March 1, 1888 Anton Semyonovich Makarenko is born.
The name of A.S. Makarenko is widely known in our country and abroad. His experience is studied and used by teachers in many countries. Makarenko is known for organizing and leading colonies for juvenile delinquents and street children. Children came to Makarenko who were already so spoiled that they could not live in a normal society: thieves, hooligans, prostitute girls. Parents brought their children when they themselves could not cope with them.
But Makarenko achieved such mastery in raising children that he could confidently say: «Education is an easy thing.» It became so easy for Makarenko that in the colony. Dzerzhinsky, he completely abandoned educators, and 600 former offenders turned out to be in his care. There were teachers at the school, engineers at the factory, but the children’s team of 500-600 people lived to a certain extent independently. Makarenko was sure that the children would get out of bed on time on a signal, put themselves and all the premises of the commune in order. The commune never had cleaners. The pupils cleaned everything themselves, moreover, in such a way that everything had to shine, because 3-4 delegations a day came to the commune. Cleanliness was checked with a white handkerchief.
After checking the cleanliness at 7h 10 min breakfast. Then the signal to work and study. Former offenders not only completed a ten-year period, after which many entered universities, but also necessarily worked 4 hours a day.
They had to work just to live. Commune them. Dzerzhinsky received practically nothing from the state during its existence. The Chekists helped the commune, giving part of their salary, but this was only enough for half of the needs. In the early years, the commune experienced a very great need. There were times when they ate one bread during the day. And in these conditions, already after 3 years, the commune refused the help of the Chekists, and with its own money began to build a power tool factory, the first in the country. The plant was built in less than a year, and the pupils began to produce electric drills, which the country had previously bought for USD. But they did not stop there and mastered the production of Leica cameras.
The Leika camera is 300 parts with an accuracy of 0,001 mm, this is optics, which was not known at all in Tsarist Russia. The kids did it! At the age of 16-19, they already became masters, heads of production.
Production in the commune was not just profitable, but highly profitable. The commune gave the profit to the state in the amount of 4,5 million USD. in year. In addition, the production of electric drills and cameras was of national importance, because it freed the state from importing foreign products for 1.5 million USD. gold per year.
Pupils received a salary for which they supported themselves, younger members of the commune, paid scholarships to former communards who studied at universities, set aside money for savings books to accumulate funds by the time they left the commune, maintained an orchestra, a theater, a greenhouse of flowers, organized trips and other cultural events.
Despite the fact that the children worked and studied, they lived very interestingly. Every summer they organized trips to the Crimea, the Caucasus, along the Volga. They lived together and happily. No quarrels or fights were allowed in the commune. Makarenko came to a discipline that looked like an idyll, the true form of which he showed in the novel Flags on the Towers. People left the commune prepared for life, having a secondary education and high working qualifications.
I would like to wish all teachers and parents such skill that they confirm the words of Makarenko: «Education is an easy thing.»