Rumors about education reform, of course, made citizens very tense. I myself tensed up, although I understood that sooner or later this would happen: it’s not a good idea to have so many educated people in peripheral capitalism. However, some citizens, among those who were not comrades, naturally began to look for ways to prove that, they say, this is not bad, but even good. Or at least no worse than before. Moreover, by “before” it would be desirable to understand the USSR. Because the subconscious mind tells you: if with sausage in the USSR, perhaps, not everything was chocolate, forgive the pun, then with education...
In general, we urgently need to prove that in the USSR everything was bad with education. So that the reform at least does not look like an unprecedented drain of everything and everyone. Well, how can one not remember: under Stalin there was also paid education!!! Well, like, “your beloved Stalin is even worse, yes.” Well, or, as an option, “they are following in the footsteps of your beloved Stalin.”
Some even found the relevant resolution and happily posted it. With idiotic, as usual, comments. Vida: this redneck was specifically cut off from education. It is not entirely clear, however, how citizens cut off from education regularly flowed from villages to cities to factories, and where such a number of scientists and engineers came from - perhaps less than in several of the most developed countries of the world, but certainly more, than in the Russian Empire. Although such questions should not bother free thinkers. Contradictions only confirm the correctness of the theses.
For example, the Nazis regularly prove to the communists that the October Revolution was Jewish. At the same time, the liberals prove to the communists that the Bolsheviks were specifically engaged in the extermination of Jews and generally promoted rampant anti-Semitism. It would seem, what are you trying to prove to us? You have an obvious contradiction with each other: theses are turned one hundred and eighty degrees. But no, Nazis and liberals do not argue with each other on this topic. This is strictly for arguing with the communists.
So, here is the corresponding resolution. That means they are posting it. That means it exists. In free access, that is. Let's count it?
No. 27 dated October 26, 1940
Resolution No. 638. (pp. 236-2374 237-238).
pp. 236-237
“On the establishment of tuition fees in senior secondary schools and higher educational institutions of the USSR and on changing the procedure for awarding scholarships.”
Taking into account the increased level of material well-being of the working people and the significant expenses of the Soviet state on the construction, equipment and maintenance of the continuously growing network of secondary and higher educational institutions, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR recognizes the need to assign part of the costs of education in secondary schools and higher educational institutions of the USSR to the working people themselves and to In connection with this, decides:
1. Introduce tuition fees in the 8th, 9th, and 10th grades of secondary schools and higher educational institutions from September 1, 1940.
2. Establish the following tuition fees for students in grades 8-10 of secondary schools:
a) in schools in Moscow and Leningrad, as well as the capital cities of the Union republics - 200 rubles per year;
b) in all other cities, as well as villages - 150 rubles per year.
Note. The specified tuition fees in grades 8-10 of secondary schools will be extended to students of technical schools, pedagogical schools, agricultural and other special secondary institutions.
1. Establish the following tuition fees in higher educational institutions of the USSR:
a) in higher educational institutions located in the cities of Moscow and Leningrad and the capitals of the union republics - 400 rubles per year;
b) in higher educational institutions located in other cities - 300 rubles per year...
Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR V. Molotov
Manager of Affairs of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR M. Kholmov
Moscow Kremlin. October 2, 1940 No. 1860.
First of all, we are surprised to find out that it is not Stalin, it is Molotov. But that’s not the point, it’s clear to everyone that Stalin was personally in charge of all issues in the country, and Molotov was his top six. However, other surprising things are also revealed. It turns out that paid education was introduced, but not all education became paid. The secondary school remained free, as it was. Moreover, for the entire population of the USSR. Moreover, such a school simply did not exist before the Bolsheviks. Before the Bolsheviks, the only education available to everyone was parochial schools, where they taught reading, writing, simple arithmetic and the law of God. Moreover, approximately every second person in the results did not even have such skills.
Under the Bolsheviks, the situation changed radically and by the notorious 1940s, less than ten percent of the population were illiterate. At the same time, a significant part of the literate people not only knew how to read and write, but also had a secondary or higher education.
Therefore, it is impossible to say “but Stalin did the same.” No, the collective “Stalin” brought the catastrophically illiterate population to the level of literacy of the leading countries of the world.
But what about the board? This is serious - making free training paid for!
There's a subtlety here. As already mentioned, “Stalin” made tuition paid, which he himself created. Moreover, he created it recently - the current reformers got a system within which free higher education has existed for half a century.
Universal primary education was established by the end of the twenties. The general average is in the mid-thirties. From which, as you can easily guess, it follows: preparatory education for higher educational institutions (those three senior classes) in 1940 was only in its infancy. It cannot be considered a long-standing one, which suddenly suddenly became paid. Actually, the thirties were a period of formation of the school, and a very rapid formation at that. And the introduction of tuition fees in high schools, in fact, was the reason that the newly introduced social benefit simply could not be mastered at once. After all, we must remember, at the end of the thirties it became quite obvious: there would be a war. The country was intensively preparing for it, so plans for the speedy introduction of free higher education had to be postponed.
After the war and the recovery period, higher education also became free.
The resolution stipulates, among other things, the amount of payment. For senior classes, 200 rubles per year in the capitals and 150 in other places. For universities, 400 rubles per year in the capitals and 300 outside them. Is it a lot or a little?
The average worker's salary in 1940 was about 350 rubles. Per month. Not in a year. Thus, a worker paid 200/(350 * 12) = 1/21 of the average salary per month for one child’s education in high school. That is, by today's standards it is 850 rubles. For studying at the institute - one tenth. Is it a lot or a little? There are nuances here. Now that's a lot. Then this is not enough. Why is that? Because the level of mandatory monthly expenses is also important - rent, medicine, etc. It is they who determine what percentage of the salary is “free money” - those whose spending can be varied.
What is typical is that everyone understands: now the payment they will take is not 850 rubles at all. 850 rubles now - one visit to a doctor in a paid clinic. To a therapist - not a specialist.
So, yes, compare the collective “Stalin”, who rebuilt the education system almost from scratch and proposed to temporarily pay for its very top fragment on rather mild terms and then only on the eve of a big war, with modern reformers who dream of paying for even primary education coming out beyond the framework of the parochial school, which received the entire education system in a ready-made form for fifty years.
As a result of this decision and the subsequent tragedy of the Great Patriotic War, there was some slowdown in the rapid pace of the spread of public education. It should be noted that it was temporary, and the abandonment of measures to introduce paid education occurred immediately after the end of the war and the post-war period of reconstruction of the country.
As soon as the recovered state could afford to develop industries related not only to the needs of current survival, it immediately did so. It should be understood that paid education from 1940 to 1956 was not an analogue of European paid, elite higher and secondary education, which cuts off educational services and knowledge.
As historians and researchers of the Soviet period point out, the amount of 150 rubles per year for schools and secondary educational institutions and 300 rubles per year for universities in most cities and villages of the country was not something unaffordable.
Historians report that the average worker's salary in 1940 was 300-350 rubles per month. While amounts of 300-400 rubles for studying at universities were intended for annual training. Even if the indicated average salary is, one way or another, overstated, and in reality an ordinary worker or peasant could receive only 200 or even 100 rubles a month, all the same, the indicated prices for training do not seem prohibitive.
Yes, for the population of a poor country this money was not at all superfluous, and not all families had good salaries. For example, for the peasantry, these measures did create serious problems in social mobility. However, here we must understand that the Soviet government deliberately for a long time restrained the possibilities of horizontal mobility of village residents, keeping them on collective farms.
As a result of this decision and the subsequent tragedy of the Great Patriotic War, there was some slowdown in the rapid pace of the spread of public education. It should be noted that it was temporary, and the abandonment of measures to introduce paid education occurred immediately after the end of the war and the post-war period of reconstruction of the country.
As soon as the recovered state could afford to develop industries related not only to the needs of current survival, it immediately did so. It should be understood that paid education from 1940 to 1956 was not an analogue of European paid, elite higher and secondary education, which cuts off educational services and knowledge.
As historians and researchers of the Soviet period point out, the amount of 150 rubles per year for schools and secondary educational institutions and 300 rubles per year for universities in most cities and villages of the country was not something unaffordable.
Historians report that the average worker's salary in 1940 was 300-350 rubles per month. While amounts of 300-400 rubles for studying at universities were intended for annual training. Even if the indicated average salary is, one way or another, overstated, and in reality an ordinary worker or peasant could receive only 200 or even 100 rubles a month, all the same, the indicated prices for training do not seem prohibitive.
Yes, for the population of a poor country this money was not at all superfluous, and not all families had good salaries. For example, for the peasantry, these measures did create serious problems in social mobility. However, here we must understand that the Soviet government deliberately for a long time restrained the possibilities of horizontal mobility of village residents, keeping them on collective farms.
For some reason, Stalinists, even today, never mention the introduction of paid education in schools and universities by Stalin in 1940. "No. 27 of October 26, 1940, Resolution No. 638. "On the establishment of tuition fees in senior secondary schools and higher educational institutions of the USSR and on changing the procedure for awarding scholarships. Taking into account the increased level of material well-being of the working people and the significant expenses of the Soviet state on the construction, equipment and maintenance of the continuously growing network of secondary and higher educational institutions, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR recognizes the need to assign part of the costs of education in secondary schools and higher educational institutions of the USSR to the working people themselves and to In connection with this, decides:
1. Introduce tuition fees in the 8th, 9th, and 10th grades of secondary schools and higher educational institutions from September 1, 1940.
2. Establish the following tuition fees for students in grades 8-10 of secondary schools: a) in schools in Moscow and Leningrad, as well as in the capital cities of the union republics - 200 rubles per year; b) in all other cities, as well as villages - 150 rubles per year. Note. The specified tuition fees in grades 8-10 of secondary schools will be extended to students of technical schools, pedagogical schools, agricultural and other special secondary institutions.
1. Establish the following tuition fees in higher educational institutions of the USSR: a) in higher educational institutions located in the cities of Moscow and Leningrad and the capitals of the union republics - 400 rubles per year; b) in higher educational institutions located in other cities - 300 rubles per year."
I found (Resolution No. 213) that free education was partially introduced in the USSR for representatives of the national borderlands in 1943 (in the Kazakh SSR, Uzbek SSR, Turkmen SSR). But completely free education was introduced only with the death of the “effective manager” - in 1954. “Tuition fees in schools were abolished by the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR dated July 1, 1954 “On the introduction of joint education in schools in Moscow, Leningrad and other cities.” Average monthly salary in 1940 (from comments): “In general, state retail prices in 1940 year were 6-7 times higher than in 1928, and the average nominal wage of workers and employees increased 5-6 times during this period, amounting to 300-350 rubles in 1940... "Gordon L. A., Klopov E.V. What was that? P. 98-99
Plus, we must take into account forced bond loans in the amount of 20-25% of wages. Those. the real salary, taking into account withdrawals in the form of loans, was not 350 rubles, but 280 rubles per month or 3,400 per year. Those. - educating one child in grades 8, 9, 10 cost 4% of the annual salary of one parent. - studying at a university cost 9% of the annual salary of one parent (per year of study). But! The villages were paid in workdays, not in money. And the annual income - given in money - of an entire family was often less than 1,000 rubles. And here, educating a child in graduate school or university cost the peasant family a significant part of their monetary income. And even under Stalin, peasants had neither passports nor pensions.
from ptic2008
Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR On the abolition of tuition fees in senior secondary schools, in secondary specialized and higher educational institutions of the USSR. June 6, 1956
The Council of Ministers of the USSR decided:
In order to create the most favorable conditions for the implementation of universal secondary education in the country and for young people to receive higher education, abolish tuition fees in senior specialized and higher educational institutions of the USSR from September 1, 1956.
Public education in the USSR: Collection of documents. 1917—1973. - M., 1974. P. 192.
As a result of this decision and the subsequent tragedy of the Great Patriotic War, there was some slowdown in the rapid pace of the spread of public education. It should be noted that it was temporary, and the abandonment of measures to introduce paid education occurred immediately after the end of the war and the post-war period of reconstruction of the country.
As soon as the recovered state could afford to develop industries related not only to the needs of current survival, it immediately did so. It should be understood that paid education from 1940 to 1956 was not an analogue of European paid, elite higher and secondary education, which cuts off educational services and knowledge.
As historians and researchers of the Soviet period point out, the amount of 150 rubles per year for schools and secondary educational institutions and 300 rubles per year for universities in most cities and villages of the country was not something unaffordable.
Historians report that the average worker's salary in 1940 was 300-350 rubles per month. While amounts of 300-400 rubles for studying at universities were intended for annual training. Even if the indicated average salary is, one way or another, overstated, and in reality an ordinary worker or peasant could receive only 200 or even 100 rubles a month, all the same, the indicated prices for training do not seem prohibitive.
Yes, for the population of a poor country this money was not at all superfluous, and not all families had good salaries. For example, for the peasantry, these measures did create serious problems in social mobility. However, here we must understand that the Soviet government deliberately for a long time restrained the possibilities of horizontal mobility of village residents, keeping them on collective farms.
At the same time, the introduction of fees did not cut off some other ways of obtaining free education, for example, in military educational institutions, and during the entire period of “Stalinist paid education,” despite the war and post-war reconstruction, the country’s educational system developed.
Objectively, regardless of the political assessments of the Soviet government, the introduction of paid education in the most difficult conditions was absolutely justified and did not become an insurmountable barrier dividing different segments of the population by income level in the issue of receiving educational services.
It should be noted that despite the myths, largely formed by propaganda, a truly social state in the USSR was not built immediately, which was completely natural in those historical conditions. On the way to a fairly well-fed and calm life of a Soviet citizen in 1960-1970, the USSR went through periods of deprivation and self-restraint. A little more than 15 years of paid education was far from the most severe measure during these years of mobilization and asceticism.