This book examines the relationship between education, schools, and Confucian classical studies during the late Qing and early Republican periods.

The imperial examination system could not accommodate Western learning. Then, Chinese learning was incorporated into the framework of new schools that offered instruction in different academic disciplines defined by Western ideas about knowledge and learning. Eventually, Confucian classical studies were removed from the formal curriculum of the new education system. These efforts to both preserve and eliminate Confucian classical studies reflect the contested relationships between Chinese and Western cultures, as well as between tradition and modernity, during an intellectually tumultuous period in Chinese history. The book's detailed discussion of how those committed to conserving the old and those eager to embrace the new navigated the treacherous politics of educational policies and public opinion sheds light on how these competing intellectual impulses shaped the country's mass and elite educational landscape for decades to come.

The book is intended for scholars and students of history, pedagogy, and cultural studies, as well as anyone interested in traditional Chinese culture.