对通识教育有关概念的辨析

An analysis of some concepts about general education

通识教育在国际高等教育界一直倍受瞩目,发达国家积累了丰富的实施通识教育的经验,国内一些大学也在进行积极的尝试。虽然目前我国教育界大都赞同在大学(特别是综合性研究型大学)本科实施通识教育,但不论是理论界还是实践界对通识教育及其相关概念的理解不仅不一致,而且很模糊。因此,有必要对通识教育的定义及其与专才教育、自由教育、人文教育、素质教育、专业教育以及通选课和公共课等概念之间的区别和联系进行辨析。

General education has been the focus of attention in the international higher education for a long time. Advanced countries have accumulated a lot of experiences in this field, and some universities in China have actively undertaken experiments in recent years. Although it is commonly agreed that universities （especially comprehensive research universities） need to implement general education in the undergraduate study, people＇s understanding of general education and related concepts are not only different but also unclear. This article clarifies the definition of general education and its relationships with and/or differences from such related concepts as specialized education, liberal education, humanistic education, quality-oriented education, specialty education, as well as general courses and common courses.