ABSTRACT
Chinese traditional education was dominated by the imperial examination system, which had roots in the 2nd century B.C., became fully institutionalised in the Tang dynasty, and continued to operate until 1905. Most studies of modern China emphasise the aspect of change more than that of continuity in the immediate post-Revolution period. The Yanan style of education was forged in conscious reaction to western education systems which had been imposed on China for some decades with uneven success. The university, often regarded as the pride and flower of western learning, had no parallel in the educational patterns of traditional China and over and over it has proven a subversive institution in the Chinese context. To sum up, in traditional China the central focus of the curriculum was on the principles and techniques of good government, derived from the classical canons and demonstrated in action in the practical work of government.
