Poster 311-18-18

Personal Comments

In this poster, a young boy was eager to learn science knowledge as soon as possible much, he looked so eager to learn all kinds of knowledge, he handed a air plane model in his right hand and a computing ruler in his left hand, as well as radio, book, notepad, compass were in a desk in front of him, there were also radar, chemical elements model, architectural model and some other science models. This poster should be public in end of Cultural Revolution or after it. At that time, CCP started to consider the wrong policy in cultural and science and try to fix it. Young people were spirited again to learning science knowledge.

Before Cultural Revolution, Chairman Mao said CCP welcome all people speak out their suggestion for CCP. Persons especially intellectuals put forward many suggestions including some negative ones even some opposition view. More and more complaint made Chairman Mao and other CCP leaders think that intellectuals were dangerous for rule of CCP. In end of 1950’s, CCP started the “Anti-Rightist” campaign to punish these persons who had said negative views for CCP. This punish was mainly pointed to intellectuals, for example teachers of school, professors of university and famous artists and poets.

During Cultural Revolution, Chairman Mao became more and more impatient for suggestions of intellectuals, and the position of them became worse and worse. Mao often said worker, peasants and soldiers were very important for CCP and China, but intellectuals were seldom said in any newspapers at that time. In effect of Chairman Mao, most people thought intellectuals were unimportant for China, except some top science expert for nuclear and satellite. At that time, teachers were so ignored by public that no parents wished to marriage their girl to a teacher. Teacher had a bad name, “Stinking ninth category” because there is a historic view in China that all jobs are ranked to 9 categories from top to bottom. It means that teacher was most unimportant one in all jobs in these years. Until now, persons also use this name when they want to have a joke to a teacher.

In the middle of Cultural Revolution, Chairman Mao called young man join “Red Guards” to protect revolution and to break down old word. Most members of Red Guard were young students, and of course what they want eagerly to break down was their teachers and schools. At that time, all schools and universities were stopped to run, and students were busy joining all kinds of revolution actions including criticizing their teacher who were not honest for revolution. The treatment for teachers conflicted with traditional Chinese values. In Chinese history, intellectuals especially teachers should be respected by all people, which was the first important class for all little student when they came into school first time.

In end of Cultural Revolution, the ignoring for intellectuals became extreme. At that time, there was a famous “zero score hero”, he wrote a letter to protest examination in geometry examination paper, although he got zero score, but he was praised by Chairman Mao and then came into university. The examination for university was canceled instead of a recommendation system. The standard of recommendation is not the score of your class instead of your honest for CCP. There was also a famous “illiterate vice premier”, which is impossible in current view.

After the Cultural Revolution, CCP thought the ignoring for science and literature was wrong so they recover university examination in 1977. In thirst university examination, many participants were more than 30 years old who were impossible to get recommendation in Cultural Revolution. And in 1979, my parents came back to junior high school to finish their stopped class when I am one year old. Now all people believe knowledge is most important both for ourselves and for our nation.

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