Implementation of ideology of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia into activities of Slovak universities after February 1948
Implementation of ideology of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia into activities of Slovak universities after February 1948

Summary/Abstract: Communist Party of Czechoslovakia after ascent to power in February 1948 enacted radical changes in all spheres of political, economic and social life. Among these changes, the school system was an important area, because it provided conditions which were significant for existence of the regime. It was the education and upbringing of young generation in line with ideology of CPC, that is, with an ideology of the Marxism-Leninism. After February 1948 the management of all schools, including universities, was in hands of the Communist Party which resulted in implementation of communist ideology into education. It was at universities where the future members of intelligentsia were receiving the highest degree of humanistic or technical education. Because the Communist Party did not trust intelligentsia educated before communist take-over and who were perceived as “class enemy”, they emphasized the need to educate “their own intelligentsia” which would come from working or farm labourer class. This thesis was implemented in practice in line with so called class principle, that is, universities were accepting predominantly student from working families. According to wishes of Communist Party the “class” composition of university students had to be the same as “class” composition of the whole society. Academic environment was exposed to communist propaganda and agitation. At all universities in Czechoslovak Republic were established organizations of the Communist Party, which participated on management of universities and implemented orders of central communist authorities. They were helped also by Czechoslovak Union of Youth and Revolutionary Unions, which were completely controlled by the Communist Party. The policy of Communist Party in relation to the university education was formulated in Law in Regard to Universities, adopted by the National Assembly on May 18 1950. The Communist Party was focused primarily on limitation of autonomy of universities and University self-government institutions ceased to exist. The property of universities was transferred to state. The management of universities was carried by the Ministry of Schools, sciences and arts. The church faculties were excluded from authority of the Ministry of Schools. The primary management and control over church faculties went Ministry of the State Office for the Church Affaires.

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