Regarding the significance of combining education with productive labor, Marx pointed out in Das Kapital: "It is not only the way to improve social production, but also the only way to cultivate people with all-round development." Marx also pointed out in Critique of Gotha Program that under reasonable conditions, "the early combination of productive labor and knowledge education is one of the most powerful means to transform modern society."

Although the combination of education and productive labor is an objective requirement of the development of modern society, in capitalist society, this combination can not really be realized, because the purpose of capitalist production organizations is to maximize profits, and for their own economic interests, they can not really attach importance to the education of workers; Capitalist private ownership has also led some people in society to pass on their labor responsibilities to others. Marxism holds that the combination of education and productive labor can only be realized in a socialist society. This is because the nature of socialism determines that everyone must participate in productive labor, which provides everyone with opportunities for all-round development. "Labor will be combined with education, thus ensuring the practical foundation of various technical training and science education." Marx clearly pointed out that after the proletariat seized power, it should provide free public education for all children and closely combine school education with productive labor.