For a New Conception of History at the General Educational School

The principal educational aim of history lessons is to give the pupils the basic knowledge about the most important historical events in our country and in other countries, and on this basis to form and strengthen in their consciousness a scientific world outlook. The knowledge of history inspires the youth with feelings of socialist patriotism and proletarian internationalism. On the basis of the knowledge of the past, history enables the youth to understand the present state and development of society and facilitates their preparation for an active participation in the life of the socialist society. Histopr helps the pupils to accquire the principles of communist morals, it kindles their love for all manifestations of humna activities and their hatred for the exploitation of man by man. It also helps in the aesthetic education and in the shaping of a universally cultured man.
This educational aim determines the choice of the suject-matter in history. As a result of its new content, special stress will be laid on the most recent history, which, from the point of view of educational value, is the most important. Furthermore, the knowledge of the development of economics and productive technique will be extended and more attention will be given to cultural history. The content of the subject-matter will be systematically supplemented with the knowledge of historical events of local interest from the pupils' surroundings.
The curriculum-making for the Nine-Year Basic School proceeds from the principle that national history on the background of world history forms the backbone of history. Therefore the curriculum to be adopted is as follows : the 6th year will cover ancient history in the form of historical pictures, in the 7th year our national history till the rise of capitalism will be explained on the background of world history. The 8th year will contain the period of 4th development of capitalism the 9th year will start with the Great October Revolution and will contain recent and the most recent history.
The backbone of history teaching at the Secondary School is world history, and our national history will be covered within its framework. The subject-matter is so divided that the last form of the Secondary School will contain the most recent history, and all the history teaching will be wound up with the appraisal of history from the viewpoint of historical materialism.