Letter to Lin Biao
(August 26, 1936)
Comrade Lin Biao:
I fully agree with your letter. There is one additional point: cultural
education in the three subjects (literacy, composition, and the ability to
read books and newspapers) constitutes one of the most important and
fundamental components of the entire educational program. As you rightly
pointed out, practical training and theoretical study should be given equal
weight, and cultural tools are an integral part of the “practical” aspect.
Moreover, as you noted, cultural tools serve precisely to connect theory
with practice, and they must indeed be used to establish that link. If
students master all their courses but remain unable to read or write, their
future development after leaving school will still be quite limited. On the
other hand, if they acquire only a moderate level of knowledge across all
subjects yet learn how to read and write, they will at least possess a basic
tool that can be frequently employed in their subsequent lives. Should you
concur with this view, I propose that in the next four months, we further
increase the proportion of time devoted to cultural subjects—namely
literacy, reading, and composition—so that they account for one quarter or
one third of the total study hours, including self-study time. I would
appreciate it if you could discuss this matter with Comrade Ruiqing. During
regular inspections, cultural proficiency should be one of the key criteria
for evaluation.

Respectfully submitted!
Mao Zedong
26th day, 2:00 p.m.
[1] Lin Biao was then the president of the Anti-Japanese Red Army
University.
[2] Ruiqing refers to Luo Ruiqing, who at that time served as the
educational director of the Anti-Japanese Red Army University.