Little Maoists

MARK TURIN

The Maoists are pushing for reform in education. Last week, CPN-M politburo member Hisila Yami talked to Nepali Times about nationalisation of private schools and other plans her party has for the educational system. "Our education policy will be inclusive and will merge the natural and social sciences," she said. "The emphasis will be more on polytechnic education because people who get such training can be employed quickly. Kathmandu-centric education may not work for rest of Nepal. Similarly we will link education with labour, because it is our biggest asset."
This is what children in classes four and five will study, if Maoist plans are implemented.

Course	Year 4 (9 yrs old)	Year 5 (10 yrs old)

Philosophy (60 credit hours)	. Introduction to philosophy The two classes: the exploited and the exploiters . Concept of two classes (a) consciousness and dialectical materialism (b) physical and mental labour (c) the known and the unknown	. Introduction to philosophy: identifying the classes of capitalists and workers, and feudal landlords and peasants . Concept of two classes. Physical and mental labour. Material/consciousness. Known/unknown. . Materialistic and idealistic philosophies . Introduction to materialistic philosophy: historical and dialectical materialism
Politics (40 hrs)	. Biography of Prachanda . Beginning of the People's War . General introduction to human social development: the primitive stage, slave society, feudal society, capitalist society. . The constitution of village level People's Government, its rights and duties	. The life of Mao Tse-Tung . Biography of 4 'people's war' warriors . The Spartacus Revolt . the organization, rules and regulation, rights and duties of district people's councils
History (30 hrs)	. The history of the Communist movement in Nepal (foundation of Nepal Communist Party, its founders and beginning of the People's War.) . Biography of Dil Bahadur Ramtel . The Dang attack	. History of Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) (From General Assembly of Unity to beginning of People's War) . Biography of Mitramani Acharya . The Achham action
Economics (30 hrs)	. Definition of labour and wages . Introduction to types and importance of cooperatives . What is production and consumption? . Exchange and barter of goods	. Introduction to value, distribution, capital . What are the means of labour? . What are the weapons of labour? . Private and social ownership . Introduction to cooperatives . Types of cooperatives and production
Culture (20 hrs)	. The song 'I will keep my country in my "eyes"' . Poetry about Maoist martyrs . Children's stories . General introduction to traditional festivals and people's festivals	. The song 'Dear Jaljala' . Biography and poetry by national and local poets . Short stories, science stories and children's stories . Types of culture: feudalism, imperialism, capitalism, Communism and socialism
Military science (20 hrs)	. Exercise and marching . What is roll call? . Information, counting soldiers, reporting about their conditions . Introduction to being a sentry . Introduction to homemade guns . Communication in the battlefield . Introduction to explosives and exchange of information . Introduction to war	. Important tips for sentries . Rules for route finding . Exercises and marching . How to make and use guns . General introduction to explosives, grenades and booby-traps . Student's role in military information and communication . How to guide soldiers. Roll call. . Types of war - justified and unjustified
Annex 4, Education for All-Nepal: Review from a conflict perspective, International Alert, 2006