olunteer instructors in the social, natural, and political
sciences; although no degree or diploma was offered, those who
successfully completed courses were eligible, after passing a state
examination, for certificates as elementary or higher school graduates.

In 1958 the program was revised and expanded. In that year people's and
workers' "universities" were established under the guidance of labor
unions, local committees on art and culture, and committees of the Union
of Communist Youth. These universities were established at cultural
centers, in libraries, in museums, and at collective farms and
industrial enterprises. The enrollment age was lowered to twenty to
attract youthful school dropouts, and a greater variety of basic general
educational and technical courses was introduced. Despite these changes,
in 1967 the press reported a general lack of public support for the
program. Deficiencies in the system included a lack of adequate
classrooms and equipment, the low quality of instruction, and the
absence of a vigorous recruitment program.

After the enactment of the new law on education in 1968, the system was
again revised; extensive modifications were made in the curricula, and
closer supervision of the program was undertaken. In rural areas the
school year was shortened to four or six months during the winter, and
additional general cultural courses were offered, as well as special
courses in foreign languages and modern agricultural techniques. In
urban schools the program was reduced to eight or nine months, and
modern courses in stenography, television repair, and automatic data
processing were made available. As a result of these efforts, official
reports in 1970 claimed that the number of schools providing adult
education had increased to 171 and that student enrollment totaled
almost 100,000.

Teacher Training

Teachers and educators were considered important elements in the
ideological and political conditioning process directed toward the
country's youth. In addition to their primary task of teaching, they
were relied upon to supplement the educational program by acting as
disseminators and interpreters of the communist line and by encouraging
and influencing young students to participate in state-sponsored
activities. In 1971 there were approximately 200,000 teachers assigned
to the 16,000 schools throughout the country, and this number was
expected to increase with the continued emphasis on ma