In order to further study and implement new socialist ideology with Chinese characteristics and the important thoughts on education by General Secretary Xi Jinping, actively guide the majority of teachers to become teachers with "four good attributes" (namely ideals and faith, moral sentiment, solid knowledge, and kindness), further improve the quality of teachers, and increase their knowledge of theory and policy, the Open University of China (OUC) recently launched a teacher’s ethics training project with the theme of "Remain True to the Original Intention, Keep in Mind the Mission” for college teachers.
The training project was presented in multiple formats, at multiple levels, and with full coverage, according to the spirit of the document issued by the Ministry of Education and four other departments, Teacher Education Revitalisation Action Plan (2018 to 2022) (Teachers, No. 2, 2018). The first training was held from 12-16 November 2019. A total of 29 teachers from Chengdu Radio and TV University (Chengdu RTVU) and Liupanshui RTVU went to Jiangxi for a five-day teacher ethics training session.
The OUC’s teachers’ ethics training programme focuses on "Building Teachers’ Ethics, Shaping the Exemplary Role of Teachers, and Forging a New Soul for Teachers.” It was carried out through online training and offline research and learning. The online training focused on the key requirements of socialist core values for teachers' careers, the influence of the bottom line standards of laws and regulations on teachers' words and deeds, the impact of Chinese traditional culture on teachers’ moral cultivation, and the record of Gong Quanzhen's advanced educational deeds. Offline research and learning for backbone teachers were carried out through various teaching activities, such as lectures by famous teachers, interviews, visits to red education field areas (traditional revolutionary regions), teaching practice, and group study in red education field areas.
On 12 November, the opening ceremony for the training was held at the Jinggangshan branch of Gong Quanzhen Teachers Ethics Education College. Over the following days, the teachers visited Ma Yuan village, the hometown of Yuan Wencai, to experience the road taken by the Red Army and the challenges they faced along the way. They listened to a special class by Professor Liu Xiaonong, former director of the Jinggangshan Meeting Memorial Hall, entitled “The Jinggangshan Struggle and Jinggangshan Spirit.” The visit the Jinggangshan revolutionary martyrs cemetery and bowed to the immortal revolutionary martyrs and presented flowers to the martyrs. They visited a Chinese heritage revolution history museum, the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Museum, where they visited the memorial hall of Martyr Liu Renkan, the exhibition hall of the deeds of Gan Zuchang and Gong Quanzhen, and Huatang official hall. They visited the old houses where Gan Zuchang and Gong Quanzhen used to live in and held an interview with the theme of "Never Forget Your Original Heart and Inherit Teachers’ Ethics" in the teaching centre of Gong Quanzhen Teachers’ Ethics Education College. Finally, they visited Anyuan Road and Mine Workers Movement Memorial Hall and learned about the Anyuan Railroad and Mine Workers Movement.
Through the training, the teachers learned that they should hold firm in their beliefs, always maintain their true intentions, and study the fearless spirit and dedication of the revolutionary martyrs. “As a teacher of the people, we should learn about the morality of teachers from Gong Quanzhen, devote ourselves to education with complete enthusiasm, and strive to be a good teacher with four good attributes in the new era, so as to contribute to the education of the people and provide a solid and powerful teaching guarantee for college education.”
By Yang Ying and Meng Jia, OUC