Chapter 4014
Chapter 4014
Chapter 4014
Su Zhixing had expected Qian Tiandun's speech to be longer, but to his surprise, the other party simply explained the reasons for establishing the academy and then put him in the spotlight. This was clearly intended to make Su Zhixing the protagonist of today's ceremony, and he was not allowed to refuse.
Su Zhixing looked around and saw that all the guests and onlookers were focused on him. He took a deep breath and slowly began his speech.
"My name is Su Zhixing, a native of Hangzhou. Before coming to Fubo Port, I taught at Wansong Academy in Hangzhou. I am honored by the trust of Commander Qian, who entrusted me with the management of this newly completed Fubo Academy."
"If it were in the past, if someone had asked me what kind of knowledge I should impart to my students, I would have answered without hesitation that it would be the classics, histories, philosophical works, and collections of literature written by the ancient sages, as well as the new education and culture promoted by my Haihan Dynasty."
"But after visiting the special operations division's territory and witnessing the achievements of the soldiers in expanding their territory in Phuket, Hambantota, and Fubo Port, and seeing the children's discipline as strict as soldiers, Su realized that education cannot be done by rote; it must be adapted to local conditions and individualized, and special teaching content must be developed for the students here."
"Su believes that the special forces soldiers have done an excellent job in setting an example and teaching by example. What Fubo Academy needs to do is to make the students truly understand the significance of the special forces in defending the country's borders and expanding its territory, and what they themselves can do for the country."
"Besides joining the army and fighting on the battlefield, the academy can provide students with more ways to serve the country. They will become skilled multinational businessmen, engineers who design warships and weapons, navigators who can explore uncharted seas, and master craftsmen who can build houses for us..."
Many of the onlookers' eyes lit up when they heard this. They might be doing the jobs that Su Zhixing mentioned, but they had never heard such praise from an important person before, who wanted to use them as role models to cultivate students in the academy.
Qian Tiandun nodded slightly, agreeing with Su Zhixing's words. Although he wasn't very familiar with Su Zhixing yet, through their few interactions, he could tell that this young man was quick-witted and energetic, far superior to the old pedantic scholars who clung to Confucian doctrines.
As an educational talent invited by the Special Operations Division, Su Zhixing was willing to address the military's urgent needs and thoughts, adjusting the academy's curriculum to cultivate professional talents needed for overseas colonization by the Special Operations Division, which was exactly what Qian Tiandun wanted.
If Fubo Academy, after all its efforts, produces only scholars who can nod their heads and recite poems, that would certainly not be the original intention of Qian Tiandun in painstakingly establishing this academy.
Su Zhixing continued, “Everyone here is discerning. The current conditions of Fubo Academy are indeed not comparable to those of academies in China. However, Fubo Port has the strong support of Commander Qian and the Special Forces Division, which is a unique advantage that is not available in China. I, Su, hereby pledge that I will definitely build Fubo Academy into the premier academy in the western part of our Haihan Kingdom!”
Seeing the look of approval on Qian Tiandun's face, Li Yuande took the lead in cheering, and the onlookers immediately burst into applause and cheers.
For the vast majority of ordinary people who settled in Fubo Port, the issue of their children's education seemed to have gone unnoticed before. Everyone was in the same boat, only able to learn a little rudimentary knowledge at schools taught by military officers, just enough to keep their children from becoming illiterate. Families here who could truly afford to send their children back to China for schooling were extremely rare.
The establishment of Fubo Academy and the arrival of Su Zhixing showed ordinary people another possibility: their children did not need to return to China to study; they could enroll in the academy here and still have the opportunity to become talents who bring glory to their families. Seeing the enthusiastic response from the public and the smiles on his superiors' faces, Su Zhixing finally felt relieved.
These past few days he has been pondering his words repeatedly, hoping that his speech would align with Qian Tiandun's thoughts. To this end, he has revised his speech many times, cutting out many unnecessary parts and replacing the flowery language with straightforward colloquialisms, so that the onlookers would not misunderstand what he wanted to express.
Judging from the scene so far, the response has been quite positive. Taking advantage of the lively atmosphere, Su Zhixing quickly invited Qian Tiandun back to preside over the next part of the plaque-hanging ceremony.
Before the official unveiling, there was a small ribbon-cutting ceremony, and there were only three guests in total. In addition to Qian Tiandun, Su Zhixing was also one of them as the dean. The other person was Li Yuande, who had the foresight to recruit Su Zhixing to Fubo Port.
Qian Shaobao, who was seated in the viewing area, asked Chen Pingliao next to him, "What do you think?"
Qian Shaobao's question was unclear, but Chen Pingliao understood what he meant and replied in a low voice, "On the way to Fubo Port, I talked to Su Zhixing a few times. At that time, he didn't think so clearly. He still felt that Confucianism should be the main thing, and the new education promoted by the government should be the supplement. He didn't think of vocational education as the right path. It seems that after staying here for a while, his thinking has changed quite a bit."
Qian Shaobao smiled and said, "I think this Mr. Su is a smart man. He has only been here for a short time, but he has already figured out my father's ideas quite well, and he knows how to be flexible. However, whether he can do everything he says remains to be seen."
As they spoke, amidst cheers, the three people in front of the academy gate had already completed the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The plaque that had traveled across the ocean to get here had already been hung above the main gate. Then Qian Tiandun stepped forward, removed the silk cloth covering the plaque, and revealed the four characters "Fubo Academy" written by Ning Qi, the Minister of Education.
As the silk cloth fell, a series of crackling firecrackers immediately followed, startling the Arabs in the crowd who had never witnessed such a scene before.
The plaque-unveiling ceremony thus came to a close, but for the guests, it wasn't time to leave yet. Next, they would be led by Su Zhixing to tour the academy, and afterwards, they would observe one of Su Zhixing's lectures.
With so many onlookers, it was impossible for them all to rush into the academy, and the spectacle was over.
However, the crowd did not disperse immediately. Many people were discussing in small groups the impact of the academy's opening on the local area. Some families with young children who were not yet of school age were also quick to inquire about the current admission standards and application process.
In fact, the admission standards for Fubo Academy were quite low, basically no different from those of ordinary primary schools. Any school-age child with Haihan registration could directly enroll without any restrictions. Because of the teaching subsidies provided by the Special Forces Division, the tuition was also quite low.