The Washington times., 1923-04-01
WILLIAM RESWICk
"Russia's School System Has Been Held Up, Not Beaten
By New PoEcy--Situation Seems Critical But
By No Means Hopeless

Z
They are given ample oppcftuhity
to deliberate. but having once
arrived at . decision they must
I'VE up strictly to the terms Of
the contract.
As q result ~ this policy d
rather substantial number cf
schools have bsen opened up IN
Ukraine and other sections Of the
country since last October. Some
states seem TO be rising to the
occasion, ~ evidenced by the
recent decision Of the states
CGuberniasl Of NovgorOd. Sina-
girsk. Riasan and smolenslE. 70
contribute toward the support Of
their schools from IS to 50 per
cent Of their respective budgets.
Agreeing in the main with
Lenin. Lunarcharsky IN his recent
report to the tenth Soviet Com
gress, pointed out that the cOndi-
tion as q whole remains critical
in spite Of the slight improves
ment in the Ukraine and . few
other states.
FIRST EXIST, THEN STUDY.
'svIadimir Ylyen Neninl." said
Lunarcharslxy, is right. when he
says that by failing to support
our heavy industry we win not
only be able to develop as q So
cialist country. but win lose our
independence.
First exist and then study.
sAnd yet the school has been
forgotten. We should have re.
membered and emphasized our be-
lief that the peoples conmissa-
riat Of education il q productive
commissariat, and that we must
therefore support it.
''If you viii go into 3 factory
and observe things, You win find
there. besides machines, oil and
fuel, q man who can produce ana
without whom the enterprise must
cease.
'.The narcompros, the peoples
commissariat Of education, pro-
vides you with the man, the pro-
Queer"
In the course Of his remarks
to the Tenth Congress, Lunarch-
sky entered an emphatic plea In
behalf Of the much-suffering Rus
sian teacher. It appeared from
the commissary's report that the
average teacher in Russia, up to
a recent date. got no more than
IL per cent Of the mipfnunl re-
CURED to hold body and soul to-
gether.
In dollars and cents. or to Be
more exact, in gold rubles and
kopelxs, it amounted to no more
than two rubles and ninety ko-
peks month, or $1.45. This mini
mum has been slightly raised Of
late. but the raise is far from suf-
ficient.
CARE FOR ORPHANS.
One of the most humane
achievements OF the Soviets was
their tender care for the thou
sands Of orphans left by war and
revolution. The way these waits
are being cared for called forth
the unmixed admiration Of every
foreign observer.
In 1921 the central government
cared for no less than 600 900
such orphans, One Of the results
Of the new policy was a drastic
cut in the number, to $4,000.
Here, too, the responsibility was
shifted to the local governments,
and strenuous attempt is being
made to provide as many OF
these unfortunate children as
possible with some semblance of
a home.
The result was almost the
same as that Of shifting the re-
sponsibility for the maintenance
OF schools. Some local govern
ments less afflicted by the fam-
inc gave adequate response,
while those of the famine area
failed utterly.
Hence, the great number of
destitute children that the Soviet
government must, according to
Lunarcharsl<y, provide with shell
ter at once, lest they perish.
The situation as a whole seems
critical, but by no means hope
less. It would be absurd to as
sumo that the Soviet government
is blind to the danger. Lunarch-
arsky is an old and trained
leader. If we are to Judge by
past experience. his call WIN be
needed, and Russia viii. In the
near future, once again Witness q
vigorous educational revival.
Brides Mother