Communism in the Schools

It hardly seems necessary to say that a bill requiring the dangers of communism to be taught in all Massachusetts public high schools is an insidious device, characteristic of all the best totalitarian systems. But then, it hardly seems possible that such a bill would get as far as it has in the legislative process. The State Senate passed the bill Thursday, and the House of Representatives will vote on it today or tomorrow.

The bill orders instruction for the purpose of "exposing the doctrines and objectives of communism." It stipulates, "Such instruction shall include orientation in comparative governments and shall emphasize that the free-enterprise-competitive economy of the United States of America provides higher wages, higher standards of living, and greater personal freedom and liberty than any other system of economics on earth. Particular emphasis shall be placed upon the dangers, evils, fallacies, and false doctrines of communism, as well as ways to fight it."

One could point out that the theory of free-enterprise-competitive economy in the U.S. has suffered considerable erosion, and that "personal freedom and liberty" may owe their survival to other than economic factors. (In denying this, the bill itself seems to expound a modified Marxist view of history.)

But more importantly, the very prospect of a law outlining in detail how to teach this subject indicates a dangerous misconception of the role of education in the cold war. If anything, the state should provide for a fair presentation of the two ideologies which divide the world, rather than advocating the repetition of America-first myths about them. And any instruction authorized by the legislature should give the truth about both systems, including the contributions as well as the "dangers, evils, and fallacies" of communist thought.