ABSTRACT
The relation between school and work has been a recurring topic of debate in educational theory, but nowhere more so than from the Marxian standpoint. That situation is understandable, given that Marx’s theory of human development emphasizes the importance of labour in the formation of society and of the individual person, and that his programme for reform in education directs its attention towards the needs of the class in modern society for which labour is the main task in life. Marx’s writings contain attempts to present the theme of school and work from both the theoretical and the practical point of view, and in each case there are complexities which rule out any simple assessment of his claims. This chapter will attempt to outline these complexities, and provide an analysis of the ideas which underlie Marx’s plan for an education in which school and work both find a place in the life of the child.
