Confucian Education in the North Central Region through Village Regulations from the 17th to the 19th Centuries

Abstract

From the 17th to the 19th centuries, village-level Confucian education, including in the North Central region, received significant attention from the monarchies. Based on the general educational policies of the State, through hương ước (village conventions, regulations, customary codes…), villages in the North Central region set forth strict provisions for implementing measures to encourage the development of local education, which increasingly improved in accordance with the general framework of state education. Aspects such as educational organization (schools, examinations for students, study funds), regulations on teachers’ responsibilities and students’ obligations, and incentive regimes to promote learning (prayer ceremonies for examinations, rewards and privileges for teachers, students, and successful candidates, both material and spiritual…) were vividly reflected in the village conventions.