Applied Scholastics (APS) is an organization that promotes and licenses the use of study techniques created by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. Applied Scholastics is operated by the Church of Scientology.
Overview
Applied Scholastics, abbreviated "APS", was founded in 1972 by the Church of Scientology in order to disseminate L. Ron Hubbard's learning and teaching methods outside of a religious context. However, Hubbard's methods, which he called "study technology", are an integral part of Scientology practices and is considered a form of indoctrination into and within Scientology.
Applied Scholastics is classified as a dissemination organization in the Church of Scientology network hierarchy. APS falls under the Association for Better Living and Education umbrella which was established in 1987. Prior to that, APS was managed under the Social Coordination Bureau of the Guardian's Office (SoCo). The organization is staffed by Scientology officials, and it licenses the methods and materials to other organizations, and oversees their use.
Applied Scholastics was included in the 1993 closing agreement between the IRS and the Church of Scientology, and was classified as a Scientology-related entity, thus granting it non-profit status. As such, parents of children attending private schools licensed by APS can deduct the cost of tuition from their income tax returns.
Scientologist celebrities have been used to promote Applied Scholastics, including John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Isaac Hayes, Lisa Marie Presley, and Ann Archer. In 1997, Travolta met with President Bill Clinton to promote the program, and later Tom Cruise lobbied to obtain government funding and met with the Secretary of Education. By 2003, APS materials and tutoring programs were approved in several states.
Applied Scholastics has closely managed several service organizations, including:
- Applied Scholastics Hollywood—formerly called the Hollywood Education and Literacy Project (HELP).
- Education Alive
- Effective Education Association in the UK
- Literacy, Education and Abilities Program (LEAP), which was associated with the Mission of Scientology of Memphis
- World Literacy Crusade
- Effective Training Solutions
Study Tech
Study Tech is a teaching methodology developed by L. Ron Hubbard.
Hubbard's theories on education describe three "barriers to learning". The first is the absence of mass, pertaining to the lack of a physical object relating to a concept. The second is a steep study "gradient", meaning a necessary previous step was skipped to master a skill. The third is the "misunderstood word", which necessitates looking up unclear words in the dictionary.
Students are taught that "misunderstood words" are a major cause of confusion and misunderstanding. They are taught to use dictionaries extensively. Emphasis is also put on making sure children are taught at a "gradient", so that a subject's crucial elementary concepts come before more difficult concepts. "Mass" is described as a measure of mental tangibility that students ascribe to a subject, so that students have a picture in their mind of the thing they are learning about.
Publishing
Applied Scholastics markets several books that are "Based on the works of L. Ron Hubbard" and were copyrighted by L. Ron Hubbard Library and printed by Bridge Publications, the publishing arm of the Church of Scientology.