A century ago, pioneering educators in China persevered through thick and thin to carry forward the torch of knowledge, from seeking educational reform during the New Culture Movement to moving across provinces to preserve educational resources during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).
The institution that was later renamed Beijing Normal University, dedicated to teacher training, became the foreground of debates on educational reform, with the participation of renowned educators and philosophers committed to the principle of "saving the nation through education".
Recently, their legacy took center stage in Beijing Normal University's original musical Today and Me, which premiered on Jan 16 and ran until Jan 18 at the Lao She Theater in Beijing, recounting the early days of the school's establishment and paying tribute to those driving the development of modern teacher training.
"I remember one time the university's Party secretary Cheng Jianping proposed that since I had worked on many productions, I should create a piece for our university to show our students what kind of university BNU is," says Xiao Xiangrong, the musical's chief director and dean of the university's School of Arts and Communication.
"Beijing Normal University is a school with a deep history. This production is based on the starting point of exploring the significance of education for China and the significance of teacher training for education."
The university dates back to 1902, when its predecessor, the Education Department of the Imperial University of Peking, was established to train teachers and specialists.
Teacher training at one time faced significant challenges, with debates on whether it is necessary to set up higher normal schools specifically for the purpose. Philosopher and politician Liang Qichao and educator Fan Yuanlian staunchly defended their existence, leading to the school's elevation to China's first normal university in 1923. Fan served as its first president.
"Fan emphasized that it relied on teacher training to improve the nation's overall literacy and people's character," Xiao says.
"With this production, we trace the roots of modern China's teacher education. We want our students to recognize the significance of teacher training and the obligation of educators to step forward to fulfill the nation's educational demands."
