It is interesting to read an early education program of the Communist Party just emerging from the S.P., and before Bolshevization after Lenin’s death created uniform programs determined at the Comintern to be used across the International. This report of the Educational Committee to the leadership of the ‘Unified’ C.P.A. on how to organize education and what to read, while certainly influenced by the larger Comintern, is mainly interested in correcting what it sees as mistakes from its Socialist past. The ‘Unified” C.P.A. was formed in May, 1921 and was the immediate precursor to the legal ‘Workers Party’ that would unite nearly all Third Internationalists in the U.S.

‘Report of Educational Committee’ from Official Bulletin of the Communist Party of America (Unified C.P.A.). Vol 2 No. 2 August 15, 1921.

Committees For Control Of Educational Work

The C.E.C. shall create an educational department consisting of three members which shall assist and coordinate the educational work of the Districts.

The District Educational work shall be in charge of a committee of three appointed by the District Executive Committee. They shall assist and coordinate the work of the Sub-Districts and make regular reports of the educational activities of the District to the National educational Department.

The Sub-District Committee shall appoint a committee to take charge of the Educational work of the Sub-District. They shall organize the teaching staff and assist in organizing and conducting classes. They shall regularly report their activities to the District Educational Committee.

Aim Of Communist Education

Communist Education aims to better equip the members of the C.P. and thru them the working class, to more efficiently perform their duty in the revolutionary struggle. It seeks to give the members a knowledge of the Communist Program—to acquaint them with the task of the proletariat and the role of the Communist Party—to give them an understanding of the Marxian Philosophy, that they might better direct the struggle of the workers; to produce teachers, propagandists and other trained workers for the cause of Communism; and to assist the more vigorous minded and more promising, members to positions of leadership.

What To Teach

To achieve this aim, the Party must organize classes in the essentials and higher aspects of Communism, Communist organization, and American Trade Unionism. For the present ‘the educational work among the membership must be devoted mainly to the organising and conducting of classes in the essentials of Communism. “The ABC of Communism by Bucharin,” now published in English, will serve excellently as a textbook. As the educational work progresses and as a need manifests itself, the Party should prepare courses in the “History and Function of the State,” Marxian Political Economy and Philosophy” History and Lessons of Revolutions—1870—1920 History of Trade unions, etc. using such texts as are already available for the purpose or preparing lectures and outlines where texts cannot be found.

Class Organization

Classes should consist from 15—20 depending upon facilities available; in larger Sub-Districts, classes should be organized upon the basis of sections. In the smaller Sub-Districts it may not be possible to organize classes consisting of members of sections. Inter-section or Sub-District classes should be formed. The Sub-District should organize the teaching staff and provide teachers upon request of the respective units.

Each class should elect a secretary who shall keep account of each session, reporting to the teacher on blanks especially prepared for the purpose.

These reports should be forwarded thru the party channels to the District Educational Director who shall report on blanks provided for the purpose.

Our party is faced with a lack of teachers. In this respect we suffer in common with, the entire Communist movement; The old theoreticians, lecturers and experienced educators have remained with the Social Democratic parties. The Socialist Party of America never could boast of any great number of Marxian students and educators. Hence there are within our ranks very few comrades that can conduct classes. The formation of an adequate and capable pedagogic personal is the work of time and will be the fruit of a well-organized educational system.

The Sub-Districts should issue a call for teachers, making it plain that the candidates need not be experts—if they have had some experience in teaching one or more of the Socialist classics or if they believe they can with assistance direct a class they should volunteer. The Educational Committee should then organize them into groups of 10—15 forming “teachers circles.” The teachers should co-operate with each other in the work of teaching, exchanging experiences, taking up methods, aids, special studies etc. New circles should be formed of new candidates to which should be transferred some of the experienced teachers. The new candidates should be given assignments in the text in order to be prepared to take a class upon call.

The Educational Department should foster an interest in educational matters among the teachers. It should advise them of methods, aids, new books, valuable reference books dealing with their subjects. At the earliest possible time it should prepare a bibliography of Communism, and a Manual for teaching the ABC of Communism.” It should also attempt to have the best works of the Communist International translated, Lenin’s Imperialism—the Last Stage of Capitalism will be issued immediately.

Party School

When funds permit a party School should be established to which comrades showing ability in organizational and educational work may be sent from the various districts for special training.

Research Bureau

The Research Bureau should also be of great aid to the teachers in furnishing: information regarding the social, economic and political conditions of the country of which all teachers should be well informed.

Method Of Teaching

The best method of teaching is the short lecture by the teacher based upon a section of the text book which the student has read prior to the lesson, followed by discussion, criticism, objections in which all students should be encouraged to take part. The Pure Lecture system is sterile—”the student hears, listens, and goes home.” The Communist method must provide for active co-operation between those who teach and those who are being taught. “The teacher must listen to all objections, to all ideas, must in common with the students examine every one of them as to whether they fit in with our fundamental principles and thus enable the students to pass correct judgment. This method of allowing for discussion is by no means easy for the teacher. It even asks more of him than any other method, for the danger of debate getting into shallow waters and being sterile, or even losing itself altogether, is an ever-present danger, and can be kept off only by one possessing an undisputed superiority of the matter in question.” The teacher must therefore come fully prepared for the lesson,’ with his lecture outline in advance and questions previously prepared. The Educational Department will aid the teacher in every way in preparing outlines, references, supplementary data and questions.

Inexperienced teachers may find it hard to use the Lecture-Textbook method. Reading of the text in class supplemented by explanation and amplification by the teacher may be substituted. This method does not give as satisfactory results as the other. It encourages laziness on the part of the student and teacher, makes for emphasis of unimportant points doing away with the comprehensive summary of essential matter which is gained from the lecture and leads to unorganized and disconnected discussion.

The time of class study should be about two hours, which should be equally divided between the lecture or reading, and the discussion, review of previous lesson, quiz etc. The teacher should induce the students to read as much as possible and should devote a few minutes of the class time to socialist classics, supplementary works, interesting current reading etc.

Group Discussion

There is always some time left after business matters have been disposed of by the group for some educational work. The time and nature of the group, however does not permit it to conduct a sustained course of study. The group should use this time for “current events discussions.” For the present and immediate future the work of the Third Congress of the Communist International should be discussed. The Group should designate a comrade to lead the discussion. The Educational Department should provide all material necessary for the discussion.

Education of Workers in General

This phase of our educational activities falls within the scope of legal work. The legal bodies of the Sub-Districts should aim to establish classes in various parts of the Sub-District under the auspices of the legal body—say the name of the legal organization is XYZ—the classes could be conducted, wherever practicable, under the name of the XYZ educational or Marxian society.

These classes should not be started in preference to classes of party members. For the present the energies of the teachers and the educational committees should be devoted mainly to successfully organizing and conducting classes in the essentials of Communism for party members.

The subjects of study should be the Class Struggle, Capitalism. The State, History of Labor movement, American Social History, etc. using the Socialist Classics, Wm. Paul’s “The State,” Hoxie’s “Trade Unionism in America”, Simons “Social Forces in America” and other works as text-books. The Educational Department should work these courses out fully, giving the essential points to be taken up in each, and suggesting textbooks, etc. The aim of these courses, it should be remembered, is not to produce pedants or academicians, but more aggressive and more intelligent fighters in the revolutionary struggle.

The method of study should be similar to that outlined for classes of party members.

The instructors for these classes should be provided by the Teachers Circles.

Education In Trade Unions

Wherever our nuclei control the educational work of the union— they should call upon our legal educational bodies for speakers, teachers, lecturers etc. The members of the Teachers Circles should be prepared to deliver talks to unions. The legal educational Committees should co-operate with the Industrial Organizer in this work.

Sympathizers Discussion Meetings

Our nuclei hold meetings with sympathizers. At these meetings, there should be organized discussion of the problems of the Unions. The Industrial Organizer together with the Educational Committee should prepare topics for these gatherings. The active members of the nuclei could open these discussions. The aim should be to drive one point home at a time. The nuclei members should ask themselves, “what do we want to teach sympathizers today”? and having decided, to discuss this point from every angle so that the sympathizers are fully convinced. This method will make for more interesting meetings and will prevent diffused talks and purposeless discussions.

PDF of full issues: https://archive.org/download/CPAOfficialBulletin2Circa15Aug1921/CpaBulletin1921No2.pdf