"Breaking With Old Ideas": Revisiting a Cultural Revolution-Era Movie to Explore the Present-Day Resonance of Maoist Educational Ideals in China

The film “Breaking with Old Ideas†critically portrays the educational re-forms at Jiangxi Agricultural University, embodying Mao Zedong's vision for youth as successors of the revolutionary cause and his advocacy for educational equality. Released in the 1970s, the film initially received public acclaim but was later banned post-1978, after being labeled a "poisonous weed" during China's neoliberal shift. This reflected a significant transformation in the perception of revolutionary narratives. In contemporary China, the education system grapples with severe competition, pronounced inequalities, and authoritarian tendencies. The digital age and the resurgence of social media have facilitated the rediscovery of this film, highlighting its critical and reflective qualities that provoke discussions on educational ideologies. By juxtaposing traditional and revolutionary educational leaders, the film exposes the stark contrasts between Mao's reform-minded educational ideas and the so-called "modern education system." This study revisits these contrasting educational paradigms: the "old ideas" of monopolistic discourse knowledge and Mao's practical education model. Through an analysis of key scenes depicting these ideological and practical confrontations, the paper explores, through the prism of the Maoist critique, present-day aspects and challenges of Chinese education, and assesses the potential of Mao's educational philosophy to inform and transform contemporary education practices.