THE INEVITABLE INTEGRATION OF NATIONAL EDUCATION AND

CIVIC EDUCATION IN A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Professor Wang Dongxiao

Zhengzhou Centre for the Study of Civic Education, China

Abstract

1. Promotion and Cultivation of Nationalism is the Core Requirement of Civic

Education

Nationalism is the soul of a race. It provides spiritual support to the survival and development of a
race and is also a spiritual momentum for its prosperity. Nationalism orients, coheres, shapes and
encourages a nation in its course of development.

The primary aim of civic education is to foster nationalism and patriotism of citizens. Basically, the
education of civil rights and obligations are constantly emphasised. The equalitarian nature of
civic-mindedness lays the spiritual foundation on which a harmonious society is built. The holistic
orientation of civic-mindedness provides the values necessary for promoting nationalism and
upholding national unity. The element of democracy in civic-mindedness forms the ideological
foundation for a civic country. The people-based nature of civic-mindedness is the prerequisite for a
constitution which upholds the people-based principle and regards people as subject and government
as object.

The promotion and cultivation of nationalism provides civic education with strong momentum. If
nationalism is emphasised in civic education, we can strengthen people’s national identity, sense of
belonging and reinforce the ultimate supremacy of national interests, thereby fostering the awareness
that individuals’ achievements and failures are closely tied to the rise and fall of the nation. We can
advocate unity, harmony, mutual assistance, equality and co-development among races, thereby
reinforcing people’s self-awareness that they should uphold racial unity, national integrity and social
stability. We can promote the independence of the Chinese nation and the spirit of constant
improvement, thereby enabling people to take up challenges, to innovate and to strive for excellence.
We can also foster patriotism and stress the importance of national dignity, and thereby strengthen the
belief that selfless devotion for building the country is the greatest glory and damaging national
interests, dignity and honour is the greatest humiliation.
2. A Blend of the Chinese and Foreign Cultures is a Prerequisite for Integrating
National Education and Civic Education

In promoting and cultivating nationalism, we must explore our own culture and to enhance its
cohesion in order to keep up the morale of our nation.

In promoting and cultivating nationalism in today’s China, we have to face a very important issue —
the fusion of the Chinese and foreign cultures. While maintaining our national dignity, we have to
open our mind to world civilisation. Only by blending our fine culture with the advanced foreign
civilisation can we maintain the vitality of our nation. Therefore, in promoting and cultivating
nationalism, our mind-set should not be confined to our own culture. Rather, we have to identify
something beyond our own culture as complement in order to tie in with social development. This
complement is civic education.

3. Integration of National Education and Civic Education is a Prerequisite for

Building a Harmonious Society

The integration of national education and civic education is an important starting point to build a
harmonious socialist society. The development of socialist material civilisation relies on the social
responsibility of citizens and their ability to turn it into a driving force to build a modest society.
The development of socialist political civilisation depends on the citizens’ political awareness and
their participation through democracy. The development of socialist spiritual civilisation depends on
the development of civility and improvement in morality of citizens. Therefore, in building a
harmonious society, the organic integration of education in the Chinese and foreign civilisations is an
important starting point. Also, the common goal of national education and civic education should be
the nurturing of virtuous, responsible and dedicated citizens.

The integration of national education and civic education is the starting point to perfect socialist
market economy and develop socialist material civilisation. We have to strengthen citizens’ social
awareness, develop their potentials and enhance their civility and creativity. It is because these are
crucial to the economic development and social progress of China as well as the rejuvenation of the
Chinese nation.

The integration of national education and civic education is the starting point to rule the country by
law and develop socialist political civilisation. To strengthen civic education, arouse the citizens’
awareness of democracy, reinforce their knowledge of democratic law and to create a legal
environment are the basis and prerequisites for developing, systematising, standardising and stylising
socialist democratic politics. Without fully developed civic-mindedness, democracy and legality
cannot be genuinely consolidated, nor can they function properly. Therefore, civic education is
another practical issue closely related to the building of a legal society in China. The development
of China’s political civilisation calls for the strengthening of civic education.

The integration of national education and civic education is the starting point to develop socialist
advanced culture and socialist spiritual civilisation. In a socialist market economy, civic-mindedness
is the only means to prevent overall deterioration of morality in society.

The integration of national education and civic education is the starting point to enhance citizens’
quality. Nowadays, citizens’ quality has become a decisive factor in international competitions.
Civic education, in a sense, is a means to enhance citizens’ quality. The cultivation of nationalism
does not only depend on the quality of every citizen, but also on the nation’s spiritual outlook. If
science and technology is regarded as primary productivity and human resources as primary resources,
citizens’ quality can be regarded as primary national power and nationalism as primary
competitiveness. It goes without saying that enhancing citizens’ quality is of great importance and
urgency in promoting nationalism.

The integration of national education and civic education is also the starting point to make our
education face the world and keep in pace with civic education around the globe. In a market
economy, new talents are required to have awareness of equality, rights, obligations, participation,
competition, ethics and the law. They are also required to have a high degree of individuality,
creativity, team spirit and nationalism. We must learn from other countries. We must also draw on
the experience of civic education in developed countries and to adopt and study critically the
measures they have taken. It is the only way to develop the theory and practical system, which have
Chinese characteristics, guiding the integration of national education and civic education.

Undoubtedly, the blend of education on Chinese and western civilisations in our country will greatly
strengthen our nation’s power. It can also enhance political vitality and cultural productivity and
make new contribution to the development of civilised societies. The integration of national
education and civic education is therefore inevitable in a historical perspective.