The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) was the ruling party of the GDR and pursued the goal of building a socialist society and consolidating socialism. An essential step for achieving this goal lay in influencing the education of children and young people. The education system in the GDR played a key role in bringing the new generations into contact with socialist values at an early stage and moulding them. Kindergartens, schools and universities were to be accessible to all adolescents, which is why general education in the GDR was (almost) free of charge for all citizens.
In the GDR, nurseries (infancy - 3 years) and kindergartens (3-6 years) played an important role in the state's childcare and education strategy, which was attributed to the economic and ideological goals of the state. The Republic faced a chronic shortage of labour, and in order to increase the country's labour reserves, the government promoted the employment of women. The childcare facilities enabled parents to re-enter the workforce and thus contribute to the country's economic strength.
However, this system also had an ideological dimension. The GDR strived for a strong collective consciousness and saw the upbringing of children as a means of shaping a socialist society. Early state influence on education was intended to ensure that children internalised the values and norms of the political system. The nationwide establishment of childcare facilities from infancy onwards helped the SED regime to influence and mould its population from an early age. It thus embodied a complex interplay between social, economic and ideological goals.
Image: Crèche trolley for children
After nursery and kindergarten, children went to school. The concept of the standardised school was a characteristic feature of the GDR education system. The curricula and educational content were controlled by the Ministry of National Education and strongly influenced by Marxist-Leninist ideology. Subjects such as civics and Marxist theory were compulsory.
The Polytechnic Secondary Schools (POS) were comparatively weak in terms of pupils' mastery of foreign languages. Instead, the focus was on technical and mathematical/scientific subjects as well as practice-oriented polytechnic lessons. These lessons aimed to prepare pupils for working life and included subjects such as »Introduction to Socialist Production« (ESP) and »Productive Labour« (PA), which were intended to provide an insight into everyday working life. A regular assignment in companies was part of this approach. This emphasis on practical training also had its roots in the need to counter the labour shortage and catch up with the country's technological backlog.
The POS lasted 10 years and thus corresponded to compulsory education. In the first four years, the focus was on a common basic education. From Year 9 onwards, there was greater differentiation, with pupils being divided into different educational pathways. Depending on their individual abilities, they either went to the ten-grade vocational school to prepare for a professional career or to the extended secondary school (EOS) to complete further academic training.
Image: Wooden stamp for commenting on homework
Whoever wanted to go to university had to be a member of the FDJ and have a clean cadre file in addition to a good high school diploma. The Free German Youth (FDJ) was the youth organisation of the GDR and played an important role in the education of young people. It was closely linked to the SED and was intended to educate young people to become active members of socialist society. It served not only as a social network, but also as a means of selecting committed and ideologically-oriented adolescents for further educational institutions. Membership was seen by the authorities as a sign of commitment to the socialist state and the ideals of the collective, which was important for admission to university.
Although the FDJ was formally a non-party youth organisation and also wanted to represent Christian young people, it was also regarded as a ‘cadre reserve of the party’, i.e. the SED, which explicitly professed atheism.
The young people were encouraged to see themselves as part of a larger community and to work for the good of the collective. This was reflected in various activities, from joint work projects to participation in political events. For example, the »Ochsenkopf« campaign from the 1960s aimed to remove western-oriented television antennas. The close connection between the FDJ and the SED was demonstrated in many different ways during the existence of the mass organisation. Membership in the youth organisation could pave the way to university or block it. In later years, it was virtually impossible to obtain a high school diploma and study without being a member of the FDJ. A few church organisations were the exception. However, their qualifications only entitled students to study theology.
Image: FDJ shirt with turn-down collar, epaulettes and breast pockets made of blue cotton fabric in size 37
»Societal activities« in the sense of the party and state were an essential requirement when applying for a place at university. Membership of the FDJ was taken for granted, and joining the SED further increased your chances. A »voluntary« commitment to three years of service in the National People's Army was equally favourable. Exceptions were only accepted for students of theology. Once they had started their studies, the subject of Marxism-Leninism was compulsory for all students in addition to their academic training. In addition, all male students completed a four-week military camp. The men with medically-certified restrictions and the women went through an equally long civil defence camp.
Image: Brochure »NVA in Wort und Bild - Wehrdienst - Ehrendienst« , published by Militärverlag der DDR, 1976
In addition to the ideological orientation, the GDR's entire education system focussed on technical and mathematical-scientific subjects. Engineers, technicians and specialists in the natural sciences in particular were urgently needed to pursue the goals of optimising production processes and achieving economic independence from capitalist countries. The ability to develop and manufacture one's own products was a key aspect of the socialist economic structure.
However, the importance of these study programmes also extended to the ideological level. They played a role in the formation of the »socialist man«, who should not only have technical knowledge, but should also have internalised the values and ideals of the socialist state. Graduates should not only be professionally qualified, but also morally and politically committed in order to actively contribute to the realisation of a socialist society.