7.12.25

On Communist Education


In bourgeois society education is permeated through and through with hipocrisy, with the mercenary interests of the ruling classes; it is profoundly contradictory character, reflecting the antagonisms of capitalist society.

The ideal of the capitalists is to see in the workers and peasants their obedient servants bearing the burden of exploitation without a murmur. Proceeding from this, the capitalists would prefer not to foster daring and courage in the workers and peasants, would prefer not to give them any education whatsoever. For it is easier to cope with people who are ignorante and downtrodden. But you cannot win wars of conquest with such people.

From the day the workingman is born and until the day he dies is subjected in bourgeois society to the constant influence in such thoughts, sentiments and customs as are advantageous to the ruling class. This effected through innumerable channels, sometimes in barely perceptible forms. The church, the school, art, the press, the cinema, the theatre, organizations of diferent kinds - all these serve as instruments for imbuing the masses with the world outlook, moral, customs, etc, of the bourgeoise.

Take the cinema, for example. A certain bourgeoise movie director has writen about American films: 

Many present-day films are something in the order of a narcotic designed for people who are so tired that all they wants is to sit in armchairs and be spoon-fed.

Such is the essence of bourgeois education.

System of education wich took centuries to elaborate and is designed to consolidate the position of the ruling, capitalist class and to reconcile the opressed to their position.

Communist education differs fundamentally from bourgeois education not only as regards its tasks, a point that is understandable without adducing proof, but also as regards methods. Communist education is bound up indissolubly with the development of political consciousness and culture in general, with the raising of the intelectual level of the masses.

Mikhail Kalinin
1875 - 1946