OAKLAND, July 6—Seven current and retired ICWP teachers from the US and Mexico, and a sympathizer, met to discuss a communist analysis of education. Our discussion was based on a document, written by comrades in Los Angeles, which we had read before the meeting. The discussion centered on the idea that capitalist schools were created to meet the bosses' needs, not those of the working class.
We got to a paragraph which stated that it is dangerous for the working class to take up reform struggles such as fighting for better education or books. A comrade said this is not entirely true because books in capitalism can contain useful information which helps workers develop a communist analysis.
Another comrade, a retired teacher, replied, "In capitalist schools, they teach about genetics. Everyone now knows about DNA, but how does this knowledge benefit workers?
"This knowledge, the retired teacher explained, "has helped the bosses train workers to make commodities for their profits, like genetically modified organisms, or for the biotechnology industry. It has served also as the supposedly 'scientific' basis to reinforce racist lies like whites are smarter than blacks, stated by James Watson the racist geneticist, co-discoverer of DNA structure and Nobel Prize winner."
A comrade teacher said, "But in capitalist books there is valid knowledge which workers should learn."
Another comrade replied, "Yes, but knowledge without communist ideas doesn't benefit the working class; the laws of motion in nature don't change. What changes is how knowledge and technology is developed in capitalism to benefit the bosses.
"Under communism," the comrade continued, "the use of knowledge and technology will serve the interests of workers – not to control or hoard, but to share; not to make commodities, but to meet the needs of humanity; not to exploit but to emancipate humanity."
The comrade teacher asked, "So what we do everyday with our students is useless? What should we do?"
A comrade replied, "We know that we have to survive under capitalism, but our main goal each day should be to spread communist ideas and build ICWP for communist revolution."
A comrade gave an example of a group of high school youth who collectively organized, produced, and promoted a play without adult input. This showed that workers are capable of leading society without bosses.
A comrade said, "In our literature we should mention explicitly that winning industrial workers and soldiers is key for communist revolution, and that the role of teachers is vital to achieve this goal with workers' children who come to capitalist schools".
Another comrade suggested, "You should write and develop this idea more and have it ready for the next meeting."
"I'll do it gladly," she responded.
At the end of the meeting, the comrade teacher said, "My point of view on books was incorrect, but today I learned a lot from each one of you. A collective communist analysis is always better."

—Teachers of ICWP in struggle for communism