启蒙的顿挫:晚清天津半日学堂的兴衰历程述论

The Ups and Downs of Enlightenment: A Discussion on the Rise and Fall of Tianjin Half-Day Schools in the Late Qing Dynasty

晚清天津士绅因应启蒙思潮,率先在津创办半日学堂,揭开了清季全国兴办半日学堂的序幕。但在实际办学中,天津兴学士绅严格限定半日学堂的招生对象,致使启蒙范围大幅缩小。同时,各半日学堂还面临风气不开的挑战,学生流动率高、生不足额客观上影响了半日学堂的启蒙效果。更为关键的是,“癸卯学制”颁行后,兴学士绅根据学制增设了多门课程,这无疑加重了半日学堂的办学负担,最终导致大多数半日学堂在开办后不久便停办或归并,下层启蒙就此失去了宿身的重要机体。可见,天津士绅在半日学堂上寄托的下层启蒙理想,在复杂的实践中遭遇了顿挫。

In response to the Enlightenment movement,the Tianjin gentry in the late Qing Dynasty took the lead in establishing Half-day Schools,marking the beginning of the nationwide establishment of such schools during the late Qing period.However,in the actual operation of these schools,the Tianjin gentry strictly limited the enrollment of students,resulting in a significant reduction in the scope of enlightenment.At the same time,the Half-day Schools faced challenges such as a conservative atmosphere,high student mobility,and insufficient student numbers,which objectively limited the effectiveness of the enlightenment provided by these schools.Moreover,after the implementation of the"Guimao school system",the gentry expanded the curriculum accordingly,which undoubtedly increased the burden on the Half-day Schools and aggravated the problem of insufficient funding.As a result,most of the Half-day Schools were soon closed or merged,leading to the loss of an important institution for grassroots enlightenment.It can be seen that the lower-level enlightenment ideals that the Tianjin gentry placed on the Half-day Schools encountered setbacks in the complex practice.