Communist Policies on Education, 1917-1941

What was the communist view on education?

Education was important to the communists as a way to create a new, loyal generation with the right values. They wanted to create new 'Soviet men' and 'Soviet women'.

What were the problems in the education system that the communists had to deal with?

There were 5 important problems the communists faced in education with the system they inherited from the tsarist regime:

• ❖ Many children did not attend school as they had to pay and could not afford it.
• ❖ There were not enough schools or teachers.
• ❖ Many schools were run by the Russian Orthodox Church and the communists were atheists; they did not believe in God.
• ❖ There was a lack of resources and supplies for schools as they were underfunded.
• ❖ There were very high levels of illiteracy. Approximately 65 million people were illiterate, and only 32% of the population could read and write in 1914.

What education policies did the Communist Party introduce?

The communists brought in 6 main policies over time:

• ❖ A Commissariat of Education was set up in 1917. It promised free and compulsory education for all children aged seven to 17 and the expansion of university education.
• ❖ In 1918, the Soviet government issued a decree on education which nationalised all religious schools, banned corporal punishment, homework and exams, and established unified labour schools so that children aged seven to 17 received training for work.
• ❖ In 1919, the campaign for the 'liquidation of illiteracy' was introduced to end illiteracy. Rabfaki, or remedial schools, were set up to teach basic literacy and numeracy. All soldiers in the Red Army had to attend literacy classes.
• ❖ In 1929, the government introduced a quota system for working class students entry into university. This was to encourage working class students to attend.
• ❖ In 1930, Stalin focused again on eliminating illiteracy and made primary school compulsory for all children up to the age of 12.
• ❖ In 1936, Stalin reversed some of the early communist education policies because of the problems they created. In his Great Retreat, he re-introduced traditional teaching methods and discipline, subjects and textbooks set by the government.

How did Stalin control education in communist Russia?

There were 6 main ways in which Stalin controlled education:

• ❖ In the Great Retreat of the 1930s, he introduced stricter controls in education.
• ❖ The government provided official textbooks which had to be used. One example was 'The Short Course of the History of the All Union Communist Party' which glorified Stalin's role in the revolution.
• ❖ The government controlled the curriculum and subjects such as Russian, communist ideology and science were made compulsory.
• ❖ There was very strict teacher discipline and students had to wear uniforms and sit in rows.
• ❖ All children had to attend school until the age of 15.
• ❖ Students were indoctrinated with socialist views at school and through the youth group, the Pioneers.

What were the results of the communist education policies?

There were 6 key effects of the communists' education policies:

• ❖ The initial changes of 1919 created problems as schools lacked discipline.
• ❖ Many children did not attend, especially in the countryside, or disappeared at harvest time.
• ❖ Schools were underfunded during the civil war and New Economic Policy period, and schools still charged fees.
• ❖ By 1928, about 60% of primary aged children were in school. By 1932, that had increased to 95%.
• ❖ The literacy drive was incredibly successful as 90% of Soviet adults attended a course. By 1939, over 94% of the population was literate.
• ❖ The policy of collectivisation and Stalin's purges had a negative effect on education as teachers were attacked and removed from the workforce.