Values education in the Soviet State: The lasting contribution of V.A. Sukhomlinsky

Vasily Sukhomlinsky (1918–1970) was arguably the most influential Soviet educator of the post-war period. He was a practising teacher, and from 1947 to 1970 was principal of a school in the Ukrainian village of Pavlysh. One of Sukhomlinsky's primary concerns was to inculcate in his students the values of compassion and service, combined with sensitivity to beauty in nature, art and human relationships. For Sukhomlinsky, there were thousands of connections between physical, moral, aesthetic, intellectual and vocational education. His approach to values education is unusual in the extent to which it permeated the whole school program, and also in the extent to which it was accompanied by practical training in good works.

► Sukhomlinsky's school is examined as an example of an “ethical learning community”.
► Sukhomlinsky's system of education addressed multiple aspects of human development.
► Moral education is at the heart of Sukhomlinsky's holistic system of education.
► Sukhomlinsky integrated moral, emotional and aesthetic education.
► Sukhomlinsky conducted a ‘readiness’ program which assisted moral development.