從中國歷史上來看，趙宋統一中國之後，鑑於唐末五代藩鎮之禍，而力行文治。然以尚文之故，國勢積弱，外患頻仍，忍辱乞和，終至亡於元。宋代在劣勢的武力下，文化教育卻有可觀，尤以書院的興起，超越了當時的官立學校。本文特將書院之特色列為八項： 一、教育對象平民化 二、書院環境優美化 三、入學年齡及肆業期限彈性化 四、教材選擇自由化 五、教學方式多樣化 六、教育重心－知德並重化 七、師生治學刻苦化 八、師生關係倫理化 　　書院自宋代興起，歷經元、明、清三代，至清末新教育成立始廢，故對其後數百年之教育有很大的影響，茲可分為三點： 一、補官學之不足，使高等教育更為普及。 二、書院教育成功，影響官學內容的革新。 三、建立我國數百年來民間學制的基礎。 　　總結，宋代書院在我國歷史上有其價值，並在固有教育中，佔有重要的地位。

　　　　　In Chinese history, the Song Dynasty, after the union of China, carried out the civil administration from the lesson of the catastrophe of frontier fort in the Later Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties. However, as the result of the emphasis on the civil administration, the weak national power and the consistent disturbances of the outside clans, the Song Dynasty was defeated by the Yuahn Dynasty at last. The Song Dynasty, in the bad situation of military power, still had a geart achievement in culture and education. Especially the establishment of Shuyuahn was superior to that of the government schools. As following we could see the 8 features. 1.The generalization of the education. 2.The improvement of the school's environment. 3.The elasticity of the age of entering to school's and the deadline of the graduation. 4.The freedom of the textual selection. 5.The variety of the reaching methods. 6.The emphasis on education are wisdom as well as morality. 7.The hard-working of the teachers and the students. 8.The moral principles of the relationship between the teachers and the students. The establishment of Shuyuahn was originated from the Song Dynasty until the new education in the Ching Dynasty. Consequently, it had had the great influences on the education for several hundred years. We could divide them in to 3 points. 1.Shuyuahn supplemented the shortcomings of the government so that it promoted the higher education prevailing. 2.The success of the Shuyuahn education effected the renovation of the content in the government schools. 3.Establishing the basis of the folk education system. In conclusion, Shuyuahn in the Song Dynasty has its value in Chinese history and plays an important role on the Chinese history.