Cultural Revolution in China

Effects of the Cultural Revolution on China’s education system
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Effect of the Cultural Revolution on China’s education system
Introduction
Cultural Revolution of China was typified by mass mobilization of young Chinese citizens. It was launched by Mao Zedong as he strived to stop the development of a bureaucratized Communism similar to the one in the Soviet Union. He closed educational institutions and urged pupils to join Red Guard groups, which tortured and denunciated intellectuals and educators; facilitated extensive relocations; put in force Zedong’s cult of personality; and engaged in far-reaching burnings of books (Ge, 2015). This research paper delves into the subject of Cultural Revolution in China and seeks to gain an understanding of the impacts of the Cultural Revolution on China. Specifically, this research paper is focused on how this revolution affected students and educational institutions in China. The research question is: What was the effect of the Cultural Revolution on China’s education system?
Overview of the Cultural Revolution of China
The Cultural Revolution was basically a mayhem that Mao Zedong launched in his final 10 years in power from the year 1966 to the year 1976 for the purpose of renewing the spirit of the Chinese Revolution. Mao Zedong feared that his country would develop and become like the Soviet Union, and was disturbed and apprehensive about his own place in history (Lynn, 2014). He therefore threw the cities of China into chaos and mayhem in a colossal effort to reverse the historical processes in progress. In essence, the Communist leader of China, Mao Zedong, instigated what came to be referred to as the Cultural Revolution so that he can reassert his authority over the Government of China (Zhu, 2014). Mao believed that the then Communist leaders in China were taking the country as well as the Communist Party itself in the wrong direction. Therefore, he called on Chinese youth to remove or cleanse the tainted elements of the Chinese society and revitalize the spirit of revolution which had led to victory during the civil war 200 years before and the formation of the Chinese nation (Aihe, 2014). It is worth mentioning that the Cultural Revolution went on in different stages until the year 1976 when Mao Zedong died, and its brutal and tormented legacy would continue resonating in the society and politics of China for several decades to come. The Cultural Revolution can as well be described as the point in time when Red Guards – young Chinese citizens – fought against the democratic society. A lot of rewards and much respect were given to the Red Guards. As such, Mao Zedong was able to gather scores of student volunteers (MacFarquhar & Schoenhals, 2009).
School and college students were advised to go back to the fundamental ideology and values of the revolutionary movement. In addition, the youth of China were encouraged to criticize the liberals in the Communist Party of China as well as those that were influenced by the Soviet Union leader Nikita Khruschev. Universities, schools, and colleges were seen as being very academic, and thus, very exclusive and limited (Yiching, 2014). Mao Zedong...