The Wave: A film of how a teacher carried out an experiment in fascism with his class
How could German citizens claim, after the war, to have known nothing about the Holocaust? Ron Jones's attempt to answer this question as a new teacher in 1960s California led to a risky experiment in fascism that has intrigued successive generations ever since. It is the subject of a major new German film, Die Welle (The Wave), released this week.
Teachers dream of making a difference to their students' lives. It's part of the joy of teaching. Former students of Jones describe his experiment, known as The Wave, as a milestone in their lives.
During project week at Cubberley high school in northern California in April 1967, Jones began teaching his 10th-grade class the power of discipline, drilling them to sit properly and breathe correctly. He made them address him as Mr Jones, stand by their desks when answering questions, and chant slogans.
To his surprise, particularly against a backdrop of the "swinging sixties" and growing civil-rights activism, his 15-year-old students embraced the strict regime and became more motivated to learn.
"I was accustomed to two very intelligent girls, and the troublemakers at the back of the room. What The Wave generated was a major role for the great majority, who stayed quiet and just got through school. I realised that, as a teacher, I had probably ignored them for the most part.
"All of a sudden, this great mass of energy took place and they were all brilliant in their own way," Jones, now 68, explains in a gentle Californian drawl.
During about a week of daily lessons, he created a movement. It had a salute (a raised, cupped hand), a slogan - "strength through discipline, community and action" - and a secret police force. Students made banners, had membership cards, coerced others to join the movement, beat up those who wouldn't conform and voluntarily informed on each other.
Jones even had student bodyguards accompanying him as he walked through the school.
One of the original class, Mark Hancock, 57, says students didn't know what to think. "Jones was the most popular teacher in school. He was only 10 years older than us, so we trusted and liked him a lot. We were 15, the age when you start to get an attitude and think independently. We were idealistic and passionate, but young and impressionable."
The class was used to Jones's unorthodox ways of bringing topics to life. He had taught them about apartheid by issuing cards with different rules for "black" and "white" students. He had invited guest speakers to talk about issues from all points of view - even calling Chairman Mao during one lesson...
Read entire article at Guardian (UK)
Teachers dream of making a difference to their students' lives. It's part of the joy of teaching. Former students of Jones describe his experiment, known as The Wave, as a milestone in their lives.
During project week at Cubberley high school in northern California in April 1967, Jones began teaching his 10th-grade class the power of discipline, drilling them to sit properly and breathe correctly. He made them address him as Mr Jones, stand by their desks when answering questions, and chant slogans.
To his surprise, particularly against a backdrop of the "swinging sixties" and growing civil-rights activism, his 15-year-old students embraced the strict regime and became more motivated to learn.
"I was accustomed to two very intelligent girls, and the troublemakers at the back of the room. What The Wave generated was a major role for the great majority, who stayed quiet and just got through school. I realised that, as a teacher, I had probably ignored them for the most part.
"All of a sudden, this great mass of energy took place and they were all brilliant in their own way," Jones, now 68, explains in a gentle Californian drawl.
During about a week of daily lessons, he created a movement. It had a salute (a raised, cupped hand), a slogan - "strength through discipline, community and action" - and a secret police force. Students made banners, had membership cards, coerced others to join the movement, beat up those who wouldn't conform and voluntarily informed on each other.
Jones even had student bodyguards accompanying him as he walked through the school.
One of the original class, Mark Hancock, 57, says students didn't know what to think. "Jones was the most popular teacher in school. He was only 10 years older than us, so we trusted and liked him a lot. We were 15, the age when you start to get an attitude and think independently. We were idealistic and passionate, but young and impressionable."
The class was used to Jones's unorthodox ways of bringing topics to life. He had taught them about apartheid by issuing cards with different rules for "black" and "white" students. He had invited guest speakers to talk about issues from all points of view - even calling Chairman Mao during one lesson...