The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 25, 1926, Page 7

sep The Little “Red” School House By OLIVER CARLSON. NCE upon a time (so the story goes) the little red schoolhouse was the fountainhead of American cul- ture and learning, where the Jacksons, Lincolns, Grants and, in fact, all the great political, industrial, financial and military genuises were taught the three “R’s” and received the neces- sary knowledge, and encouragement which sent them forth into the world to make of this country a nation greater and more powerful than his- tory has ever known of heretofore. But my story is not one that deals with the little red schoolhouse of yes- terday. It is the story of the little Red schoolhouse of today. It has only just begun to function, but from the success already achieved we can safely predict that it and its success- ors will play no small part in mouki- ing the exploited youth of today into able fighters for the abolition of capi- talism. The Waine Young Workers’ School. EARLY 500 miies northwest of Chicago lies Waine, It is the cen- ter of a farming community domi- nently Finnish. The big lumber com panies have reaped fortunes in that region, but the big timber Is all gone now, so they sell cutover land to the poor fish from Chicago, Milwaukee and other large cities who have swallowed the stories about “become independent by being a farmer.” Every year yields @ new crop of settlers, who struggle on in vain for a year or two and then return to the cities, poorer if no wiser than when they came. The Finns have stuck together, have organized co-operatives and halls of their own, and thus managed to eke out an ex istence—and have become class-con- scious. It was in the abovementioned re- — Buplimet ot THE DAILY WORKER. Second Section: This Magazine Section Appears Every Saturday in The DAILY WORKER. ' SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1926 sufficient number of organizations to support the idea of the schoo] finan- cially that the students who were se- lected to attend the courses need have no financial worries. Aitho the WVork- ers’ Party and Young | Workers’ League were the moving spirits be hind the school, still a-very targe num- ber of non-party organizations gave both financial as well as moral sup- port to it. A number of co-operatives, women’s organizations, farmers’ clubs, etc,, are included in these. The aim of the school, as expressed in the certificate given each student who completed the course, is: “To train young workers and farm- ers to an understanding of their posi- tion in present-day society, and of their relation to the working class generally. “To teach them how te examine and understand the basic forces at work in society. “To give them a knowledge of the various types of working class organi- zations, their policies and their tac tics, thus preparing them for active and intelligent participation in these organizations, to the end that capital- ism shall be abolished and replaced by @ classiess society based upon pro- duction for use instead of for profit.” Tn conformity with these aims, the course of study embraced the follow. ing subjects: Sociology, Marxian Eco- nomics, Amertcan Social and Labor History, Forum, Current Events, Working Class Theories, Historical Materialism, Problems of Socialist Re construction, Public Speaking, Theory and Practice of Young Workers’ Or The Composition of the School, -U/THO slightly over 60 students en- jeal inability to handle so many). These students came from six states: Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and Ore- gon, and from no less: than 39 different cities, towns or villages... In age, the stfidents varied from 15 te 27 years, The average age was between 18 and 19 years. They were virtually evenly divided as to sex, there being one more girl than boys. Most of them were workers. The most numerous groupings consisted of lumber workers (13), farm workers (7), domestic workers (9) and cleri- cal workers (7). In addition to these there were students, schoolteachers, pipefitters, millmery workers, etc, Ap- proximately 60 per cent of the stu- dents were members either of the Young Workers’ League, the Workers’ Party, or both. The remainder were wholly unorganized or belonging to farmers’ clubs, athletic clubs, co- operatives, etc. Student Activities. OM the very start we were deter- mined that the students should have as much ag possible to say about conducting affairs of the school. The entire student body met regularly every week to discuss school problems and the work of its sub-committees. ALEX. BITTELMAN, Editor. method of putting the responsibility for the snecess of the school directly upon the students themselves did much to make the school a success and to develop initiative? amotigat them, 2 Se be A model Young Workers’ League was formed, divided into seven nuclet The showing of the students was ex ceptional. Basic tasks and problems were discussed and executed with a gusto that would surprise many a vet- eran. “The wall newspaper was one of the finest exanrples of work that I have seen from young people. It appeared regularly twice a week, containing all manner of material, both serious and humorous, and was well illustrated thruout. I believe that every student in the school contributed at least once toe the paper. The Importance of the School, VE pecsscaniyer 9.4 there were many shortcomings with our Red school in Wisconsin, but the students voted it a huge success and were unanimous in demanding that an aivanced school be conducted next year. All of them left the school thoroly imbued with a spirit of class consciousness and havé roa of Minnesota and the Cop per going to begin the work of rom : : ze E ¥ are carrying the message that they learned there into mine and mill and logging camp. These students are young Americans (nearly 80 per cent bers to follow them in creating a revo lutionary mass movemert of Amert cap workers, Long live the little Red school