Education in former socialist countries (East Germany, Albania)

[Alistoriv]

Quote:`School in East Germany was not just a place for educational in the narrow sense of the word. Beside regular classes, schools also organised pioneer afternoons with different themes. On some, kids could bring their pets, on others we would be talking about holidays and we also spent a lot of pioneer`s afternoons playing outside in the forest.`

`The pioneer movement was the first preparation for children to become `good socialists`. We learnt how to behave properly. On special occasions like the first of May, we were wearing scouting-like uniforms that were different for each age group. I remember wearing a white shirt and a blue tie, which belonged to the youngest pioneers. The next higher group, `Th?lmann-pioneers` had white shirt and red ties.

The highest stage allowed pioneers to wear blue shirts and to become a member of the FDJ: Freie Deutsche Jugend (Free German Youth). The FDJ-ers sometimes organised events for us younger kids or they took care of us during the afternoon breaks. We greatly admired them. They were older and wiser than we were, which is quite something to look up to when you are 8 years old against their 12 years. I still find it a pity that I never became one. The regime collapsed before it was our turn.`

`Beside the pioneer movement, each class in school also had a `class council`, each of which had a president and a vice-president. Everybody was involved in the domestic tasks that had to be organised in school and everybody was made feel like they were a vital part of the system.

http://www.photologix.nl/useuropeans/index.php?post=338

Quote:“In the schools and in the University teachers and professors had to adopt new methods and learn to accept the criticism of students as part of their own socialist rehabilitation. A few found the extension of democratic centralism to the educational system, with students taking an active role in organizing school life, too much of a break with the old academic traditions they had hoped to see re-established. They were released to go into production work, perhaps, to return to teaching when they have learned from workers the socialist ideology of the working class. And students, too, had to learn more thoroughly that socialist education has nothing to do with getting a degree in order to become ‘a man of authority’ or to ‘secure a comfortable post with a fat salary’” (227).

“A student is judged not on the marks he gets in competition with his fellows but on the help he gives others in mastering subjects. So successful has the approach proved that in such places as the Tirana Secondary school of Culture students through mutual aid in lessons have realized a hundred percent promotion rate and earned commendation for the exemplary tidiness and protection of socialist property” (227).

http://revolutionaryspiritapl.blogspot.c...m.html?m=1

I thought it was interesting how different education was in these countries, and figured some people here would find it interesting as well.

[brainiac3397]

I wonder if there has been an indepth study done in the educational systems of Soviet-ers republics and satellites through various periods up till the collapse of the USSR. It actualy seems like a decent study and Id probably enjoy reading it. A lot of time is spent on the government and politics. Perhaps like...a study inti the microsociety(actual local administration and institution) rather than macrosociety (le central government functions and party politics)

[Alistoriv]

yeah most of what I've seen has been about how the government regulated education
I'm sure there's more stuff about the educational system in Albania in Pickaxe and Rifle but I haven't bothered to look for it

[Alistoriv]

Watch on YouTube

This video's pretty interesting. While the educational system in China now is really fucking bad, I've had a lot of trouble finding information on it before Deng came to power; especially during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (which isn't too surprising haha).

I've read about how great the education in Cuba is (not really a former socialist state, but still), but I can't really find specifics about how it works. From what I've seen though, it seems like it's similar to education here.

[Alistoriv]

Quote:With regard to teaching methods, teachers are recommended to
observe the following principles : (a) there must be active
participation, involving the awareness of the pupils in the
process of learning; (b) school must be connected with life
and work by requiring the pupils to undertake practical activ-
ities; © the school materials selected must be appropriate
to the characteristics of the subject taught; (d) the teaching
approach must be adapted to the pupils' age, especially in the
case of science, which requires a method emphasizing observa-
tion, demonstration and experimentation. Free discussion in
class is especially encouraged.

No yearly examinations are held in the primary classes.

https://archive.org/stream/ERIC_ED075319...9_djvu.txt

Quote:In the present system of education, the children study basic cultures, from 2 to 3 hours a day in the classroom with new kind of handbooks. But most particularly, in the remaining hours, they participate in the factories of making agricultural tools and spare parts, of repairing machinery and engines of different vehicles (cars, motorcycles, tractors, ...). In the cooperatives of agricultural production, they participate in all works: growing rice and vegetables, collecting and making natural fertilizers and insecticides, building dams, canals, reservoirs and different systems of irrigation, breeding oxen, and buffalos, raising pigs and poultry, ... They perfectly know the early rice, intermediary rice, late rice, the duration of their vegetative cycle. They know when, where and how to carry out the sowing and the planting out. They can tell the difference between low paddy-fields and high paddy-fields. They know how to master oxen and buffalos, being master of the nature in which they live. Briefly, they perfectly know the natural sciences of their country and are fond of production works, oxen, buffalos, fields and rice-fields, rice and other cultures, systems of irrigation, canals and other hydraulic achievements.

https://archive.org/details/DemocraticKa...ingForward
(remember that at the time of this being written, Cambodia was almost entirely agriculture, and recovering from a famine, so this type of education was useful)

[Ilija.m]

(12-01-2015 02:47 PM)Alistoriv Wrote:  

Quote:`School in East Germany was not just a place for educational in the narrow sense of the word. Beside regular classes, schools also organised pioneer afternoons with different themes. On some, kids could bring their pets, on others we would be talking about holidays and we also spent a lot of pioneer`s afternoons playing outside in the forest.`

`The pioneer movement was the first preparation for children to become `good socialists`. We learnt how to behave properly. On special occasions like the first of May, we were wearing scouting-like uniforms that were different for each age group. I remember wearing a white shirt and a blue tie, which belonged to the youngest pioneers. The next higher group, `Th?lmann-pioneers` had white shirt and red ties.

The highest stage allowed pioneers to wear blue shirts and to become a member of the FDJ: Freie Deutsche Jugend (Free German Youth). The FDJ-ers sometimes organised events for us younger kids or they took care of us during the afternoon breaks. We greatly admired them. They were older and wiser than we were, which is quite something to look up to when you are 8 years old against their 12 years. I still find it a pity that I never became one. The regime collapsed before it was our turn.`

`Beside the pioneer movement, each class in school also had a `class council`, each of which had a president and a vice-president. Everybody was involved in the domestic tasks that had to be organised in school and everybody was made feel like they were a vital part of the system.

http://www.photologix.nl/useuropeans/index.php?post=338

Quote:“In the schools and in the University teachers and professors had to adopt new methods and learn to accept the criticism of students as part of their own socialist rehabilitation. A few found the extension of democratic centralism to the educational system, with students taking an active role in organizing school life, too much of a break with the old academic traditions they had hoped to see re-established. They were released to go into production work, perhaps, to return to teaching when they have learned from workers the socialist ideology of the working class. And students, too, had to learn more thoroughly that socialist education has nothing to do with getting a degree in order to become ‘a man of authority’ or to ‘secure a comfortable post with a fat salary’” (227).

“A student is judged not on the marks he gets in competition with his fellows but on the help he gives others in mastering subjects. So successful has the approach proved that in such places as the Tirana Secondary school of Culture students through mutual aid in lessons have realized a hundred percent promotion rate and earned commendation for the exemplary tidiness and protection of socialist property” (227).

http://revolutionaryspiritapl.blogspot.c...m.html?m=1

I thought it was interesting how different education was in these countries, and figured some people here would find it interesting as well.

Interesting thread i think the Balkan countries have the same kind of education such you have giving

[Alistoriv]

Breaking With Old Ideas gives some interesting insights about education during the Cultural Revolution, as well as the values and conditions that gave rise to it. It's a pretty good movie too (cheesy as all hell though.)

https://archive.org/details/Breaking_With_Old_Ideas

[thewake]

>mao
>democratizing education

topkek

[Alistoriv]

nice meme you have there friend :^)

[thewake]

meme's are all I need to refute mao