HIS-Press-Service, 1982 (7. évfolyam, 22-24. szám)
1982-06-01 / 24. szám
HIS Press Service No. 24, June 1982 Page 3 State Efforts at Socialist Youth Training At the same time that restrictive measures were placed on Church evangelization programs, the State undertook efforts, which did not meet with significant success, to make the youth more familiar with the socialist view of man. The role played by the youth in the popular uprising of 1956 caused those in charge of socialist youth training to seriously criticize their own efforts. The question was raised as to why the very youth who had been brought up according to socialist principles had turned against the regime. A new system of education was tried (on the basis of Law Nr. 111/1961) in 1961. Its aim was "to encourage young people with the help of methodical training and instruction to acquire necessary general and specific knowledge, as well as to meet the economic needs for special work skills, raise the general and technical level of education, shape and strengthen the Marxist-Leninist ideological and socialist moral convictions of the persons participating in this socialist education, and train persons to become confident, educated, patriotic citizens of strong character who have respect for the law, participate in the development of socialism through useful endeavors, help construct and defend the people's State, and faithfully work to promote peace among nations and the idea of brotherhood." The educational system was planned in such a way that all courses from history to art were developed as much as possible along the lines of the principles of Marxian ideology. A new subject entitled, "The Basics of Our Ideology," was introduced in high schools and the upper grades of the grammar schools in 1965. The aim of this course is to influence in accordance with the spirit of Marxism "all the views which develop in everyday life in the areas of nature, society, and ones fellow man." A further so-called "youth law" was issued in 1971. This expanded the Marxist-based school education to include efforts at instilling a more effective realization of the Communist conception of man into educative programs carried on outside of the school framework. To achieve the goal of political, ideological indoctrination, youth associations which were to influence the youth in accordance with the spirit of Marxism were set up for the various age categories. The intellectual, political and ideological training in student boarding facilities is also of great importance.
