Statement of the Secretariat of the “INITIATIVE” of the CWPE
on the problems of the school students, university students
and young workers.

An education system reflects the dominant ideology of the society in which it is based. It reflects the values of the dominant class.  Across Europe the class based education system remains a tool in the maintenance of an exploitative society while the parameters of the education system are dictated by the monopolies which have the power in their hands. Their main aim is to teach the children of the working class at all education levels to submit to their exploiters.

This system is inherently reproducing discrimination on a class basis, being designed to maintain and reinforce this.

Education is increasingly commodified and provided for those who can afford to pay; it is increasingly handed over to sponsors while the monopolies’ executives undertake activities that even include “teaching” school and university students. There exists a huge discrepancy determined by class between schools in relation to pupil background, the manner and extent of resourcing, facilities available, and the academic progress of students.

The anti-people policies of the governments and the EU with the constantly reducing state support and the enormous shortages in books, the lack of accommodation, canteens and transport intensify class barriers, and force the people’s families to resort to loans, placing an unbearable burden on their shoulders.

The content of education is becoming increasingly reactionary, with school and university books that contain anti-scientific ideological constructs, isolated fragments of knowledge and scattered pieces of information. This results in the fragmentation of the young persons’ thought and development. All kinds of historical distortions are taught that attack the activity of the labour and people’s movement.  Anti-communism and slanders against socialism are being regurgitated in education at all levels. Children are being subjected to the EU’s propaganda from a tender age. They are being inculcated with the poison of competiveness, profit, entrepreneurship and class collaboration so that these become the criteria for their thinking. Research at universities has been handed over to the monopolies in order to serve their profitability.

Increasingly, school students from the working class and the poor popular strata are forced to leave school and students are taking poorly-paid work with working hours that disrupt their studies. At the same time, flexible working arrangements and dismissals are imposed in schools and universities.

Education should be comprehensive and universal, with an enhanced content and free for all, including migrant students, asylum seekers and students with special needs, from pre-school through to and including post-graduate studies, with all educational requirements, including books and IT equipment, provided free at all education levels. This also means the abolition of all business activity in education. All shortages in educational personnel must be immediately addressed. All graduates must have full rights.

We call on the peoples throughout Europe to strengthen their struggle for the right of their children to comprehensive and enhanced education, against the political line of the bourgeois governments and the EU, against imperialism, big capital, and the monopolies.

04/11/2015