School polytechnization in the Central Black Earth Region in 1931–1933

We examine various aspects of the introduction of polytechnic education in educational institutions of the Central Black Earth Region. The relevance of the study is justified primarily by the fact that this aspect of the development of domestic education has not been previously studied, and also by novelty of archival documents introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. We focus on the legislative consolidation of the principles of polytechnism in the framework of the educational reform in the early 30s of 20th century, as well as on the theoretical understanding of the technological aspect of the educational process. The purpose of this research is to study the state policy aimed at developing labor training and education in lower and secondary educational institutions and implementing its aspects in the Central Black Earth Region. The study analyzes the measures taken by the regional authorities within the framework of implementing the party’s policy on education polytechnization: increasing the number of workshops and workrooms, purchasing equipment, assigning household plots to schools, organizing clubs and competitions, conducting excursions to enterprises, improving the skills of school employees and librarians, helping them establish contacts with enterprises and allocating them experienced engineers and technicians to work in schools. We examine the difficulties that accompanied school polytechnization. They included: poor equipment of workshops, low qualifications of instructors and teachers, unwillingness of managers of a number of organizations to meet halfway with schools, formalism in organizing socialist competitions and contracts with enterprises, underestimation by school administrators and teachers of the importance of technical training. In conclusion, we summarize the achievements and shortcomings of the polytechnic aspect of the educational process in the Central Black Earth Region of the early 1930s, and outline further prospects for labor training in Soviet schools.