The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-11-04
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Meetings -
WORKERS. SCHOOL
TEACHERS MEET
FOR FIRST Time
Organize Council to
Meet Problems

evening, October 20, the teachers of
the Workers School held their first
meeting. The object of the meeting
was to organize permanent council
to cooperate with the district agit-
prop department in connection with
the educational work in this district
Comrade Wolfe was chairman of the
meeting.
Link School With Aoitprop.
A communication from the nation
al agitprop department of the party
was read, in which the object of the
educational work of the party was
declared to be the political education
of the party as a whole, linked up
with the practical problems of the
party and of the working class, and
which also outlined in general the
method and conduct Of school work
the party this year, The keynote
Of our educational work should be
What Is Needed in the Party" r..
In discussing this communication.
Comrade Wolfe laid before the group
the party's new conception Of the edu-
cational work as part of and sub
ordinate to the political agitation and
propaganda of the party, to be de-
signed to definitely serve the party's
needs in its major campaigns. This
is the spirit in which we must ap-
preach our work We must get away
from the old social-democratic forms.
not only in organization but also in
education. Our education should not
be the monopoly of a select few or an
abstract academic thing. The agit.
prop department, which will central.
lie all educational work of the party.
is to be flexible instrument for the
major campaigns of the party. All
| courses are to be tied up with party
campaigns in America. English class
es will have definite political content.
| The "Marxism" course will not be
"timeless and placeless," but will be
"Americanized," linked up with con-
crete American problems. The course
in Fundamentals of Communism will
not only use Bukharin's text in A. B.
G. of Communism, but will add ma
terial created out Of our political
needs here and written for American
workers. These aims will necessarily
revolutionize our teaching method.
The lecture system must be abandon
ed; teachers must aim for self-activ-
ity of students. The question method
is advised.
Want Student. Representation.
General discussion followed, in
which all teachers present gave their
opinions as to the objects and func-
lions of the projected teachers coun-
Gil. Comrade Wolfe brot together
most of these ideas in his summary
as follows:
1. "The essential problem for the
teachers council is to bring the teach
ers and students together in close
contact with the district agitprop de-
partment, (whicHl is the representa-
tive of the paffy), we make for the
best possible policy in the agitprop
department. Teachers and students
should be REPRESENTED in an advisory
capacity on the agitprop department
when it is disclosing school prob
lens. -
2. The difficulty of getting texts
together which are suitable for our
needs will make for compromise be-
tween the teacher as lecturing text
book" and "the teacher as a teach
err" Subcommittee of the council
will work on mimeographing suitable
outlines for students. Out of this
council can thus come outlines, and,
later, texts. These outlines, supple
mented by the question method, will
be suitable method
3. The council can correlate the
different courses.
4. 1t can gather material ethat can
be used by other courses and be kept
ron permanent file.
5. Student representation on coun-
Gil will give teachers an idea of what
students are thinking about them and
their methods, and vice versa.
6. Council can perform some adj
ministrative tasks; in organization of
classes, collections offices, supervision
of teachings, etc.1 "
Z. 1t can plan FORUMS and correlate
all party forums.
s. Most importaKtof all-it can ap-
ply the political policy of the party to
educational work. Every course can
be made to serve the direct political
needs OF the party. In all courses,
practical problems. such as labor
party, Loreism, bolshevization, de-
Tense of Soviet Russia, etc, can en-
ter.
Next Meeting Nov. 5.
A committee was elected to report
on the progress of organization OF the
teachers council body at the next
meeting. Wolfe, Bosse, Trachtenberg,
ELI Jacobson were elected.
The next meeting of all teachers
will take place on Thursday, Novem-
Der 5, s p. m. All teachers should
attend. Come and do your share in