The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-03-08
WORKERS CHILDREN IN
CAPITALIST AMERICA
Speedily and War Preparations in the Amer
lean Schools.


lean Schools.
The stretch-out system is being introduced
into the American public schools, and, of
course, it is the workers children and the edu-
cation workers who are suffering. Teachers
and other education workers burdens have
been increased by heightened work day, larger
classes, and the adding of new duties such
as extra curricula activities" In many To-
calities,. their pay has been held back because
of 'lack of funds" The pressure for teachers
conformity to capitalist dictates has tremen-
dousy increased, with school boards follow
ing open-shop and company union policies. The
growing ferment among this generally back.
ward group of workers is expressing itself in
various ways. Recently teachers strike took
place in Wilkes-Barre, Pa, and the teachers
of Bloomington have threatened to strike Il
their back pay is not forthcoming.
The capitalist class makes every use of the
public schools to mseducate working class
youth on all questions which vitality concern
them, such as the role of labor in American
history, unionsm and the revolutionary move
ment imperialist war; and the Soviet Union.
This is done by legislative control of texts,
firing of all teachers who refuse to follow
reactionary instructions, and various means Of
propaganda used by the Power Trust, Amer
lean Legion, Chamber of Commerce, and SIM
liar organizations. If space permitted, many
concrete illustrations of how this is done could
be cited. Religious organizations also have
their opportunities to propaganda youth in
the public schools, while approximately 100000
working class children attend parochal schools,
run by the Catholic Church, in which the most
violent anti-red and pro- Catholic propaganda
is advanced. -spQ,assssss
With the approaching imperia1ist war, the
ruling class have increased their control of the
schools and utilize them more and more as one
means of preparing for imperialist war and
war against the Soviet Union. Practically
every state has made instruction in American
History compulsory subject, and the avowed
purpose of this is "to inculcate sentiments of
patriotism, to teach them the high duty of citi-
zenship, both in times of peace and war;" Mill
tary training has been introduced into more
than % high schools, and this movement is
steadily gaining momentum In Omaha, mill
tary training has been enlarged to include
training for girls.
The ruling class have had the active CO.
operation of the A. F. of L. The teachers
union, affiliated to the A. F. of L.. is very
weak numerically and follows a no-strike, pa
cifist policy. The socialists and Musteites
have complete control of the union, and use it
as the base for their political maneuverng
WIFI tHe IdkerS.
Working Class Struggle Against Imperial
ism's Control of Schools
The American working class, under the lead
ership of the Communist Party, must vigor-
ously combat these capitalist devices. All the
forces of the Party, the YCL and the Pion-
GERS, must be modified, together with the T.
U. U. L., including its revolutionary fraction
of education workers. Working Glass Councils
OF Education should be organized, as has been
so successfully done in England, composed of
representatives of all working class organiza-
tons, including wage-earnng parents associa
tons. An important political struggle can be
waged by the c. P. against imperialism's use
of the schools, for abolition of the jim Crow
schools and all other forms of class discrimina
ton, for adequate school facilities in working
class areas, for free milk and lunches in the
schools, for militant unionism of education
workers, especially the most exploited section.
and for the overthrow of the capitalist gov.
eminent and the establishment of Workers
and Poor Farmers Government, under which
the American workers children will have. for
the first time, full opportunity for a gen.
uine, working class education.