3-GORBACHEV+Chagarlamudi,+Ramya


 * SOVIET REFORM IN THE GORBACHEV ERA:** EDUCATION

1. What was the situation for that institution before Gorbachev became Premier?

Before the Bolshevik Revolution, about 28.4% of the Russian population was literate. Following the Russian Civil War, there was an even larger decline in the number of schools and student attendance. Dthe 8th Party Congress of 1919, it was specified that creating a __Socialist__ education system was a major aim of the Soviet government. The first attempt of education reform had come Oct. 1, 1918, when all schools became known as "Uniform Labour Schools". Under Lenin the Sovnarkom decree was issued in December 1919 and the policy of likbez was introduced--this was a universal system of compulsory education. It increased the literacy rate to approximately 56%. During the 1920s, an important aspect of education reform included indigenization, or the inclusion of non-Russian languages in the government and media to contend with Russification and to increase overall education levels. Following this the curriculum was radically changed and individual subjects were abolished in favor of "complex themes". Before the 1980s and Gorbachev, most of the curriculum, especially Social Sciences, was dominated by Marxist-Leninist ideologies.

"Where higher education had existed in these countries it had been elitist, and in most cases, denied to peasants and the working classes, and even to women of the upper classes. Illiteracy among the masses was widespread. This changed under the egalitarian ideals of Socialism. A primary goal was to eradicate illiteracy. In all these countries dynamic growth in enrollments and in the number of higher education institutions took place under Communist rule. Special emphasis was put on programs of study for workers, allowing them access to higher education while working." [3] [Some Aspects of Soviet Education, Leslie W. Ross]

2. How did that institution interpret the application of those policies to it?

The changes caused by //perestroika// were for the most part held favorable by teachers working in the education system. Teachers were glad they didn't have to "waste time in the classroom, repeating the old rhetoric, glorifying the state, or denouncing capitalism". They felt more freedom without supervisors or inspectors breathing down their necks. They felt eager to teach their students the truth, but in terms of supplies (textbooks, calculators, etc.) they were not able to progress as they hoped to.

"//Question:// Has the Soviet Union's development of scientific studies led to any neglect of general cultural education? //Answer:// The curricula of the Soviet schools are specially directed toward fostering general cultural education. In addition to mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, the elements of production, and draughtsmanship, they provide for the study of those subjects which give the students a knowledge of the humanities, an aesthetic education, and a high standard of general cultural attainment. . . ." [1] [Education in the Soviet Union, Victor Peters]

3. How did the Soviet state apply those policies to that institution, and what were the effects?

In 1985, Gorbachev submitted a plan for political and economic reform under the concept of perestroika, including education. Perestroika was a "set of mobilizing strategies aimed at resolving contradictions and initiating reform" [2]. The reform was initiated through glasnost, or openness, and encouraged candid treatment of important issues. An important part of this reform was the call for an intensification of scientific and technical progress. In order to attain all the goals of perestroika, Gorbachev knew it would require a different type of Soviet person and therefore a different educational system. Policy reform included provoking a closer integration of education with the requirements of the economy. Intense pressure was placed on students to pursue vocational careers, and to steer students towards jobs needed in the labor force. Gorbachev began sending signals that educators were free to concentrate on education because political dogma would no longer be enforced in schools. //Effects:// "Finally, Soviet educational reforms from 1984 and beyond have been implemented unevenly, suggesting that a more highly stratified educational and social system will surface. With this will come the awareness that status is determined above all by one's education and the prestige of the school bestowed it. The problem that this may or may not create is a matter of conjecture and a matter for follow-on research". [2] [Impact of Perestroika and Glasnost on Soviet Education: A Historical Perspective for Follow-On Research, Chuck Sweeney]

4. What was the significance of Gorbachev's reforms as it pertained to that institution?

In the 20th century the USSR went from a country where the majority of the population was illiterate (*The new Communist government did to make it seem like illiteracy was a lot more rampant than it was before they came, but illiteracy was actually still a big issue) to a school system where although illiteracy was addressed even in rural areas, political ideology infused every subject. In the 80s, Gorbachev changed all that by bringing back individual subjects and taking political dogma out of classrooms in order to create the "New Soviet man". Gorbachev saw education as integral to any progress the USSR made (economically, geopolitcally, etc.)

[4] [Outlines of the Educational Systems of the USSR and Eastern European Countries, Marilyn Umehara]

//Bibliography//: 1. Peters, Victor. "Education in the Soviet Union." //The Phi Delta Kappan// 37.9, Trends in World Education (1956): 421-25. //JSTOR//. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. . 2. Sweeney, Chuck. "IMPACT OF PERESTROIKA AND GLASNOST ON SOVIET EDUCATION." //IMPACT OF PERESTROIKA AND GLASNOST ON SOVIET EDUCATION//. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2014. 3.Ross, L. W. "Some Aspects of Soviet Education." //Journal of Teacher Education// 11.4 (1960): 539-52. Print. 4.Umehara, Marilyn. "Outlines of the Educational Systems of the USSR and Eastern European Countries." N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2014. .