Comrades! You have gathered here as representatives of the local out-of-school departments of the gubernia Soviets. I am unfortunately not closely acquainted with your work, and therefore I shall confine myself to a few remarks. I welcome your congress of workers in out-of-school education—a congress so significant in its tasks!

In our schools there are still many teachers brought up under the old conditions, which creates difficulties in the transition from the capitalist system to socialism. Strange as it may seem, we meet with stubborn resistance among people who possess knowledge. Those who are accustomed to regard the old apparatus as their own domain serve themselves and the propertied class.

Out-of-school work is in a better position than school work.

In the Council of People’s Commissars we raised the question of setting up a commission to unite a whole number of scattered cultural and educational organisations. Out-of-school education is important for the remoulding of the whole of life. New paths must be sought.

It must be said that some new and inexperienced representatives of the Soviet power often apply old methods and thus compromise the power.

I think that workers in out-of-school education have a difficult task before them. In Party work we have evolved our own methods of exercising wide influence over the masses, but they must be combined with cultural and educational methods, in particular, school methods and especially out-of-school methods, which has not always succeeded.

In out-of-school work you encounter help from the working masses in their keenest striving for knowledge, and thus it is easier for you to find forms of contact with them. The least can be gained here by leaps, especially among masses at a low cultural level. We must strive for closer contact with Party organisations as organs of propaganda, and draw the masses into out-of-school work. If the initiative of the masses meets with due sympathy, you may hope for the best results. Allow me to greet you and wish you success.