Forming schools

[Animal Farm Pig]

I'm wondering if anyone else has considered creating schools run by radical comrades?

In the USA, it's required to go to school until the age of 16 (in most states, at least). In middle class areas, the majority go to school until age 18 (grade 12).

If the youth is forced to attend schools, why should they have to attend schools that work hand-in-glove with the capitalist system? It seems to me that we could radicalize a lot of young people if we would start schools that actually taught useful things and didn't indoctrinate students in capitalist ideology.

Practically, it would be possible to start small private schools. This is a bit tricky because you are reliant on tuition fees. A lot of effort needs to be put into recruiting students. The students that you would get would likely be from privileged families.

Alternatively, you could start a charter school (in the USA). These schools receive state funding. It can actually be quite good-- like $8,000 - $10,000 per student per year. The downside is dealing with state bureaucracy. Getting students is still an issue, but I think much easier than for a straight private school-- it's free. This type of school could be especially popular in poor areas where the public (government) schools aren't such high quality.

It's probably better not to be explicitly ideological. You could experience discrimination. A better solution would be to ensure that all of the comrades who are actually running the class rooms are Marxists. Then, just let things happen naturally.

[Red Lion]

Sadly I find it extremely unlikely the government would fund that. As far as recruiting Marxist teachers goes, I know there are at least three confirmed Marxists teaching at my college.

[Animal Farm Pig]

Sorry, it's been a while since I've come back to this thread.


Sadly I find it extremely unlikely the government would fund that. As far as recruiting Marxist teachers goes, I know there are at least three confirmed Marxists teaching at my college.

It depends on the place. I don't know how the rules are in the UK.

In the USA (in most states), one can form what's called a charter school (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_school). The bureaucratic process and details are different from state to state, but it basically boils down to this:

Charter schools are primary or secondary schools in the United States that receive public money (and like other schools, may also receive private donations) but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter.

As long as you are meeting the requirements set forth in the charter (for example, graduation rate, test passing rate, etc.), you're free to operate as you wish.

Like I said, it's probably better not to be explicitly Marxist-- one probably would experience discrimination. That doesn't stop you from making a Marxist curriculum focusing on class consciousness and the practical skills necessary for organizing the people and undertaking revolutionary actions. Just keep the Marxism a little on the down-low.

The funding is available. All you need are a few comrades with university degrees and the desire and organizational skills to put it all together.

[AK]

Sadly I find it extremely unlikely the government would fund that. As far as recruiting Marxist teachers goes, I know there are at least three confirmed Marxists teaching at my college.
Why don't I ever get cool teachers? It shits me....

[Jimmie Higgins]

I don't think radicals should support charters even if you are trying to create some kind of charter school. Red schools have been around when there has been high levels of socialist organizing - in Europe worker schools set up during the time of the 2nd international (and after the Russian Revolution) filled a void since many workers did not have formal education back then. So along with teaching Marx, they also taught basic skills needed and wanted by workers such as reading and history and so on. In the US, radicals would send their kids to "red summer camp" or red schools.

Now it is much different - most workers do have adequate education even if public school education still leaves a whole hellofa lot to be desired - i.e. worker literacy in most places in Europe and the Americas is higher than it ever was 100 years ago. If there were radical organizations of 100,000s with real community and workplace bases, then I think the question of radical schools and educating people in radical history, economics, trade union or organizing skills might arise naturally as workers desired these institutions. For us, today, I think it would be jumping the gun and too many committed radicals, if working on this, would have to devote tons of time and energy (that could go to organizing a workplace or a protest or radical group) would be spent just trying to raise funds and attract students and keep the school going. Charter schools now usually thrive either because they are in rich neighborhoods where parents can give a lot of money, or because there is a private organization backing it.

I'm not opposed to red (or anarchist for that matter) schools because in addition to providing good services and better and more engaging education to children in working class communities (where public schools are usually pretty bad) it could serve as a model for education that is not driven by test-scores and memorizing facts and teaching via checking off an abstract list of requirements. But if we want to eventually see this kind of thing, I think the best thing we could do now is to build a base in the working class and win many more people to radical viewpoints.