THE WORLD FEDERATION OF TEACHERS' UNIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-00915R000500400006-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 26
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 20, 1998
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: January 1, 1957
• Content Type: REPORT

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THE WORLD FEDERATION OF TEACHERS' UNIONS
(Federation. International Syndicale
de l'Enseignement: F.I.S.E.)
January 1957 Copy N?
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(Federation International Syndicale
de l'Enseignement: F. I. S. E. )
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THE WORLD FEDERATION OF TEACHERS' UNIONS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .............................................
Page
SECTION I.
SECTION II.
PRE-WAR COMMUNIST ACTIVITY IN
EDUCATION ................................
POST-WAR DEVELOPMENTS ..................
3
SECTION III.
ACTIVITIES OF F.I.S.E.
4
SECTION IV.
THE LEADERSHIP OF F.I.S.E . ...............
11
SECTION V.
RELATIONSHIP OF F. I. S. E. TO THE W. F. T. U..
14
SECTION VI.
F.I. S. E. UNITY TACTICS ......................
16
SECTION VII.
F. I. S. E. ATTACKS ON THE WORLD
CONFEDERATION OF THE TEACHING
PROFESSION (W. C.O. T.P.) .................
19
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THE WORLD FEDERATION OF TEACHERS' UNIONS
The World Federation of Teachers' Unions, more frequently
referred to as "F. I. S. E.", its French initials, is the Communist-
controlled international front organization through which the Soviet
Union coordinates its propaganda and tactics in the field of education
in the Free World.
The F. I. S. E. is a typical Communist-front organization in
that it pretends to be "democratic" and "independent. " It has never
openly identified itself as a Communist organization. On the con-
trary, it claims to be the only international organization represent-
ing all teachers, regardless of political or religious belief. In this
disguise it seeks to unite the teachers of the world into a single inter-
national organization of teachers under its control.
The main objectives of F. I. S. E. , in addition to creating broad
popular support among teachers for the Soviet-Communist program,
are to cure the teaching profession of its "bourgeois" outlook and
to integrate the activities of teachers into the more general action
of the working class. According to the Secretary General of F. I. S. E.,
"The bourgeoisie is now incapable of giving the slightest perspective
to teachers and children." The obvious inference is that only the
Communists can supply such perspective.
The Communists thus hope, through F.I.S. E. , to be able to
convert teachers to Communism and thereby to capture the minds of
the next generation, the students of today.
The F. I. S. E. claims a membership of seven million teachers.
Its actual numerical strength, which in any case is concentrated in the
Soviet-Satellite countries, is probably considerably smaller than this
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figure. Vastly inflating the membership figures is a tactic employed
by the various international Communist-front organizations to create
an impression of greater strength and importance than that actually
possessed.
The headquarters of F. I. S. E. was formerly located in the Soviet
Sector of Vienna in the building occupied by the World Federation of
Trade Unions, of which F. I. S. E. is a trade department. In February
1956, however, the government banned further activities in Austria
by the W. F. T. U. , as well as F. I. S. E. , and both organizations were
forced to move their headquarters. This expulsion marked the second
occasion on which a host government had found it necessary to proscribe
their activities officially, both having been expelled from France in
1951.
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SECTION I. PRE-WAR COMMUNIST ACTIVITY IN THE EDUCATIONAL
FIELD
The Communists have always regarded education as a key sector
on the ideological front, and from the very beginning they have made it
abundantly clear that their objective is to destroy non-Communist ed-
ucational systems and replace them with systems based on scientific
materialism.
This intent was clearly evident in the Programme of the Com-
munist International (Comintern), which was adopted in 1928 at its
Sixth Congress. This Programme contained the following passage:
"In destroying the capitalist monopoly of the means
of production, the working class must also destroy the
capitalist monopoly of education, that is, it must take
possession of all the schools, from the elementary
schools to the universities."
"At the same time, the proletarian state... recon-
structs the whole of its educational work on the basis
of scientific materialism."
In order to achieve revolutionary objectives, the leaders of the
Comintern realized that it was necessary to extend their influence be-
yond the immediate confines of the Communist movement itself. This
realization, of course, was not confined to the educational field, but
extended to other lines of endeavor as well.
To this end was created a number of auxiliary, or front, organi-
zations which were actually though not theoretically, under the leader-
ship and control of the Comintern. These front-organizations varied
in character: some were easily identifiable with the Comintern; others
were so organized as to conceal their true affiliation.
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Into the latter category fell the Educational Workers' Inter-
national (E. W. I. ). The E. W. I. was not immediately recognizable
as a Comintern auxiliary because it also granted affiliation to unions
belonging to the Second International.
Created in 1922, the E. W. I. had the purpose of bringing together
members of the teaching profession and teachers' unions into a single
international organization under Communist control, as well as spread-
ing of Communist influence within the teaching profession. During the
pre-World War II period, it was the E. W.I. , in conjunction with the
various Communist Parties, through which Communist activity among
teachers was coordinated.
The E. W. I. existed, at least nominally, until 1946 when it was
succeeded by the F. I. S. E. , which has carried on the essential tasks
of its Comintern predecessor.
ow
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SECTION II. POST-WAR DEVELOPMENTS
The F. I. S. E. was founded at an international meeting of teachers'
unions held in July 1946 in Paris. According to the February 1953 issue
of Teachers of the World, official publication of F. I. S. E. , the meeting
was marked "by the merging together of the old pre -war organizations,
the Educational Workers' International and the International Profes-
sional Secretariat of Teachers, which declared their willingness to
unite in the trade department of the W. F. T. U. (World Federation of
Trade Unions). . . "
The basis for this meeting, according to the above publication,
was laid by the visit to Paris of a representative of the "Teachers'
Confederation of Latin America," Crisologo GATICA. Munoz (Chilean
Communist), who was entrusted with the task of making contact with
the European organizations, while the French trade union organizations
took the initiative in extending invitations to different countries, with
the aim of reconstituting the teac'hers' international union.
After the Paris meeting, international conferences of educational
workers were held by the F. I. S. E. in Brussels in 1947 and in Budapest
in 1948. At the Budapest conference the present name was adopted.
At a conference held in Warsaw in August 1949 the present struc-
ture of the F. I. S. E. was established, and its statutes were drawn up.
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SECTION III. ACTIVITIES OF THE F. I. S. E.
The F. I. S. E. concentrates more on social and political matters
than on strictly educational problems. One of its principal activities
is to promote Soviet foreign policy objectives.
Both in publications and in resolutions of its executive bodies
it has consistently supported the Soviet position on such questions
as the rearmament of Western Germany, the Korean War, disarma-
ment, "peace", etc.
The president of the F. I. S. E., Henri WALLON, in an article
which appeared in Teachers of the World (September 1952), supported
the Communist charge that bacteriological warfare was being used in
Korea, but opposed the proposal to entrust the investigation of the
charges to the International Red Cross on the ground that the Inter
national Red Cross was an unreliable organization.
The United Nations has also come in for abuse by the F. I. S. E.
An article in Teachers of the World (July-September 1954) dealt with
the fall of the Communist government in Guatemala in the following
terms:
"... this was brutal imperialist aggression against
a small country... imperialism prepared and unleashed
a mortal blow against Guatemalan democracy in order
to terrorize all the Latin American people... the Security
Council of the United Nations, which four years ago
supported a war of aggression in Korea, rejected the
complaint of Guatemala. "
Within its own specialized field, that of education, the F. I. S. E.
constantly seeks to convey the impression that the position of teachers
in non-Communist countries is intolerably low, in contrast with the
situation of teachers in the Soviet Union and the Satellites, which is
described only in glowing terms. A typical, but by no means isolated
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example, was contained in the General Resolution of the Administrative
Committee of the F. I. S. E. , which met in Vienna in December 1954.
The resolution, as reported in Teachers of the World (Issue
No. 14, 1955), contained the following passages:
11... in spite of certain local successes, the position
of the school and of the teachers in the capitalist and
colonial countries continue to deteriorate..."
"In the U.S.S.R., Peoples' China and the Peoples'
Democracies, the position of education and of the
teachers constantly improves... "
In addition to portraying non-Communist educational systems
in as unfavorable a light as possible, the F. I. S. E. endeavors to
promote the Soviet system of education. In August 1951, for example,
the Administrative Committee, meeting at Erfurt, stated:
"The answers to the great questions of education
can only be supplied by the Soviet Union and the People's
Democracies; in capitalist countries, only the working
class can supply such an answer. Educational methods
must therefore be based on the great experience of the
U.S.S.R."
On the occasion of Stalin's death the F. I. S. E. devoted two full
pages of the May 1953 issue of Teachers of the World in glowing trib-
ute to ".Stalin the Educator. " According to Henri WALLON, President
of the F. I. S. E. :
"Stalin has been the most exceptional educator.
All his statements and writings are marked by admi-
rable simplicity. They are the essence of good sense.
Listening to him, it seems impossible to think otherwise.
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And yet the problems which he solves with such
clarity and such simplicity are precisely the most
difficult, the most controversial, those which have
been distorted by the most bitter controversy. It
"Stalin's work is founded on a knowledge of
the laws that man must learn to understand; these
laws are objective; therefore it is possible to
teach men how to discover them, to verify their
efficacy, and to put them to practical application.
Stalin ceaselessly gave this instruction to his
closest collaborators, and whenever the occasion
presented itself to the entire people. This is why
his work is immortal and will continue. He gave
it life by basing it on man, became conscious of
the laws governing the world and of the nature
of mankind itself. His essential preoccupation
was man, the most precious capital of all. To
render its full value to this capital, man must
be instructed. Stalin was a great educator, an
educator of genius, the educator of educators.
Teachers of all countries will be inspired by his
great example. "
The F. I. S. E. also sent a telegram to the U. S. S. R. , signed by
Henri WALLON and Paul DELANOUE, Secretary General of F. I. S. E.,
in which it was stated:
"The work accomplished by Brother Stalin,
at the head of the forces of progress, has trans-
formed the world. Thanks to his immeasurable
contribution to the cause of the peoples, the future
appears brighter to the youth of all countries. The
work of Brother Stalin is. immortal, his teachings
will guide our action to unite the teachers of the
world and educate young people to a consciousness
of their responsibilities in building the future."
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In view of the Stalin denigration in the U. S. S. R. it is possible
that the F. I. S. E. has now lost some of its fervor for the "great
educator, the educator of genius, the educator of educators. if
While the F. I. S. E. professes to be an organization devoted
to the interests of teachers, in reality a considerable portion of its
activity is devoted to its political role with a corresponding lessen-
ing of activity directed towards purely educational problems.
In its political role the F. I. S. E. has not hesitated to assume
a violently partisan stand on both domestic and international politi-
cal issues, invariably following the Soviet, Communist line on these
subjects.
Typical political pronouncements of the F. I. S. E. include
the following:
(1)
(2)
(3)
"Everywhere our enemy is the same -- American
imperialism which, in its determination to domi-
nate the world, tries to impose the same methods
of compulsion on all education systems through-
out the world." (Teachers of the World, January 1952).
"The Executive Bureau of the F. I. S. E. declares
that the armament race and the policy of aggres-
sion pursued by the governments of the imperialist
states, headed by the U.S.A. monopolists, are
leading to the further reduction of expenditure on
peaceful pursuits, and in particular for state edu-
cation. " (Teachers of the World , May 1953).
"Looking forward to a new imperialist war, in
which they hope to enrich themselves as they did
in the first two wars, the United States are build-
ing military bases in all parts of the world, in
Europe, in Africa, in Asia. " (Teachers of the
World, February 1952).
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(4) "U. S. imperialism, stained with the blood of
Korean women, is trying to spread war all over
the world and to throw mankind into flames. "
("Appeal to the Teachers, Professors and Scientists
of the World," issued by the F. I. S. E. Executive
Bureau at Sofia in February 1951).
(5)
"In spite of the unanimous desire of the people
that peace should be maintained, reactionary
forces are intensifying their activities and are
opposing the relaxation of international tension,
they are organizing military blocs in Europe
and Asia, they are opposing movements for national
liberation, and they are interfering in the in-
ternal affairs of the Latin American peoples
with a view to imposing on them dictatorial
governments which are subservient to the
United States monopolies." (Teachers of the
World, January-March 1955).
(6) "In Western Germany in particular, where
American imperialism is trying to create a
base for the war that they are plotting, edu-
cation has been brought to the brink of catas -
trophe," (Teachers of the World, July-September,
1954).
While the United States comes in for the major share of the abuse,
other non-Communist countries are not neglected; for example:
(1) "The teachers of India will continue to defend
their own fundamental rights, the cause of the
children, and the right of their people to an
education. They will do so against the colonial
regime, which still survives under new forms,
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(2)
(3)
and against Indian reaction. And we can assure
them that they will have the sympathy and the
helk of their colleagues in other lands." (Teachers
of the World, January 1952).
"A. phenomenon characteristic of the political
situation in Europe and throughout the world is
the rebirth of German imperialism fostered by
the English and American imperialists. "
(Teachers of the World, February 1952).
"Not only does the enemy attempt to divide us,
to separate us from the workers and the people,
but he attempts to isolate the best fighters, to
dismiss them, imprison them. This is what is
happening in New York, India, Latin America,
and, to a lesser degree, in countries like France,
Great Britain and Belgium." (Teachers of the
World, January 1952).
In 1953 the F. I. S. E. published and distributed a postcard entitled
"Liberty Accuses, 11 which bore the statement that, "In the United States
of America, the Feinberg, Smith and McCarran Laws deprive the
teachers of any real freedom of opinion or of organization. " F. I. S. E.
requested teachers of all lands to distribute and mail the post-card.
In addition to its propaganda and political activities, the F. I. S. E.
also maintains links with other international Communist-front organizations,
such as the World Federation of Democratic Youth, and the Women's
International Democratic Federation. It works in close cooperation
with them, and most particularly, with the Communist dominated
World Peace Council, of which the Secretary General of the F. I. S. E.
Paul DELANOUE, is a member.
In a not too subtle way the F. I. S. E. has also advocated that
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teachers in other countries organize themselves into underground
movements against their respective governments.
In the January 1952 issue of Teachers of the World the F. I. S. E.
printed an article entitled, "The Teachers' Underground Movement in
Shanghai Before the Liberation," written by FAN Ming, its Chinese
Vice President. In this article FAN Ming described how the teachers'
underground movement was organized in Shanghai during; the CHIANG
Kai Shek regime.
This article was later published in pamphlet form by the W. F. T. U.
Publications, Ltd. , in London, and sold for 2d per copy. Advertise-
ments for its sale were carried in Teachers of the World.
The F. I. S. E. published the following statement in an article
in Teachers of the World, May 1952:
"From time to time happenings in one country are
highly instructive for the teachers' organizations in
others. For example, Teachers of the World published
in. its first number an interview with our colleague FAN
Ming of Peking, who told how, under the CHIANG Kai
Shek regime, Chinese teachers in that town managed
to organize themselves, to build up unity among them-
selves, and through their active co-operation with
factory workers and parents, to develop a vast move -
ment, centered on the teaching profession, which was
an important factor in the liberation struggles of the
Chinese people.
"The example of the teacher of Shanghai has
been an object-lesson for our comrades in other
countries, particularly in Asia, where similar
problems are now being faced."
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While the F. I. S. E. professes to be "democratic" and"independ -
ent," the fact remains that its leadership is firmly under Soviet-
Communist control. This fact is plainly evident from the back-
ground of its leaders who, almost without exception, are either
members of the Communist Party in their respective countries,
members of the Communist-front organizations, or are from
countries under Communist control and domination.
The Administrative Committee of the F. I. S. E. is composed
of the following:
President: Henri WALLON (France). Member of
the Communist Party of France. Former
Communist Deputy.
Vice Presidents: Ivan S. GRIVKOV (U. S. S. R. ). President
of the Teachers' Union of the Russian
Federal Soviet Socialist Republic.
FAN Ming (Communist China). Deputy
Director of the International Liaison
Department of the All-China Federation
of Trade Unions. Vice Chairman of the
National Committee of the Educational
Workers' Trade Union.
Cesar GODOY Urrutia (Chile). A lead-
ing member of the Communist Party of
Chile. Alternate member of the Executive
Committee of the World Federation of
Trade Unions.
Antonio BANFI (Italy). President of the
U.S.S.R. - Italy Association. Communist
Party of Italy senator,
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Vice Presidents: Gueye ABDOULAYE (Dakar). Secretary
(continued) General of the Senegal Democratic Union,
a section of the African Democratic
Assembly. Political Director of Reveil
d'Aujourd'hui.
Secretary General: Paul DELA.NOUE (France). Member of
the Communist--controlled World Peace
Council. Member of the General Council
of the World Federation. of Trade Unions,
As of 1953, Secretary of the National
Federation of Education, affiliated to the
Communist--dominated C. G. T.
Secretaries: Maria MARCHANT (Chile). Member of
the Communist Party of Chi le.
Dimitri TA.PTIKOV (U. S. S. R. )
Members: Eustachy KUROTCZKO (Poland)
Stoiko DOBREV (Bulgaria)
Rafael TISCHLER (Guatemala)
Taieb DJADIR (Oran)
J. P. SAINZ (Mexico)
Vaclav KOUKOL (Czechoslovakia)
Erika WENDLAND (Germany)
N'GUYEN Khan Toan (Viet-Nam).
The F. I. S. E. also has an Auditing Commission composed of the
following:
President: Rudolf KRAICHEL (Austria)
Radu PETRE (Rumania)
KOVACS, fnu (Hungary)
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The statutory policy-making body of the F. I. S. E. is its Inter-
national Conference, but for all practical purposes the F. I. S. E. is
directed by its nine officers--President, five Vice Presidents, Sec-
retary General, and two Secretaries.
The fact that F. I. S. E. has not called an international conference
of its membership since July 1953 (contrary to its statutes), is a
further demonstration of its undemocratic character and its complete
control by a handful of people.
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SECTION V. RELATIONSHIP OF THE F. I. S. E. TO THE W. F. T. U.
The Executive Committee of the World Federation of Trade
Unions (W. F. T. U. ) which met in Paris from 28 January to 1 Febru-
ary 1949, decided to recognize the F. I. S. E. , in accordance with its
request, as the Education Trade Department of the W. F. T. U. The
F. I. S. E. thereby earned the dubious distinction of being the first
trade department to be organized within the W. F. T. U.
The Communist-controlled W. F. T. U. is the international
front-organization through which the U. S. S. R. coordinates its
propaganda and tactics in the field of labor in the Free World.
As a trade department of the W. F. T. U. , the activities of
the F. I. S. E. are closely coordinated by the W. F. T. U. Secre -
tariat. Moreover, effective W. F. T..U. control of the F. I. IS. E.
is ensured through an interlocking directorate between the two
organizations. Thus, the following officials of the F. I. S. E. are
also officials of the W. F. T. U.:
Paul DELANOUE (France)
Secretary General of the
F. I. S. E. Member of the
General Council of the
W. F. T. U.
Cesar GODOY Urrutia (Chile)
A Vice President of the
F. I. S.E. Alternate member
of the Executive Committee
of the W. F. T. U.
Rafael TISCHLER (Guatemala) Member of the Administrative
Committee of the F. I. S. E.
Alternate member of the
General Council of the W. F. T. U.
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In 1951 the W. F. T. U. , along with the F. I. S. E. , moved to the
Soviet sector of Vienna, having been expelled from Paris by the
French Government for subversive activities. The transfer of the
respective headquarters to Vienna was imposed on the Austrian
Government without its consent and under the protection of the
Soviet occupation forces both organizations were able to continue
their activities as before.
Following the signing of the Austrian Peace Treaty the W. F. T. U.
for the first time, took the necessary legal steps to register itself
in compliance with Austrian law. In February 1956, however, after
having determined that the activities then being conducted by the
W. F. T. U. were inimical, the Austrian government by official de-
cree dissolved the W. F. T. U. as a legal association and expelled
it from Austria. The ban also applied to the F. I. S. E.
Thus, two governments. have officially determined that the
activities of these organizations are of such a nature as to warrant
their expulsion from the country. Following the ban, the W. F. T. U.
established its headquarters in Prague. Presumably, the F. I. S. E.
will also establish its headquarters in a satellite country as it is
extremely doubtful that any free country will accept it.
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SECTION VI. F. 1. S. E. UNITY TACTICS
Shortly after its creation in 1946 the F. I. S. E. began trying to
bring non-Communist organizations into its fold in order to establish
a single international organization of teachers. This effort for the
most part resulted in failure.
The F. I. S. E. then re sorted to another tactic. It adopted the
familiar "unity" tactic presently in vogue in the various Communist
Parties and front-organizations throughout the world. This consists
of appealing to non-Communist organizations to join in "united action"
for the achievement of a limited number of common objectives. These
objectives, however, are never inconsistent with Soviet foreign policy
and, more frequently, are in outright support of such objectives al-
though this fact is never mentioned.
According to the F. I. S. E. all the ills of the teaching profes -
sion in the non-Communist countries are attributable to "war budgets"
which result in decreased expenditures for education.
Using this as a basis, the F. I. S. E. has appealed to non-Com-
munist teachers' organizations to join in united action to correct the
evils arising from this situation. The fact that military expenditures
in the Soviet /Satellite countries affect the teaching profession in
those countries to the same degree is studiously avoided.
To use F.I.S. E. 's own words, unity is necessary because:
"Far from improving, the situation worsens from day
to day. The war budgets grow fatter, eating into the budgets
for education. And because the teachers cannot accept this
situation, because they struggle for the prosperity and dig-
nity of their profession side by side with their peoples and
with the parents of their pupils, attacks are made on their
essential freedoms. The aim is to transform them into re-
signed and passive servants of the rulers who sacrifice edu-
cation for war.
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"This is the position not only in New York, but also
in London, Paris, Brussels, Rome, Tokyo, Copenhagen,
in the colonial countries and in many Asian and Latin
American countries.
"Under these circumstances, there is no more es
sential task for our Federation than that of achieving
the unity of the teaching body, unity in each country and
unity on the international scale.
"Only unity can make it possible for us to force the
war governments to retreat. " (Teachers of the World ,
January-March 1953)
The F. I. S. E. has high hopes that its unity of action tactic will
succeed to the point where it can progress to the next stage, namely
unity of organization, its original and ultimateobjective.
The F. I. S. E. has achieved a partial measure of success with its
unity tactic. It persuaded two non-Communist teacher organizations,
the International Federation of Teachers' Associations and the Inter-
national Federation of Secondary Teachers, to join with it to form a
liaison committee known as the Joint Committee of International
Teachers' Federations. The Joint Committee came into existence
in 1948 and still meets at regular intervals to discuss questions of
practical cooperation between teachers of East and West. One of
the major accomplishments of the Joint Committee was the prep-
aration of a Teachers' Charter, which was finally approved at a
meeting held in Moscow in August 1954. As F. I. S. E. was out-
numbered in the discussions, the Charter is non-polemical.
The F. I. S. E. has on occasion abused its relationship with the
Joint Committee to further its own purposes. In Teachers of the
World (Issue No. 15, 1955), the F. I. S. E. published an article entitled,
'Summary of Reports on the Defence of Education," prepared by Mr.
A. M. GOSSA.RT, President of the Joint Committee. The F. I. S. E.
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took the liberty of prefacing Mr. GOSSART's report with the state-
ment, "The report of Mr. GOSSART obviously does not apply to the
socialist countries. "
The F. I. S. E. also attempted to use the Joint Committee as a
means of accomplishing what it has not been able to do on its own
account, namely the creation of a single international organization
of teachers. A. specific proposal to have the Joint Committee pre -
pare the basis for such an international organization was made by
F. I. F.I.S.E. in 1952.
The F. I. S. E. is well aware that its larger claimed membership,
and a disciplined following voting as a single bloc, would soon enable
it to capture control of such an organization.
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maim
SECTION VII. F. I. S. E. ATTACKS ON THE WORLD CONFEDERATION
OF ORGANIZATIONS OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION
(W. C. O. T. P. )
One of the principal barriers to the F. I. S. E. 's expansion in the
educational field has been the non-political World Confederation of Or-
ganizations of the Teaching Professions (W. C. O. T. P. ). The W. C. O. T. P.
was founded in August 1952 at Copenhagen when the International Feder-
ation of Teachers' Association and the International Federation of
Secondary Teachers, together with the World Organization of the
Teaching Profession (W. O. T. P.), met and established a new, compre-
hensive association of teachers. Membership in the W. C. O. T. P.
is open to any national teachers' association which refrains from
"partisan politics or religious controversy. " Up to the present, no
Communist -controlled bodies have joined the W. C. O. T. P.
While the F. I. S. E. , in accordance with the Soviet /Communist
"unity" theme, has made certain gestures of cooperation with the
W. C. O. T. P. , these can only be regarded as a temporary tactical
maneuver for the F. I. S. E. has made it clear that its objective is to
destroy the W. C. O. T. P. .
This was revealed in a resolution adopted by the F. I. F.I.S.E.
Executive Bureau which met in Warsaw, 15-19 January 1953. The
resolution, as reported in Teachers of the World (May 1953), stated
that the Executive Bureau of F. I. S. E. had resolved:
"To instruct the F. I. S. E. Secretariat... to take
steps to examine the activity of the so-called 'World
Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Pro-
fession', formed in August 1952 in Copenhagen in
order to make plain its disruptive role and to znd
any influence it may have on teachers' organizations
unaffiliated with the F. I. S. E. "
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In furtherance of its announced objective of destroying the
W.C.O. T. P. the F. I. S. E. has consistently endeavored to dis -
credit it in the eyes of the teaching profession. Similar efforts
were directed against the W. O. T. P. , which the F. I. S. E. regards
as being solely responsible for the creation of the W. C. O. T. P.
In resolutions of its directing bodies, in its publications and
in statements of its leaders, the F. I. S. E. has launched vicious and
malicious attacks, and outright falsehoods, against the W.C. O. T. P.
and its leaders, whom they have accused of trying to split the unity
of teachers and of promoting war.
It is evident from the nature and tone of these attacks that
the attempt to discredit the W. C. O. T. P. is motivated by an aware -
ness on the part of F. I. S. E. that a teachers' organization devoted
exclusively to the interests of the teaching profession offers more
to teachers than an organization whose primary concern is the
promotion of Communist political objectives. The very existence
of such an organization poses a threat to the expansion of the
F. I. S. E. and its efforts to establish a single international organi-
zation of teachers under its control.
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