Moral education in China: The struggle between liberal and traditional approaches

With the understanding that moral education is interpreted as both ideological and political education in China, this chapter looks at the ideopolitical emphases in government moral education documents since the adoption of the open policy in 1978. The analysis focuses on three particular aspects, namely (1) the changing perception of the role of moral education, (2) the changing emphasis of what moral education should achieve, and (3) how such changes of emphases reflect the changing social and political circumstances in China. The chapter argues that government documents on moral education can be a significant indicator for tracking social transition in China. Copyright © 2001 Comparative Education Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong.