Modern rural normal schools specializing in training rural teachers started at the end of the Qing Dynasty. In the course of nearly half a century

they experienced the incubation period

system establishment period and system improvement period. Although it declined in the end

its training goal of "serving agriculture"

"pro-agriculture" curriculum

"returning to agriculture" teaching practice and "integrating agriculture" employment orientation still left valuable experience in the history of normal education. In training rural teachers

modern rural normal education can be regarded as pioneering for today’s public-funded normal education. On the other hand

the current public-funded normal education is worth examining as its training goal is "away from agriculture"

the curriculum is "short of agriculture"

the teaching practice is "leaving agriculture"

and the employment prospect is "rejecting agriculture" . In order to achieve its original goal

public-funded normal education needs to take history as a mirror

clarify its training objectives and cultivate aspiration for local development

reconstruct its curriculum system and make it rural-oriented

standardize teaching practice and improve its range

guide its career planning and enhance rural-awareness so as to practically train a group of rural teachers who are truly able to go to the rural areas

stay there

teach well

blend in

and integrate thereafter.