Adult Education in the Context of the Communist Education Reform in Romania: Policies, Institutions and Publications (1945–1955)

Abstract

This paper proposes a systematic analysis of adult education in the context of the political changes in post-World War II Romania. The analysis of legislative documents allows us to identify four major directions of adult education in the first decade of communism in Romania: the formation of a new political and cultural elite, ideological indoctrination of teachers, literacy campaign aimed at the adult population and the cultural enlightenment of the masses. These become major policies of the communist regime. Their achievement requires a favorable institutional context, in which old cultural and educational institutions disappear or are radically transformed, and new ones appear, in line with the political interests of the regime. Our study reflects the dynamics of institutions and pedagogical publications for adult education in the sovietisation of culture and education in Romania, between 1945 and 1955.