Catholicism on Chinese Education from the 19 Century to 20 Century: Aurora College for Women in Shanghai

Abstract

Some studies worldwide have described Catholic schools in China in the 20th century in some detail, encompassing the establishment, causes, and effects of Catholic schools. However, many studies have focused on male missionaries and elite male teaching models, and women have been neglected by academics in the study of Chinese Catholicism. Against this background, this paper examines the Aurora College for Women in Shanghai, the first university in China to admit women in the 20th century by Sisters of the Sacred Heart. To present the experience of Aurora College for Women in Shanghai at different periods and to explore its influence on Chinese education, this paper cites handwritten letters from the sisters of Aurora College for Women in Shanghai from the Italian and Shanghai archives as primary sources. The documents in the Italian Archives are the correspondence and records of the sisters in the archives of the Rome headquarters. These primary sources from the Rome headquarters are rarely cited and are of great importance to the study of the Aurora College for Women in Shanghai. It is also combined with secondary sources, which include newspapers, books, related photography, and government-published intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The study found that the Aurora College for Women in Shanghai was a crucial point in women's education in three parts: (i) the popularization of Catholic schools in China in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, (ii) the size and characteristics of the school, (iii) the survival strategy. In addition, the holistic education proposed by the Aurora College for Women in Shanghai concluded that the Aurora College for Women in Shanghai contributed to the education for all and produced independent and self-reliant women. With these findings, this paper explores the spread of Catholicism in China through the lens of women and help enrich the meaning of Catholic schools.