. For example, literature and history, military formation, and agricultural planning are not the theories of one school or one school. Anyone who is a great teacher is
He is a man of profound literary talent, just like you, and he is proficient in arithmetic, and he is like a famous general in the world."
With this explanation, the officials of the Imperial College somewhat understood.
Your Royal Highness, this is about reforming the education system.
Although they still don't quite understand the specific operating rules of primary schools, middle schools, and universities, listening to the prince's explanation does not prevent them from thinking about what kind of people these students who graduate from Datang University will be like in the future.
For example, as a student of literature and history, all the teachers who teach are from the Imperial Academy.
If you are a military student, the teachers who teach you are all famous generals in the world.
In this way, educational resources will be concentrated as never before, and what students will learn will be more extensive.
Kong Yingda asked cautiously: "May I ask, Your Highness, who is in charge of this elementary school, middle school, and university?"
Li Zhiyun chuckled and said: "Mr. Kong will be the principal of Chang'an Primary School. The principal of the middle school is undecided for the time being. I will make a decision after seeing your results. As for the principal of the university, I will let you do it for me."
Hearing this, Kong Yingda was a little disappointed. He thought he could serve as the future president of Datang University.
Immediately, Li Zhiyun continued: "The address of Chang'an Primary School is tentatively determined to be the Imperial College. Enrollment will begin in February. Before that, you should compile the study materials well and give a benchmark. From the first grade to the third grade, we should start from the shallower to the deeper.
, from easy to difficult.”
"Yes." Everyone responded.
Even if Li Zhiyun didn't tell them so, they would still do it. After all, elementary school is obviously a bit like children's elementary school. However, Chang'an Elementary School has a lot to learn.
The news that His Royal Highness the Prince had opened Chang'an Primary School spread quickly among the government and the public. At the same time, the teachers who taught various subjects gradually became known.
Kong Yingda, Yu Shinan, Su Xu, Su Shichang, Lu Deming, etc.
The reputations of these officials, either officials in the government or sages in the opposition, continued to grow as the news spread.
Soon, they heard the news again.
The saint's descendants, as well as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's eldest son Cheng Jing, eldest daughter Li Shun'er, and legitimate daughter Li Ruyi will also enroll in school.
Moreover, the prince specially ordered that all children enrolled in school are male and female, but if they fail the annual entrance examination, they must leave the elementary school!
Although the entrance examination is very strict, who wouldn’t be tempted by such educational resources?
Let me give you an example. Lu Deming, an old man from the south, has a well-known literary reputation in both the north and the south. Normally, the dignitaries in Chang'an would like to have their children join his family, but the old man Lu Deming would ignore it. Now, because of an order from His Highness the Crown Prince, Chang'an Primary School was opened, and Lu Deming
As a teacher, he has to teach even if he doesn’t teach!
Ask Lu Deming to educate his children, only a fool would refuse!
As for why Lu Deming readily agreed to be a primary school teacher, it was definitely not because someone gave Mr. Lu twenty kilograms of rice paper.
Well, Old Man Lu is a man of integrity.
Some people felt that it was inappropriate for men and women to attend school together and wrote to Li Zhiyun, requesting that girls not be allowed to enter school. Li Zhiyun did not agree, but announced the next day that after entering middle school, it would be divided into boys' and girls' schools.
The man asked again, what about going to university?
Li Zhiyun was a little annoyed by his question and told him angrily, if a woman could be admitted to university, wouldn't she be a talented woman in the world?
Shouldn't talented women be allowed to contribute to our cultural undertakings in the Tang Dynasty?
So, the man stopped talking.
Because that person was the censor, and he just jumped out to make a presence known. He didn't want to make the prince unhappy and cause trouble for himself.
In the Tang Dynasty, the status of women was not low, and there were many people who were exposed outside. However, men and women were ultimately different. It was with this in mind that Li Zhiyun decided to divide middle schools into boys' and girls' schools.
Of course, Li Zhiyun has no expectations for a girls' school.
Because he felt that most people would not allow their daughters to study all the time. According to the custom of the Tang Dynasty, girls who entered middle school were all over ten years old, and they were afraid that they would get engaged as soon as they graduated from middle school.
Soon, the time came to February.
Wubenfang is where the Imperial College is located.
The old four-door primary school has a new plaque with the words "Chang'an Primary School" written on it. I heard that these four words were inscribed by His Royal Highness the Prince himself.
Quite cool!
Two old men, Lu Deming and Kong Yingda, stood on the left and right.
Many dignitaries brought their children to school, and some people approached Lu Deming and Kong Yingda to get close. However, these two old men looked down at the enrollment form and paid little attention to others.
It's not that the enrollment form is so novel, but that the paper used for this form is rice paper.
In Lu Deming's view, His Highness the Crown Prince is simply insulting and wasting things. Instead of writing poems or articles on such a good piece of paper, it is actually used to make an enrollment form. What a waste!
Fortunately, I still have twenty kilograms of rice paper at home, so forget it.
Just as he was praising the paper, he heard a noise.
"What, you don't accept a nine-year-old child, what do you mean, you look down on me, Mrs. Zhang, right?"
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has regulations that only children between the ages of five and eight are admitted. Your son is over the age and cannot be admitted," the teacher in charge of registration replied.
"I don't care, you must let my son go in to study today." The man started to act up.
Lu Deming sneered, walked over, opened his mouth and spat, without even using a single curse word. He spat the man to shame and ran away in disgrace.
Kong Yingda glanced at Lu Deming and nodded slightly.
That’s right, we haven’t lost the reputation of our Imperial College.
Not long after, Li Zhiyun also came to the scene with several children.
But I saw the three children, Li Chengjing, Li Shuner, and Li Ruyi, neatly dressed and carrying small schoolbags that Li Zhiyun specially asked their mother to sew.
Walking forward, Li Zhiyun and Lu Deming said hello.
"Sir, that paper is not bad."
"Ahem." Lu Deming whispered: "Thank you for the reward, Your Highness."
The existence of rice paper can be called the greatest weapon of literati.
Facts have proved that honest scholars can also be bribed, the key is to use the right method.
Li Zhiyun had already asked the workshop to make the rice paper.
Immediately, several children came forward and bowed in unison: "I have seen you, sir."
"I don't dare, please get up, Your Highnesses." Lu Deming hurriedly helped up several children.
Li Zhiyun said: "Since they have entered school, if they slack off in their studies in the future, you can punish them yourself, sir, there is no need to worry."