Zhang Gan

Zhang Gan

Zhang Gan (1884-1967) was born in Xinhua, Hunan Province (now Pingshang Town, Xinshao county). He was a famous educator in modern times. He was the president of the first normal school of Hunan Province.

Character experience

In 1908, he graduated from Hunan middle road superior normal school, won the title of Ju Ren, and stayed in school to teach. Later, he taught in Beijing National Academy of fine arts, Hunan No.1 middle school, Changsha women's middle school, etc.

In the spring of 1913, Mao Zedong, who was only 20 years old, voluntarily applied for the fourth public Normal University of Hunan. When the headmaster read his composition paper, he couldn't help praising: "some of my colleagues can do such articles!"

In 1914, he was the president of Hunan provincial first normal school. In August of the next year, there was a wave of opposition to the provincial education authorities' increasing tuition and miscellaneous fees. Zhang issued a notice to expel Mao Zedong and other progressive students, so he left his post. After that, he continued to engage in middle school education in Changsha, and served as the headmaster of the sixth provincial middle school and supervisor of Hunan Province. After the founding of the people's Republic of China, under the care of Mao Zedong and arranged by the Hunan Provincial People's government, he served as a counsellor of the Hunan Provincial People's government and a member of the provincial CPPCC.

In 1914, Mao Zedong was admitted to the University. In the spring of 1914, the fourth Normal University was incorporated into the First Normal University (i.e. Hunan Provincial First Normal University). According to the instructions of the authorities, the students enrolled in the fourth public Normal University in spring and the students enrolled in the first normal university in autumn were enrolled in the first grade, which were divided into five classes: 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. Mao Zedong was assigned to class 8, grade one, with only 30 students. Compared with the students of the first division, Mao Zedong and other students of the fourth division have studied in the first division for more than half a year. Since then, Mao Zedong began his five-and-a-half-year normal education career.

In 1915, the Hunan Provincial Council issued a new rule: from the next semester, each student must pay 10 yuan for tuition and miscellaneous fees. First of all, this was strongly opposed by the majority of students whose families were poor or could not get family support for various reasons. Notice, this is equivalent to let them read half a year more books, take half a year more tuition! It has been revealed that this so-called "regulation" is a proposal made by Zhang Gan, the president of the school, to the provincial government in order to please the authorities.

As a result, the students of Hunan First Normal University held a strike one after another, setting off a massive "drive Zhang movement". First of all, they distributed a large number of leaflets inside and outside the campus, mercilessly exposing the so-called "bad achievements" of Zhang Gan, the principal, such as "disloyalty, unfilial, unkind, disrespectful" and so on, in an attempt to bring Zhang Gan down through public opinion. However, when Mao Zedong read it, he felt that they had not hit Zhang Gan's point in writing like this. He calmly told us that we are not against Zhang Gan as a parent, but against him as a principal. If we want to get rid of the headmaster, we should criticize him for not doing well in running the school. Everyone agreed that Mao Zedong's opinion was right. Therefore, Mao Zedong redrafted a leaflet criticizing Zhang Gan, the headmaster, for how to flatter the superiors, how to be bossy with the subordinates, how to run a school without any means, and how to delay the youth. They sent people to print it out overnight and brought it back to school the next morning for wide distribution.

It soon spread all over the provincial capital. The Department of education of Hunan Province immediately appointed a supervisor to the first normal school of Hunan Province to mediate and hold a general meeting in the whole school, asking students to resume classes and forbidding them to continue "mischief". This makes the students add fuel to the fire! They handed the inspector notes one after another, which said: "Zhang Gan doesn't leave school for a day, we don't have class for a day!" Make the inspector in a mess! He had no choice but to reply, "you'd better go to class. Zhang can't come next semester."

In this way, Zhang can be angry! A supervisor told him that the leaflet was written by Mao Zedong, a student of class 8, grade 2. Zhang Gan, as the head of the school, also concluded that this rich, self-made, argumentative and majestic text was written by Mao Zedong. Therefore, Zhang Gan immediately decided to expel 17 students, including Mao Zedong, who took the lead in making trouble.

After the news came out, Mr. Yang Changji (the father of Comrade Yang Kaihui), who had taught Mao Zedong self-cultivation, education and ethics, was indignant. When he talked about this problem in class, he picked up the chalk and wrote down these two poems on the blackboard in a correct way: "I want to plant a big wooden column to grow in the sky Yes, Mr. Yang Changji will never tolerate the school authorities expelling Mao Zedong, who has always expected a lot and regarded him as a "great man" and "contemporary talent"! So he contacted Mr. Xu Teli, Mr. Fang Weixia, Mr. Wang Jifan, Mr. Yuan Zhongqian, etc. to speak out and fight for justice. For this reason, he specially held a meeting of the faculty and staff of the whole school to express grievances for the students, put pressure on the principal Zhang Gan together, and forced the principal Zhang Gan to take back his life. However, the students of the first division did not give up. They continued to launch a strike, reiterating their oath: "Zhang Gan does not go out of school every day, we do not go to school every day!" In full view of the public, Zhang Gan, the principal, couldn't get along any more, so he had to roll up his bedding and go.

In 1950, 35 years later, with a flick of the finger.

At the beginning of liberation, Zhang Gan, a 66 year old middle school teacher, was in a panic: first, he resented being a "landlord". His family was originally a poor farmer, and then he worked as a teacher for more than 40 years. He bought a piece of land with his savings, but he became a landlord. Second, Mao Zedong, a student of that year, became the supreme leader of the party and the country, regretting that he should not have proposed to expel him at the beginning, but also recording a big demerit. Third, on the eve of the Chongqing negotiations, he sent a telegram to Mao Zedong, asking him to "call" to Chongqing and asking him to "be lucky" "Zhi", didn't you speak for Chiang Kai Shek? Zhang Gan lived day and night in bewilderment and depression. He was also in a dilemma, and sometimes he didn't want to cook. He wanted to write to Mao Zedong, but he couldn't write.

On October 5, 1950, at his family dinner, Mao Zedong asked Zhou Shizhao, President of Hunan First Division, about Zhang ganlai. Also present are Xu Teli, Xie Jueya, Xiong Jinding and others. When he heard that Zhang Gan had been teaching, he was very moved. He said: "Zhang Gan is very capable. He became the headmaster of a division in his 30s. It's not easy. I expected him to climb up, but he didn't. Before liberation eat chalk ash, after liberation also eat chalk ash, commendable! At that time, it was not necessary to drive him away. What's wrong with reading more than half a year? " Zhou Shizhao then reported to Chairman Mao about Zhang's six member family's difficult life and sad mood one by one. Chairman Mao sighed with emotion and said without hesitation: "we should take care of Zhang Gan, we should take care of him!"

On October 11, Mao Zedong wrote to Wang Shou, chairman of Hunan Province, saying: "Mr. Zhang zilun (Zhang Gan's nickname) and Mr. Luo Yuankun, two old people in Hunan's educational circles, are now in their 70s. They have taught all their lives and have done nothing wrong. Now I hear that the two gentlemen have a large family and live a very hard life. I'd like to ask the provincial government to give me some allowance per month to provide for the elderly Please send someone to express sympathy to the two gentlemen. " As a result, 1200 Jin of jiujimi and 500000 yuan (old currency) were sent to Zhang Gan's home.

Zhang Gan was so grateful that he couldn't sleep at night. Under the light, he wrote a tearful letter to Chairman Mao. "My brother Runzhi, chairman Huijian: Dear Sirs I deeply feel my brother's concern for his life. How grateful is he for all the opportunities in the country

On the second day after receiving the letter, Mao Zedong personally replied to Zhang Gan, saying that he was "deeply concerned" with Zhang Gan's difficulties in life. This was a touching and powerful word. Zhang Gan was jubilant and happy that such a great man was born among his students. He felt that this was his most proud day. The family looked at the letter with a smile. Zhang Gan's illness seemed to be half as good. What he once told Mao Zedong about his great demerit was a secret, but now he forgot himself and talked to his family like an innocent child.

In the autumn of 1951, Zhang Gan went to Beijing at the invitation of Chairman Mao. After arriving in Beijing, Chairman Mao invited his young teachers and friends Luo Hanming, Li Shuqing and Zou Puxun to Zhongnanhai for dinner. During the conversation, Chairman Mao called his children to introduce his old headmaster and teachers and friends to them. He said humorously, "you usually talk about how good your teacher is. This is my teacher, and my teacher is also very good." All the formality was removed immediately. At this time, Zhang Gan thought of the learning tide of that year, eating while checking. Chairman Mao waved his hand slowly: "I was young at that time, and I was one-sided. Don't mention the past. " After dinner, the chairman accompanied them to visit Zhongnanhai and watch movies. A few days later, Chairman Mao sent Fu Lianzhang, Vice Minister of health, to examine Zhang Gan and others.

After two months in Beijing, Zhang Gan not only boarded the Tiananmen rostrum on the national day, visited the scenic spots in Beijing and Tianjin, but also took an aerial view of the Great Wall.

Soon after, Zhang Gan returned to Hunan and was employed as a counsellor in the counsellor's office of the provincial military and political Commission and a consultant in the counsellor's office of the provincial government. The monthly salary, together with the salary of the school, ensures the family's life. He often attends state affairs and is invited to give lectures, which is highly respected. In the early 1960s, people's life was more difficult. Zhang Gan didn't feel well at this time. Soon after, he received a letter from the chairman, saying that "we are sending you some thin articles.". Unexpectedly, he received 2000 yuan sent by Chairman Mao entrusted by Comrade Zhang Pinghua, Secretary of the provincial Party committee!

At the beginning of 1963, Zhang Gan wrote to Chairman Mao twice in his illness, asking him to help his daughter return to Hunan to work, "so as to support her.". After receiving the letter, Comrade Mao Zedong was extremely worried about Zhang Gan, the old president. On the one hand, he wrote a personal letter to Zhou Shizhao, vice governor of Hunan Province: "Mr. Zhang Gan, the old president, has not answered my letter. He asked me to try to help his daughter return to Hunan to work so as to provide for her. I'm working on this matter now. Can I do it? If not, can we find another way. Please talk to Mr. Zhang in your spare time to see what his life is like

Chinese PinYin : Zhang Gan