Martha Franks

The Communist Party of China--who would have guessed?--mandated "general education" in Chinese schools after constant complaints about rote teaching of STEM. Experimental humanities courses were established at elite high schools. *Books Without Borders* by St. John's College Santa Fe tutor Martha Franks, describes her experiences teaching Western classics at the Affiliated High School of Beijing University. Ms. Franks expanded her students' independence of thought and creativity, coaxing them from cautious silence to expression of charmingly original views--but it was not uncommon for students (perhaps unconsciously) to defend positions similar to Party orthodoxy.

While teaching the Western classics to Chinese students, Ms. Franks read English translations of the Chinese classics. In the St. John's tradition, she believes that an ideal path to understanding between cultures would be for people to read each other's classic books. Her experience in China led her to believe that "no places were exotic and the world really could grow together." (p.241)

Chinese officialdom hopes that creativity, stimulated by liberal education, will make Chinese science and technology more productive and China's economy more innovative. But masses of people thinking for themselves could subvert the CPC's aim to rule China permanently. How long before the CPC suppresses this initiative?… (meer)