May 7 cadre school

Chinese history

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June 30, 2026

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The "May 7 cadre schools" were part of China's Cultural Revolution (1966-76). These were typically farms where urban officials, or cadres, were sent for periods of manual labor and ideological study. The goal was to reduce bureaucratic airs and re-educate those in positions of power. This initiative was one of several programs aimed at reducing the differences between intellectual and manual labor, urban and rural life, and workers and peasants. Education also underwent significant changes, with shorter schooling periods and university admissions based on recommendations rather than exams. Millions of youths were also sent to the countryside for "re-education".12

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China
Social changes
…for a stint in “May 7 cadre schools,” usually farms run by a major urban unit. People from the urban unit had to live on the farm, typically in quite primitive conditions, for varying periods of time. (For some, this amounted to a number of years, although by about…
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…for a stint in “May 7 cadre schools,” usually farms run by a major urban unit. People from the urban unit had to live on the farm, typically in quite primitive conditions, for varying periods of time. (For some, this amounted to a number of years, although by about…
Read More