BolshevismSovietWorking Class

«y, December 28, 1918 THE REVOL Education in Russia Official Document of People Commissaire of Education Lunacharsky HE Commissaire of Education Lunacharsky is you wanted to serve. Go to his aid. He has con The Division for Agricultural Education Outside sued the following appeal to the teachers of quered but he is alone. He is full of strength but of Schools already has held a number of lectures bearRussia when the intelligentsia refused all help to surrounded with trouble. Glory to the one who in ing upon questions within the realm of systematic the proletariat, and rejoiced in every conspiracy the heavy hour of trial by fire, will be on the side of farming and has also arranged for excursions to tnagainst it. the people such as it is, and shame on those who for spect model agricultural establishments. In the lisake it. You, teachers men and women show them the braries of the People Houses special branches are example. Down with the boycott! Let us build a And remember, if the ugly revolt of the intelli being formed with collections of objects to serve for new school of the people. I, the people commissary gentsia against the workers were to continue, it would demonstration lessons bearing upon agricultural ques of education, do not want to force anything on you sow his path of sufferings with only new thorns, but tions. Also, for the dissemination of agricultural inor on the schools. say to you away with the powit will not stop the wheels of his chariot. The people formation amongst the population, permanent and er of the bueaucracy! Conquer the bureaucracy! are calling on you to work together to build a new travelling museums have been organized.
From now on the ministry (of education) is an exschool in common. If you decline it will undertake Considering the present lack of employment in the ecutive organ. Let us build together a parliament of its task alone together with its true adherents and printing trades, considering also the shortage of books enlightenment, a vast government committee for the well wishers.
from which Russia is suffering, the commission on people. With friendly efforts let us build together There is no return to the past.
public education will undertake immediately the puba commission instead of a minister a commission lication of books on a large scale, through its comA. LUNACHÁRSKY, which will not hinder and command, but which will mittee on literature and publications, with the con:ake the work easier and aid all healthy initiative.
Commissaire of Education. operation of the committee on sciences and arts, and Let us finish the process of decentralization of schools with the assistance of representatives of the printers and the transfer of their management to self governThe All Russian Teachers Congress union and other interested trade organizations.
ing bodies. Can we even take count of the many According to Isvestia and The Weekly People. The first books to be printed will be reprints of problems which confront us? But they must all be the all Russian teachers congress was held at Mosworks by Russian writers on which the authors copydecided by conference of teachers directly with the cow and dealt with the question of a uniform school right has expired. In the case of copyrighted works representatives of the organized working people. system. The Commissaire of Public Education, passing from private to public ownership, royalties published a series of statements dealing with the Lunacharsky, developed the program and defined the will granted by the commission on public educabasic problems of education in Russia, and lately mission of Russia future school system. The Soviet tion for varying periods, not to exceed five years.
issued a decree of the Central Executive Committee Government is confronted with the task of a radical Tiwo editions will be printed of each work an uncreating a Commission of Public Education. It is transformation of the schools. They must have abridged edition, prepared by the section of Russian possible, and very probable, that these do not meet teachers to be enabled to accomplish this colossal task, languages and literature of the Academy of Sciences, with everybody approval. But the statements conand new institutions must be founded for the train and a one volume edition of selected works in comtain my own personal views, which intend to applying of teachers. The mission of the working school pact form. In its selection of works, the editorial not as a leader but as a collaborator. The decree has consists in that the school impart to the pupil neces committee shall be guided by the fact that this edition merely a preliminary character, for some sort of an sary and thorough knowledge to enable him to enter is especially designed for the working classes.
apparatus had to be created to commence the work.
upon life free and with confidence. The teacher is Complete or unabridged editions shall be supplied picture to myself a perspective of the following to give to the child a universal education. For this with prefaces by literary authorities. The hews has sort: The Government Committee of Public Education will meet in an extraordinary session to work out purpose he niust be the possessor of comprehensive just come that Maxim Gorky, who previously had knowledge.
been hostile to the Bolsheviki, has accepted a comthe broad democratic basis for the call of an Educational Convention of Teachers and direct representa In order to introduce universal education into Rusmission of this nature.
tives of the organized working masses. At this consia, the congress considered a doubling of the nuni Editions of the classics will be offered for sale at vention, in a friendly and open discussion, we will ber of teachers an absolute necessity. As against that the lowest possible price, and widely distributed free elaborate the underlying principles of a new people there are today within the realm of Soviet Russia 30 of charge through the libraries for the benefit of the school in Russia and will submit these for confirma teachers institutes, 140 teachers seminaries, higher working classes.
tion to the constitutional convention.
teachers courses and about 120 lower teachers cours The national publishing establishment shall pre We will create in the sphere of education an ates. For these reasons it was decided to open a num pare large editions of textbooks. The task of cormosphere of true co operation. Here class differences ber of new institutions and to organize teachers recting the old ones and of preparing new shall be do not frigt. us. sincere and true teacher yearns courses. During the ensuing year about 200 peda supervised by a special commission on textbooks, confor that pertect school which would transform the gogic courses will be formed which will have to pre sisting of delegates from pedagogical and scientific greatest numhe of citizens into completely developed pare the teaching personnel for the working schools. societies with the collaboration of specialists.
vietariat yearns for the same.
For the first semester 1918 19 over three million ru committee shall be organized for the publica If engineers and workers were to take up the cre bles have been appropriated for this purpose; for the tion of popular periodicals and shall consist of repre ation of productive machines, apart from any calcu. following semester five million roubles. Concurrentsentatives of pedagogical and literary societies, spelations of an entrepeneur character, and guided only ly with the teachers courses pedagogic academies cialists, and delegates from labor organizations.
by the obiective sign of the greatest productivity, they will be opened in Petrograd and Moscow. The committee on publication has full authority could, no doubt, co operate without the least friction. At the session of the Government Coinmission for Likewise with the schools. The people has gained Public Education, in connection with a petition of the to subsidize the publications of periodicals and books its freedom. It wants more light for itself and its fut forth by private societies or individuals whenever church meeting, the question of parochial schools was tlose publications are of national usefulness; the first children. have been called by the Congress of taken up. The Government Commission decided that Soviets, which represented 15 millions of the fore the educational institutions of the church shall pass however, shall be applied to reimbursing the govern moneys received from the sale of such publications, most citizens, to be the People Commissary of Eduover to the administration of the local Soviets for cation. undertake this task without any pretense public education. Private initiative may be permitted ment for the subsidy received.
of pomp, but with a clear sense of responsibility, and For the purpose of financing this important govto found courses for religious instruction, but these with a readiness at the first signal from the people to shall have no right to include in their programs genernmental ent rprise, the council of people commisgive up my post and joia the ranks again, and aderal educational subjects.
saries shall open to the commission on public educadress myself to you. you men and women teachers of tion a credit of one and one half million rubles.
Russia, to put aside the unworthy boycott, and while At the Commissariat for Agriculture a new divis The technical part of the work shall be done exwaiting for the day when the Constitutional Conven ion was formed for educational work outside of the clusively through the typographical union, which shall tion will establish a definite otder in the matter of schools. It is divided into two branches. a) Coursdistribute the works among the various typographica!
public education, to begin our work now cs, Lectures and Addresses. b) Means of Education, plants. appeal to you for the fulfillment of the follow People Houses and Museums. LUNACHARSKY, ing program: The immediate preparation for edu The Commissariat formed at different places Commissaire of Education, cational congress on the most democratic lines; the courses for soil study and practical work in model Educational Activities realization of such congress at the very earliest oppor establishments in order to disseminate agricultural intunity; the friendly co operation of the proletariat and formation amongst the population. These courses The Central Committee of the Proletarian Educathe best part of the intelligentsia in the creation of have a temporary character and are divided into shorttional Organizations have opened the following seca united and free public school in the broadest sense time and periodic kinds. The latter will be formed tions in Petrograd: of these words.
in every province as necessity may demand. These Theatrical. 2, Literature; 3, Clubs; 4, Educa When am writing this call to you, teachers, a courses will take up principally such matters as are of tion Outside the Schools; 5, School Instruction; 6, new master of the land is guiding my hand young, particular interest at the point of location. Besides, Continued on page inexperienced, but mighty, the very same worker whom permanent courses will be organized.
men.