College Crisis: Students & workers fight to learn & learn to fight

SAN FRANCISCO, April 11—Over 200 students and workers had a spirited march through San Francisco’s working-class and predominantly Latin Mission District, protesting the ongoing attacks on the City College of San Francisco (CCSF). Angry and sometimes tearful speakers described the plans to let go of over 600 full and part-time teachers and shut down entire programs. People were very open to our Progressive Labor Party (PLP) leaflet, which brought a vision of a communist education to the struggle.
A friend leads the way
We found out about this march when a member of our PLP study group announced it at a Labor Chorus rehearsal. One of the study group leaders encouraged her to attend a study group where she proposed discussing the City College march. We turned the next study group meeting into a short discussion about the fight at CCSF and then reconvened at the demonstration. At the march  a few of us, including our friend, passed out nearly 250 leaflets and several copies of CHALLENGE.
Our PLP study group is mostly composed of progressive and anti-racist friends, many from this Labor Chorus (which happens to be threatened by the cuts at CCSF). We have discussed elections, fascism, racism, and the Party’s principles. But we have talked very little about doing political activity. So it was inspirational when this study group friend accompanied us to a Stop Asian Hate demonstration and then planned and participated with us at the CCSF march and protest.
Victories won by struggle, threatened by bosses’ cutbacks
Decades of struggle by students, workers, and teachers have expanded CCSF into a college, providing large numbers of non-credit, part-time courses for workers, older adults, English-learners, and people interested in art, music, gardening and more. At one point, 1/7 of San Francisco’s population had taken CCSF courses. Then came the attacks—an attempt to shut down the campus altogether, major budget cuts, and an attempt to revoke CCSF’s state accreditation. The many struggles had expanded CCSF’s curriculum, but as with any reform victory under capitalism, CCSF administrators are now reversing our victories.  
The California Board of Governors has a corporate-driven agenda to gut the community colleges and offer only specific vocational certificates or academic courses to a much smaller group of full-time students. Local CCSF administrators are carrying out those plans with massive cuts in faculty, classes, and programs and sabotaging the outreach and enrollment of students.
What would communist education look like?
Some of the reforms won at CCSF give a glimpse of education under communism. Workers can learn mental, manual, and social skills over a lifetime. We can become artists, writers, musicians, and dancers. There are courses for people with disabilities, for victims of domestic or sexual violence, and courses to help overcome isolation and stay physically and mentally fit. There are programs for victims of racism, sexism, ableism, homelessness, and unemployment.
These programs help us cope with some evils of capitalism, but the working class needs communism. Under communism there will be no classes about homelessness and unemployment. They will have been eliminated. Defeating racism and sexism will be primary in every aspect of society. Overcoming isolation and staying physically and mentally fit will be part of daily life, not a class that we take. We can only imagine how communism will unleash the creativity and energy of the working class.
But the bosses want capitalist education as a sorting hat for the next generation of workers—some are declared obedient workers for factories or companies. Others become petty managers and mouthpieces of capita. Still others are part of the military or the reserve army of labor. They want us on an educational conveyor belt with no time to think about what we’re doing or what’s being done to us. Education under capitalism will always serve and change based on the interests of the capitalist class.
Revolution primary over reform
Our study group has helped us be better communists. Discussion of our principles on page two of CHALLENGE has improved our understanding of nationalism and the role of wages and money, and why racism, not white supremacy, best describes what’s at play.  And our practice has improved.
Our study group friend met with us to join the City College fight and bring communist ideas to it. She helped pass out the PLP leaflet to the marchers and community members and contributed to this article. Working together to fight the bosses—now that’s communist education and action!
Capitalism is in crisis and, now more than before, cannot meet our needs for housing, health, jobs, or education. Worldwide tens of thousands of workers are fighting educational cuts like those at CCSF. Under capitalism, we get some education, limited as it is, only when we fight for it. We need communism, but it will never happen unless we organize in the class struggle and bring people closer to the Party, just like we did with this fight.
The bosses can take back any reform we win at CCSF or anywhere else. Our ultimate goal must be a communist revolution, where the working class takes power. So look for a study group in your area, an excellent way to learn about PLP’s ideas and to help plan and participate in activities. Join us!