The School of Education of Henan University, previously known as the Department of Education of Zhongzhou University, established in 1923, is one of the earliest departments founded in Henan University. It began to recruit undergraduate students in 1924 and graduate students in 1927, which was a landmark of postgraduates education for the university and even Henan province. In 1954, the Department of Education was renamed as the Teaching and Research Office for Public Education, which provided courses such as Education and Psychology to the normal students from the university. The department was restored in 1980, and resumed the recruitment of undergraduate students and graduate students. In July 1999, the School of Education of Henan University was established on the base of the original Department of Education.

Among its 114 strong faculty, there are 38 professors and 46 associate professors, 29 doctoral mentors and 89 master’s mentors. In addition, over 70 teachers earned doctoral degree, which are above 70% of all faculty. At present, there are one leading teacher from the Ten Thousand Talent Program, four members from the Teaching Guidance Committee of the Ministry of Education, three experts from the evaluation group of National Education Science Planning Program, one expert from the Center of Leading Cadres of Examination and Assessment of Central Organization Department, one expert from the guidance group of the new curriculum reform of the Ministry of Education, five outstanding experts of Henan Province, nine professor II, four distinguished professors at university level, four academic and technical leaders of Henan Province, and more than 10 academic and technical leaders of the Education Department of Henan Province. More than 30% faculty has experiences of either studying abroad or being visiting scholars overseas.

At present, the school has five teaching sectors, includes Department of Education, Department of Psychology, Department of Preschool Education, Department of Educational Technology, and Department of Teacher Education. It boasts four research institutes at province level, such as Education Reform and Development Research Center of Henan University, and Research Base of International Scientific and Technological Cooperation for Physical and Mental Health of Vulnerable Population of Henan Province. It also has eight research institutes at university level, such as Research Center for Basic Education Curriculum Reform of Henan University, Institute of Education Science, Institute of Psychology and Behavior, Educational Action Research Center, Research Center for International Cooperation for Physical and Mental Health of Vulnerable Population. In addition, it owns major laboratories such as Psychology and Behavior Laboratory (Key Laboratory of Henan Province), Cognition and Behavior Laboratory (Key Subject Opening Laboratory of Henan Province), Psychology Laboratory, and Modern Education Technology Laboratory. Besides, the School of Teacher Education of Henan University, Editorial Department of Psychological Research, Psychology Association of Henan Province, and Educational Research Association of Henan Province are affiliated to the school.

The Department of Education and the Department of Psychology are accredited with the first level disciplines for offering doctoral degree. Doctoral programs are also provided by nine majors, Principles of Education, Curriculum and Teaching Theories, Education History, Higher Education, Educational Technology, Moral Education, Fundamental Psychology, Developmental and Educational Psychology, and Applied Psychology. There are about 50 doctoral students currently enrolled. The school also has post-doctoral mobile research station with about 20 researchers. The Department of Education and the Department of Psychology are also accredited with the first level disciplines for master’s degree, which offer 15 academic master’s programs. The school is accredited for offering master’s programs in Education and Psychology, with about 540 full-time students currently enrolled. In addition, the school also provides five undergraduate programs, Educational Technology, Preschool Education, Applied Psychology with the Concentration in Psychological Counselling, Applied Psychology with the Concentration in Human Resource Development. There are over 900 undergraduate students currently enrolled.

In the past five years, the school has accomplished breaking development from many aspects. In the aspect of teaching, the Department of Education and the Department of Psychology are accredited as National Comprehensive Pilot Reform Majors, and the faculty teams from both departments are awarded with excellent teaching teams at provincial-level. The faculty teams from the Department of Education and the Department of Educational Technology are awarded with excellent primary teaching teams at provincial-level. Management Psychology, Principles of Moral Education, and Curriculum and Teaching Theories are among the first courses that awarded with quality resource sharing courses at national level, followed by five other courses such as Educational Research. “Research on the Assessment of the Comprehensive Quality of Middle and High School Students” and “The Development of Teaching Section Method Program and The Exploration on Application of Principles that Promote University Development” won the second place of National Education Achievement prizes. Textbooks that edited by our faculty such as Psychological Theories, Management Psychology, and Modern Educational Technology are accredited as national planning materials. In the aspect of research, the school has undertaken 68 research projects at both national and province levels, with over 100 books, 700 academic articles, and 120 research achievement awards. Life and Value Education and Modernization of Teaching won Team Awards of Henan Higher Education Research Innovation. In the aspect of development of disciplines, the first level disciplines, Department of Education and Department of Psychology are accredited with Key Disciplines in Henan Province. In the construction of “Double First-Class” of higher education, the Education Discipline is accredited as Featured Discipline at provincial-level, and it was graded B+ by the Ministry of Education at the fourth round of evaluation.  

The new era comes with the new journey. The school of Education will inherit and carry on our tradition, abide by the school motto “Social Commitment, Rich in Knowledge”, seize the opportunity of constructing national “Double First-Class”, and take internationalization as instrumentality, to implement “Two Great Strategies” (built on features and strengthened with talents) and “Three Major Projects” (multi-dimentionalize the development of talents, research innovation, and ensure teaching quality), in order to achieve the “Four Grand Promotions” on the quality of cultivation personnel, the quality of scientific research, the quality of comprehensive management, and the ability of offering social services.