Soviet education is brought close to life HY is it it necessary to W reorganize Soviet edu- cation? What is the reason for the demand to bring education closer to life? What will be the position after reorganization? These were the questions Sam Russell put to Evgeni Afanesenko, minister of education in the Russian Federation, and here is his report of the interview. xt 5 3 @ HE Russian Federation is T the biggest of the 15 re- publics of the USSR. Al- though there is a minister of higher education for the whole country, each repub- lic has its own minister of education responsible for secondary schools. é Evgeni Afanesenko, min- ister of education in the Russian Federation, explain- ed to me how the new Sov- iet plans for education con- stitute a new step forward. Just take this one figure. Today about 30 million children study at secondary schools of the Soviet Union. Under the new plan this figure will rise to over 42 million by 1965. “The success achieved by our country in the educa- tional field,” said Afanesen- ko, “have been hailed by the whole world, friends and foes alike. “But we can no longer shut our eyes to the fact that our schools have begun to lag behind the needs of our society — a society that is moving toward commu- nism.” Educationists had been experimenting for. some years with new types of schools. In the Russian Fed- eration there were now 200 schools providing an ll- year course of polytechnical secondary education where in the last two grades the young people spend two or three days a week working in factories or farms. “In our view,” said Afan- esenko,: “the only way to ensure that knowledge gained at school is not for- gotten later is to combine study with productive work. I asked him about Krush- chev’s statement that so far only 80 percent of all child- ren who started school in fact completed the full seven years. “We do not hide the fact,” he replied. “We plan state assistance to parents to en- and gigantic able their children to com- plete the full eight-year course: “Some people abroad are trying to claim that we in- tend to replace the aim of ten-year schooling, set at the 20th congress of ‘our Communist party, by an eight-year school,” he con- tinued. “This is a gross misrepre- sentation. The eight-year school replaces the seven- year school — not the sec- ondary school — and will be only the first stage of secondary education. “In the second stage young people will receive a full secondary education in establishments of various types, in place of the single type of senior secondary school as at present. “Most will go to second- ard schools for young work- ers and farmers, and there will also be three-year sec- ondary schools giving trades training, and special techni- cal schools. “Exsisting special schools for children who show spe- cial aptitude in music, bal- let and the fine arts will be retained and extended, and schools are planned for children gifted in mathe- matics, physics, chemistry and biology.” “Until recently our sec- ondary schtools contented themselves with preparing young people for entry into the universities and other higher educational estab- lishments. “But with the growing number of children complet- ing full secondary educa- tion, it was obvious that they could not all enter the universities or institutes, however fast we developed them. “The majority were going more and more into industry and agriculture, which in- creasingly need fully edu- cated young people, prepar- ed for life. That is where we found our schools want- ing. “The new techniques of industry and agriculture de- mand young people trained to handle the newest ma- chines and automation tech- niques.” “Education will continue to be completely free at all levels and, in addition, pupils will be paid for their work in industry and agri- culture.” SAM RUSSELL Fifteen thousand workers at International Nickel Company’s operations at Sudbury (above) — and Port Colborne are fighting back against all attempts of the giant U.S.-controlled mom opoly to starve them back to work. But with the united support of all labor they can wil Their battle is your battle. Will you help? (See appeal on page 1) STRIKE CONCERNS ALL LABOR Militancy of workers thwarts — Inco’s carefully laid schemes HE breakdown of negotia- tions between Inco and Mine-Mill makes it fairly clear ” that the company is de- termined to drag the strike out for some time, at least un- til its stockpile of nickel has been eliminated. And if this means sitting tight until spring, this is quite all right with the company. So much for the morality and benefi- cence of that U.S. corporation which like most other such corporations, always places its profits above the interests of the people. Certainly in face of the rail- way settlement which perhaps more than other recent settle- ments, put an end to the Die- fenbaker government’s “hold the line” policy, Inco’s posi- tion, to put it mildly, is com- pletely untenable. What line is it holding when. company after company has finally been compelled to make some wage concessions? And when the government itself was forced to discard that disreput- able policy? Putting it plainly and sim- ply, Inco is waiting for an ap- propriate’ moment to raise prices. And if in the meantime it can starve the men and their families and weaken their un- ion it feels it will have struck a good bargain. This is Inco’s strategy. But it hasn’t worked out according to schedule. xt *t % Inco banked on the fact that the miners and smeltermen, the majority of whom had never been on strike before, would not have-the stamina to long strike and would thus compel the union withstand a to accept a cheap settlement. But this has not been, the way the men reacted. If anything, they have de- manded more militant policies from their elected leadership so as to help them win® The strikers stand solid with their union and are determined to continue the strike until vic- tory is assured. Inco miscalculated on an- other front as well. It based itself on the hope that the un- ion, not being affiliated to the Canadian Labor Congress, would be completely isolated and receive no moral or ma- terial support from the rest of the trade union* movement. But here too, it failed to take into account the temper of the workers and their growing awareness of the importance of solidarity. The movement of solidarity from all parts of the country, including church and other bodies, would indicate that workers understand this strike to be theirs as much as it is the strike of the miners and smeltermen. And this in fact is the case. Inco has not only challenged the miners and their union. It has challenged the majority of the Canadian people. That challenge must be met head on. at 8 x For the miners and smelter- man and their families this December 12, 1958 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAG® strike is not a bed of ost They need the “ammunitiol with which to conduct the strike over the winter montli against that giant U.S.-o corporation. And the entire if bor movement must give 8 erously to help them hold ¥ ~ line. In fact, with a settlement ™ railway, and a possible set ment in auto, the Inco § : and its successful cone ought to become the first pe cecupation of all sections labor. In the meantime, in facé Inco’s_ calculated © policy ihe starvation and submission, ob labor movement ought to bie Mine-Mill in its demand ~~ the Ontario government ¢ it take over the plant and ° fect a settlement in the terests of the. miners, a families and the neon a That U.S.-owned corporate nt cannot be allowed to Pi.) ducks and drakes with Canadian people. Nor cat | Ontario Conservative gov, ment of Premier Leslie. . be permitted to continue ale do-nothing policy which £4¥ ~ Inco. tpot a WILLIAM KASH? Exchange scientist WO Soviet scientists, D™ A.Drogaitsev and: Pro I. Mandelshtam, are in BY to lectura at Oxford, bridge and Liverpool univ® ties under an exchange gram.