cadre

A "cadre" refers to a core group of trained individuals who can lead and train others. It can also describe a cell of leaders promoting a revolutionary party's interests. In education, particularly under communist regimes, cadres were trained to implement political and social changes.12

In the context of education under communism, such as in China, the goal was a total societal revolution. Education was a key tool to create new loyalties and motivations, producing both zealous revolutionaries and skilled workers for modernization. This often blurred the lines between education and propaganda, with schools being just one part of a broader program involving newspapers, posters, and mass gatherings. Millions of cadres received intensive training for specific roles in areas like agrarian law, marriage law, industry, and agriculture. The Soviet model heavily influenced these educational systems, with Russian replacing English as the primary foreign language and curriculum changes mirroring Soviet concepts.2