The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1920-04-30
ARTICLE 5.
Workingclass Education

lSh IaDOr movement Win iVsPOSb !"
improved working-class educational
standards. One is for demoeratization
of education in general with the total
elimination of illiteracy as its first
objective, and the ultimate aim that
lack of money or social standing shall
not prevent anv boy or girl from re-
eeivinc university training, if he OF
she desires to pursue studies to far
The other campaign directed at the
immediate necessity rather than the
future ideal, is the one now receiving
the most emphasis. It is the work
which is being done by correspondence
classes and trade union schools and col
leges to train men and women of the
present generation for executive pc
sition in the labor movement OF TO-DAY
Of the organizations Low engaged III
training their students to be more et'
ficient workers in the labor NOV
ement the Labor College at London,
Rrskir College at Oxford and the
Workers Educational Association
which penetrates all sections of the
country. are easily the most important
There are fundamental differences be;
tween each Of the three but they are
identical in their aim of making cheap
and uncontrolled educational facilities
available to the adult working class
Ruskin College, the oldest of the
three mentioned, was founded in 1899
for the purpose of providing education
in the social sciences for working-claSs
students and it is interesting that the
establishment fnnds were originally
provided by two Americans, Mr.. and
Mrs. Walker Vrooman. From the be-
ginning Ruskin College has maintained
an absolute independence of outside
control which makes it a landmark in
the history of education. Courses are
chosen and methods of tuition regul
ated by the discretion of the faculty
alone. The college is a successful ey
pertinent in the field of academic
freedom. But because of this stoutly
maintained independence Ruskin Col
lege is subjected to fire of hostile
criticism from two quarters. Those
who believe that education and edu
Gators should be under the control Of
capitalist boards of trustees regarc
it as a dangerous tool of revolution
while those who are wholehearted rev
olutionists continually criticize Rustir
as not sufficiently class.conseious il
its teaching.
The latter argument is never ad
vanced against the Labor College IL
London, formerly kntw as the Cent
al Labor College. This institution wai
established in 1909 by groups formerly
affiliated with Ruskin College which
had come to believe that the latter
Lad become too academic and "neut
lal". Founded expressly to fill the
need of an educational institution
teaching nothing but revolutionary
Socialism the Labor College has gone
.-steadify ahead On this deai:- II rs afeos afoS
per cent class-conseious in inspiratio:
and teaching and it holds as consist
emily as do the I. w. W. to the frs
clause Of its constitution, which reads
-"the college to be based upon tn
recognition of the antagonism of in
terest between capital and labor. "
In. spite of this gulf between th
procedure of the two colleges they ar
both integral parts of the labor NOV
ement and each derives its financia
support at the present time from trad
union contributions. On the govern
ing council of Ruskin College ar
found officers of the Weavers' Union
the Northumberland Miners. the Anal
gamated Society of Engineers, tn
Cooperative Union, and the Genera
Federation of Trade Unions. The Labo
College is owned and controlled en-
tirely by two radical and very power
ful unions - the South Wales Miners
Federation and the National Union o
Railwaymen. The general -.opinion il
the labor movement is that in spit
of the sharp differences in the tw
institutions there is room and to spar
for both; that the Labor College grad
yates do invaluable work in stimu
alton and strenthening the industris
side Of the labor movement in pre-
paration for the advent of the Socia
ist state, and that the Ruslsin COlleg
graduates are not less valuable a
educated men and women fitted 70
constructive leadership in general SCI
vice under that state.
AS might be expected the curriculum
of Ruskin College is much broade
than that of the Labor College. whic
pays little attention to anything bu
straight MARKHAM Socialism and its of
shoots. Marx is in no way minimize
at the former institution. but his teaci
ings are there regarded as phas
rather than the center of economic an
industrial history. At the Labor Co
lege everything is subordinated
turning effective propagandists. Ru
kin is as careful that its gradual,
should remain in the labor movemen
but aims 10 fit every student for IL
full realization of his possibilities rat
or than to make him merely an ag
tator. In bringing about tde owe
throw Of Capitalism the Labor Collie.
will be the more effective of the tw
In insuring that Socialism, once Q
tablshod, is maintained in Englar
Ruskin will do the best work.
At both institutions the number
students in residence Is no criterion
influence. Each college has abo,
thirty boarders. mostly maintained {
Scholarships by the supporting ira,
unions. The Labor College also HI
about sixty day students and plal
to open dormitory for won,
boarders. Ruskin has recetly open,
its Womens' Hotel, and countir
the new women trade unionist student
has thereby increased its student rc
to forty. The full-time course
each college takes two years.
A large part Of the influence /,
both institutions comes from the co