Evening star., 1931-12-20

scientists who die or are expelled. the
Soviet government advances the Red
scientist" Often these men are mis-
erably ignorant. but 1T Is by faithful
ness to the proletarian cause, and not
by talent or work. that scientific ca
reers are now made in Moscow.
Recently Stain who hitherto was
the chief inSpirer OF this policy of in
tolerance, declared himself in favor of
not only a more human attitude but
even certain degree Of friendliness
toward technical experts loyal to the
Soviet regime Does that term include
ali scientists and professors, or only
certain group of them ,that is to say,
such technical experts in the precise
meaning of the word as chemists. pro-
tessors of engineering. etc.? And to
what extent and for how long will this
change Of policy improve their posi-
ton? That remains 10 be seen.
1t Is especially in its school policy
that the religiously proselyting char
acter Of the Soviet government is re-
vealed. Its purpose Is not merely to
educate, but to educate ideal Com
mNnistS" 1t is here that one of the
causes of its sincere educational zeal
lies, not only that it badly needs en-
gineerS, architects, etc, without whom
Russia cannot Be transformed into an
industrial paradiSe-it needs still more
young generation Of "faithfuls" with
out whom the domina ton Of the Com
munlSt Church In Russia could not
continue.
Who has the right to receive educa-
ton in Russia?
In theory the Soviets would wish to
educate each citizen. But even primary
schools cannot accommodate all: as for
secondary schools and universities they
as yet are far too few
Preference Is Necessary.
How then, are the lucky children to
be selected On the basis of the class
principle" preference is given to the
children of privileged classes"-of city
Workmen and of poor" and medium
peasants. Children of "kulaks" well
to-do peasants, priests, ex-noblemen
and ex-bourgeOisl-of classes which ag-
gregate few millionS-remsin behind
the flag. Arm the proletarian children
by educating them and diSarm the
bourgeois ones by denying them educa-
tion'-such is the principle.
This leads to numerous tragedies.
Exasperated, the daughter Of an ex-
nobleman or the son Of an ex-factory
owner sometimes will forge her or his
documents and thus secure admission
to university But woe to such class
enemies in disguise" II they are dis
closed! They are tried and severely
punished and yet, in their desperate
struggle for education thousands Of
youths attempt the disguise.
1t is true that a youth of mon
proletarian extraction" can better his
fate also in legal manner by "re-
nouncing ones parents"
Il, the undersigned. abhor the views
OF my father, who is a priest tor
kulak.' etc), renounce him and never
will have anything to do with him
again"
If, after that, he succeeds in winning
the confidence Of a labor union and in
being adopted into the proletarian
class" the stain on his birth Is washed
oH-he can enter a university on an
equal footing with a proletarian
The normal Soviet school is CO.
educational continuous school," sub
divided into two grades-the four-year
primary school and the three-year
secondary school. Having finished the
SeVen-year course, the young folk can
enter higher educational institutions.
Up to 1929, when the normal course
took up nine and not seven years, the
oAiouAAS VI hlIoWltuSc required from
children IN such subjects as mathe-
matics, physics. grammar geography
and one or two foreign languages,
French or German, was, at least In
theory, approximately the same Is in
most of the Continental European
schools. But now, with the abbreviation
of the course, these general educational
subjects have been considerably cur
tailed. Most of the schools have been
attached to this or that factory" and
are being put on the technical basis
that is, children are supposed to become
acquainted with the working OF some
industrial enterprise which, upon being
graduated, they may enter. This is the
newest Soviet experiment
Political Side Center.
But the center OF gravity Of the
Soviet school curriculum lies in its
political side.
1t lies. first Of all, in "politgramota.
or political literacy," which throughout
the course remains the most important
subject. 1t is the catechism of the
Communist religion. It includes atheism,
the Marxist and feminist materialism
and economics and the history of vari-
Gus revolutionary movements. As
separate subject history Is not taught