SCHOOL TO WORK TRAINING IN THE USSR \doc\web\98\08\ussrstw.txt The book: "Controversy in U.S. Education," An Anthology of Crucial Issues," Harold Full, Queens College CCNY, copyright 1967 FOURTH PRINTING 1968. MacMillan Company. (College Text) "Opportunities for additional education beyond compulsory education are substantial: 16 yr. olds may go on to complete secondary education in either general or technical schools or part-time while working. [STW???] The more talented may continue, after completing any type of secondary education, to higher education." Date sent: Fri, 23 Oct 1998 13:04:18 -0400 To: 71524.2205@compuserve.com From: Joan Battey Subject: 1967 Soviet Educ./1998 US Clones TO ALL; A friend asked us to dispose of another bag of books from her late husband's accumulation, acquired over more years of activism than many of us can claim. It reinforces my feeling that attention to education earlier on might have saved us from the fate that awaits the U.S. in the near future. Attention to education now is too late as a single focus. The book: "Controversy in U.S. Education," An Anthology of Crucial Issues," Harold Full, Queens College CCNY, copyright 1967 FOURTH PRINTING 1968. MacMillan Company. (College Text) [Note: I haven't read the whole book, and can't do so at this time. The following is the result of a random flip to "see how it ended."] Final section in the anthology: Problems in Evaluating Soviet Education, by Semour M. Rosen, reprinted from Comparative Education Review, Oct. 1964: Just a few snippets should give you an idea of what is the basis of current American "reforming of education." "...in the Soviet system diploma engineers are used as engineers, but they are also used in very large numbers in positions which should be held by technicians with less training and to some extent in administrative posts which could be held by persons with other kinds of training." "Soviet state planners. . .have consistently set quotas in higher schools, placing heavy priority on those fields which would primarily support industrial growth." [Note: in the late '60s, industrial growth was what was needed by Soviet society. In the late '90s, the quotas will place priority on fields which would support the businesses involved in partnerships with govt. and education.] "The Soviet system has been successful in a number of areas in the field of education: "Opportunities for additional education beyond compulsory education are substantial: 16 yr. olds may go on to complete secondary education in either general or technical schools or part-time while working. [STW???] The more talented may continue, after completing any type of secondary education, to higher education." "Education at all levels, from primary school through graduate training is free of tuition." [Clinton rhetoric, 1998] "At the secondary specialized and higher education levels, the system binds students to a 3-yr. job assignment following graduation. This may be viewed either as onerous or as a guarantee of a job after graduation, or as a combination of both." [STW; teacher training; workforce tracking of employees 5 years beyond completion of education. U.S. 1998] "Education Linked With Life: A major aspect of the education reform of 1958 (USSR) transforming 7-yr. and 10-yr. schools of general education into 8-yr. and 11-yr. 'general education labor-polytechnical schools with production training,' has been largely completed. This represents a considerable achievement toward meeting the state's declared goals for 'education linked with life.'" [See every possible education document, plan, program and conference agenda, U.S., 1998] "Of the various facets of polytechnical education for regular school pupils, the increase of practical training courses in schools, involving training of each pupil in one vocational specialty while continuing regular academic studies, appears to be more successful than the practical training pupils receive in factories as part of the regular school program. Factory managers concerned with meeting productin quotas as primarily concerned with avoiding disruption of their operations. Pupils are frequently given menial tasks to perform rather than work which will give them insight into over-all processes and the fundamentals of factory production." [PLEASE, EVERYONE: Read the above carefully. It is the combination of the plans and the pitfalls currently being railroaded in in every state, contrary to the deliberately misleading public statements made by those doing the railroading.] The article goes on to indicate that the greatest percentage -- 85 to 90 percent of all students are "studying in some 700 specialized institutes, primarily in NARROW ASPECTS OF engineering, ag sciences, economics, medicine, pedagogy and other fields. THE REMAINDER are in 40 universitites, training intensively in a SOMEWHAT BROADER FIELD of natural sciences, social sciences, or humanities." "Graduates emerge from the system with the theoretical background of the general field of specialization and intensive study and training in institute specialties.." [NOTE: The specialties are partially listed by NUMBER and OCCUPATIONS WITHIN THE NUMBER. "tHE NUMBERS PRECEDING EACH SPECIALTY ARE OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT CLASSIFICATIONS BY WHICH HIGHER EDUCATION ADMISSION QUOTAS ARE MADE, STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED, AND GRADUATES ARE ASSIGNED WORK." Exactly what is on the books here, but denied emphatically by educrats, politicians and gullible parents and taxpayers.] The article ends with descriptions of putting "graduate students" out of schools and into government ministries to carry on their studies and research, to set up higher technical schools WITHIN industrial facilities, to establish "science cities" WHERE DEFICITS OF PERSONNEL EXIST. The primary vehicle for research and development of the public schools is the equivalent of our teachers training facilities. Differentiated training (general and polytechnic) is to be explored in schools. And: reduction of regular courses to the catch-all "Social Studies" is outlined. Interesting sentence at the end: "Successes in terms of Soviet education goals. . . .are not models to be emulated by societies with democratic goals. . ." JOAN