(CZ) Literární výchova a základní učivo
(EN) Literatury Education and Basic Subject-Matter

The specific function of literatury education is to realise the instructional and ideologically educational tasks of the school by means of the aesthetic experience brought about by literary works of art. Thus the pupils supplement in an emotional way the picture of life which they get from other subjects and from their experience. To fulfil this aesthetico-educational aim it is necessary not only to take into account the developmental psychological laws governing each age group at every grade of school, but also to form at the same time a continuous system of literatury education at all grades and types of school, and within the framework of this system, to make a selection of suitable basic subject-matter both in quantity and in quality. It Is necessary to develop continuosly the interest of children in literature at the National School as well as at further grades. In the 6th—9th year the best possible use of literary reading with regard to the changes in the psychic life of youth from 11 to 15 years of age is made possible by introducing two mutually connected stages and gradually deepening the approach to the literary work of art (the extension of the realitionship »the work — the form and kind of work« to the realitionship »the work — the author and his times«), and at the schools of the 2nd cycle by proceeding along the chronologico-historical line. As far as the selection of the subject-matter is concerned, it must be basic subject-matter, which is to give the youth a deep, syntetic picture of nature and society based on the knowledge and skills necessary for life in a socialist and communist society. The basic subject-matter in the literary education consists in the literary works themselves in the first place. An essential part of literary education besides reading Is the explanation of texts proceeding from simple Interpretation at the National School to the exposition and analysis at higher grades. Literary history and theory is combined with reading and serves to understand it more deeply. In addition, a substantial change is necessary in the ratio between the old classical literature and the contemporary literature in favour on the contemporary literature. In the research which Is being prepared the basic problem should be the question of what Is to be considered basic subject-matter in literary education with regard to the needs of active members of a communist society and what is the best possible proportion of Its component parts (reading, analysis, expressive reading and recitation, literary knowledge).