The Soviet Roots of the Eastern European Socialist Educational Politics. The Two Ways of the Soviet Communist Pedagogy: From the Anathema of Herbart to the Rehabilitation of Herbart (Introduction to Educational Politics)

Abstract

With Stalin’s rise to power, the concept and method of building a communist society took a complete and fruitful turn. Stalin’s interpretation of socialism, the central educational administration and curriculum system, was based on a textbook that followed the Prussian model before the revolution was restored, along with Herbart’s logic. However, his name was still treated as an object of hatred. The independence of the liberated child no longer appeared in school but in the voluntary pursuit and recognition of the state’s interest. The reclusive policy that replaced proletarian internationalism with Russian nationalism continued to promote the program of building communism and acted as an enemy to the local authoritative actors of the post-revolutionary era and the representatives of cultural and scientific trends with foreign roots. During the years of terror, the mercilessly destroyed pedology was replaced by socialist pedagogy and psychology interpreted by Stalin; furthermore, they established total state control over the schools, educational science, and teacher training that served this system, which was successfully implemented in the education of the later sovietized European states.