Can Children Learn Communism?

By Dr. Tomy Michael

(The writer is Faculty of Law Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya
Indonesia)

To discuss justice is to discuss the ultimate goal. Within a state, justice—alongside security—is a value upon which there is universal agreement, regardless of the circumstances. This shared commitment is underpinned by various ideologies, such as socialism, communism, accelerationism, and solarpunk. Discussions regarding these ideologies often focus primarily on their utility to society. Consequently, policy takes center stage due to its orientation toward the public good. Yet, children are rarely consulted directly on such policies; while the state protects children through its measures, their own presence often seems to carry little weight.

Children should be a primary focus, as they are the ones who will ultimately live out the consequences of these systems. In film, communism is often portrayed as a force shaping national development, with opposition to it frequently equating to opposition against the state itself. However, children need not view communism merely as something to be accepted or rejected. Instead, they can be encouraged to ask questions: Why did communism emerge? What problems did it seek to address? And why did the idea garner such widespread support at a particular point in history?

This raises a simple question with a complex answer: should children learn about communism? Learning about communism is certainly different from being taught to become a communist. In the age of artificial intelligence, children can access a vast array of information; however, they require guidance to discern the accuracy or validity of what they encounter. For instance, a child reading Karl Marx does not automatically become a communist, just as a child studying liberalism does not automatically become a liberal. Knowledge does not necessarily create followers; rather, it fosters the ability to make comparisons, question ideas, and form a stance.

Communism can be studied as part of the history of human thought. Children can grasp that these ideas emerged from issues of inequality, the relationship between capital owners and workers, and critiques regarding wealth distribution. From this perspective, they can understand why the concept of equality once held such strong appeal for certain societies. At the same time, children can also study critiques of communist practices—particularly concerning political freedom, state power, property ownership, and the historical experiences of nations that adopted communism as their political foundation. In this way, the learning process does not devolve into propaganda.

The African experience in Tanzania, through President Julius Nyerere’s 1967 concept of Ujamaa, offers valuable insights. This philosophy emphasized communal living, solidarity, and community development. The experience also reveals both the aspirations and limitations of Ujamaa as a nation-building project. It sought to strengthen national solidarity and reduce the political significance of ethnic divisions, while its implementation relied on a strongly centralized political structure that constrained political pluralism and local autonomy. Tanzania’s later democratic development therefore also reflects the institutional legacies and tensions associated with its one-party past.

For young people in Indonesia, the Tanzanian experience offers lessons not to suggest that *Ujamaa* should be implemented in Indonesia, but rather to understand that the challenges faced must be addressed through concrete action. South Africa also provides lessons on how societies confront injustice. The struggle against apartheid demonstrated that human equality is not merely a concept on paper, but a tangible issue affecting daily life. From this experience, young people can learn that social change can emerge from struggle, dialogue, differing opinions, and the courage to challenge injustice. The crucial lesson lies not in choosing a specific ideology, but in understanding how people strive to create a more just society.

This approach can also enrich the understanding of Indonesia’s national ideology, Pancasila, while remaining consistent with Article 188 of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code. The provision reflects Indonesia’s legal position toward communist and Marxist-Leninist ideology, but this does not mean that children should be denied the opportunity to study the history and ideas surrounding communism. Understanding an ideology is not the same as endorsing it. Children need to learn that not every idea must be accepted simply because it was once influential; conversely, not every idea should be rejected merely because it is deemed controversial. Education should provide space for children to become familiar with ideas, compare them, and then evaluate them. In this context, studying communism is not an attempt to turn children into communists. Rather, studying communism can be a way to understand history, grasp the nature of injustice, and comprehend why humanity constantly seeks forms of communal life perceived as better.

If children remain ignorant of communism, they are likely to form their own interpretations, potentially leading to wild speculation. A structured approach is therefore necessary to ensure they gain a proper understanding. Children who know only the answers without ever knowing the questions will grow into citizens who simply accept things as they are. Conversely, children given the opportunity to ask questions will learn that the state need not always be feared, ideology need not always be venerated, and policies need not always be accepted without criticism.

Ultimately, teaching children not to blindly follow what is prescribed by law is a positive thing. When we succeed in this, education does not merely create communists, liberals, socialists, or adherents of a specific ideology; instead, it fosters individuals capable of critical thought and dialectical engagement.