Education: The Curriculum Flashcards
What did the communists hope for education?
They had high hopes
BUT
During the civil war there were insufficient resources to achieve their goal of providing free polytechnic education to all children 8-17
What was education like before 1921?
Not a fucking priority. They’re literally fighting a fucking civil war why would they give a fuck about educating shitty smelly peasant boys and girls or their sexist, backward parents when they could fill their pride with victory and fight for their ideology, fucking retard.
Many schools were requisitioned by the army and turned into stores or barracks— in some areas education ceased
What happened to education during the NEP?
Schooling expanded —
From 1927 fees for primary schools were abolished,
and from then on the majority of children received a four-year primary education.
By 1928– about 60% of soviet children of primary school age were in school (around 10% more than prior to the revolution)
What was secondary education like 1917-28?
Largely unreformed.
Received limited Central funding.
Only children from wealthy families got a full secondary education.
What happened to education under Stalin?
It expanded
And the government, at the same time, established tight control over the curriculum
What curriculum reform occurred under stalin?
His goal was to create a new generation of disciplined, Patriotic Society citizens who could work effectively in factories.
Soooooo his curriculum (introduced in the early 1930s) focused on:
• core subjects— eg. reading, writing, maths, science
• the history of ‘great men’ & national heroes: Ivan the terrible, Peter the Great
• strictly regimented discipline
What happened to the different levels of education under Stalin?
Primary education expanded significantly.
By 1953, official figures showed:
• almost 100% of 8 to 12 year olds gained the full four years of primary education
• Around 65% of 12 to 17 year olds gained some secondary education
• around 20% of 15 to 17 year olds completed secondary education
University education also expanded:
1927– 170,000
1953– 1.5 million
Were there educational inequalities under Stalin?
Yes.
Access to secondary school and university was still limited.
Fees were maintained in the higher levels of education to:
- keep educational costs down
SIGNIFICANTLY, the Communist Party and trade unions offered scholarships and grants to help students access higher education
BUT
The system favoured the kids of Party officials.
Sum up education under K and Brezhnev?
K: education, along with much else, was in need of reform BUT his reforms were unpopular and so
Brezhnev restores much of the Stalinist curriculum after Khruschev’s fall
What were Khrushchev’s reforms in education?
Determined to improve schooling soooo:
• MERGED small country schools to improve standards in rural areas
• DOUBLED the number of schools in towns and cities
• invested in TEACHER training and recruitment; reducing class sizes improved education
• ABOLISHED FEES for students attending secondary schools (1956+)
• shifted the balance of the curriculum away from the traditional subjects towards VOCATIONAL training
• replaced exams with CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT
• ended the right of head teachers to EXPEL students
What happened to education 1964-85?
Senior communists believed Khruschev’s reforms undermined the academic excellence of the soviet system.
SO
Brezhnev’s too educational priority was to reverse Khruschev’s educational reforms:
• a more traditional curriculum was reinstated
• vocational training of 16-19 year old students in factories and farms ended
What happened to textbooks 1964-85?
Updated in the 70s to reflect the latest scientific discoveries
BUT
Curriculum remained largely unchanged throughout the 70s and early 1980s
Indeed, by 1985 students were still required to study the same mix of subjects established in 1947
