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Presidential council of russian federation for science, technology and
education




















"Secondary school - 2020. How we see it"

Concil's working group repopt







MOSCOW
2008


Presidential council of russian federation for science, technology and
education





1
"Secondary school - 2020. How we see it"
Concil's working group repopt


Contents

1. Introduction 3

2. Current state of school education 5

2.1. System features of school education 5

2.2. National priority project "Education" 6

3. Prospects of school education: traditions and innovations 8

3.1. Education 8

3.2. Upbringing and socialization 13

3.3. Physical conditioning and health 15

3.4. Conditions for education 16

4. Recommendations 19






___________________________
1 In compiling this report data and reference sources were: Federal
Statistical Service, RF Ministry of Education and Science, RF Ministry of
Public Health and Social Development, RF Audit Chamber, Institute of
Socio-Political Studies of Academy of Sciences, Scientific Center of
Children's Health of Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow office of
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Association of
textbooks publishers "Russian Textbook".

1. Introduction

The urgency of the issue is determined by the special role of school
in preparation of cadres to solve new tasks of socio-economical development
of our country by 2020 and in forming of Russian society's young citizens.
Everyone gets school education; it determines the whole life to follow.
That is why the problem of good school is the most important among the
problems of national development.
Measures, taken recently, including those within the national priority
project "Education", have helped to reach some positive changes in the
system of secondary education. More precisely, increase in quality and
accessibility of the education, improvement of its material base, deeper
informatization of educational process, optimization of schools' network
and some others. Certain experience was gained in the innovative
development of school; new methods of quality of education's directing and
control were tested.
However, despite of the measures and increase in target budgeting,
settled dissatisfaction prevails in society and State institutions on the
quality of knowledge, delivered to schoolchildren and its discrepancy to
society's expectations. It could be explained by the fact that education
has become the basis, upon which people build their own life strategies.
One can establish the fact that there is a need for new quality of general
education and forming a forestalling pattern of its development.
Positive trends in State development and higher level of society
demand cause new tasks. These are of higher national competitiveness,
ability to occupy a significant position in global community, important
Russia's role as the advanced economical and technological power, one of
the world leaders in scientific progress.
A lot depends on who will realize the strategic plans of Russia's
development until 2020 and its further break-through progress. This
important task rests on today's schoolchildren's shoulders. Actually,
school becomes a cornerstone in realization of Russia's strategic plans and
the most important element in creating new society.
Crucial questions for our future: whom are we preparing to come to
take our place, how wide are the possibilities we are creating for our
children, what is the system of values they adopt, and, finally, how
motivate and fascinate them in education and creative work for long years.
The present-day Russian society should comprehend what is the Russian
school mission and what is the purpose of the reforms. One can formulate
the purpose of Russian school as education (teaching & upbringing) of
intellectuals, with strong will and moral principles. They must be ready
and able to participate actively in Russia's progress, defend its national
interests, overcome passivity and social apathy and form civic
consciousness.
Over last years, we see the ever-increasing attention of our State on
education. Main results in education field are reached in the context of
national priority project "Education". Family active participation in the
field has increased, too. One can see the real consolidation of State,
family and educational community in the education area.
Still, in spite of recent boom, present-day state of school falls
short of society expectations and goals, set by government. One can observe
the decline in motivation for education and teaching, lagging in
educational standards and drop in schoolteacher's prestige. Another
problems (originated in 90s) can be felt, too - juvenile delinquency, early
alcoholism and drug addiction, negligence, beggary and social orphanage.
Today there is a necessity to create an integral project of new
Russian school, absorbing the best native and world traditions and
innovations to ensure development possibility for every child and adequate
training of coming generation to live in XXI century.

2. Current state of school education


2.1 System features of school education





The number of pupils in RF general education institutions is 13.7 million
(70% in urban ones, 30% in rural ones). It is 1.5 times less than in 1990-
2000. In 2008-2009, 1.24 million first-formers have entered schools. Within
2001-2007 period the number of pupils in state and municipal schools has
declined by 30%. By January 1, 2007, the number of children not attending
any school is 21,223 (among them 16,220 for health reasons).

In 2007, among graduates from 9th form 65.8% continued general education
in schools, 13.4% have entered high professional schools (HPS), 18.5% have
entered vocational schools (VS). Same year 60% of graduates from 11th form
have entered higher education institutions, about 25% have entered HPS,
about 5% have entered VS and 5% have entered labor market.
There are 1,264,000 teachers working in the system of general
education. Within 2001-2007 period their number has reduced by 13%. Pension
age teachers share is 17%, 30% are nearing it. Eight percent of teachers
have less than 5 years of service, while 50% of them have more than 20
years of service.
Among 60,000 schools, there are about two-thirds rural ones. The
number of non-State school is little - about 700. Wear rate or school key
assets was 12.1% in 1995, 32% - in 2000 and 44.2% - 2005. There are 1,120
schools (1.87%) in emergency maintenance state, and 17,640 schools (29.4%)
need overhaul.
Starting from 2000, expenses allocated for general education, have
grown almost four-fold (from 108 billion to 399 billion rubles). At that,
the general education's share in country's educational budget has declined
from a half to one-third. During this period, expenses per pupil have grown
from 5,377 to 40,851 rubles per year. The part of paid services in general
education is less than 5%.
Our school is changing substantially now. The changes in general
education, aimed to improve its quality and accessibility, are directed to
the system of education's quality evaluation, deeper informatization of
educational process, management of school, secondary school education,
optimization of schools' network etc.
Practically, we plan to abandon the classic system of "class-lesson".
New forms of work, aimed to supplement theoretical knowledge and thinking
with active approach, are used in the standard process of teaching more and
more frequently. Among these forms are creation of training situations,
creative activity of pupils, problem forums, educational expeditions etc.
Thus, pupils are trained to work independently in the quest for knowledge.
Undoubtedly, that means a substantial change in school education system.
To adopt the Russian system of general education to modern
requirements is an extremely complicated, many-sided and long-term problem.
After all, general education relates to millions of pupils and teachers,
affects their family members, employers, State and public institutions.
Along with particular attention, paid by the State to school, there is
a settled dissatisfaction with the current state of Russia's school
education among main society groups.

Reference Data: Monitoring of current situation and trends in RF general
education shows that about a half of participants rates negatively or
neutrally the current state of general education's system.
At that, 74% of participants consider changes in the system necessary.
Among the system's most acute problems, 54% of participants mark a decline
in education's quality and 53% - growing disparity in getting high-quality
education.


2.2. National priority project "Education"

National priority project "Education", aimed to ensure the
accessibility of high-quality education and improvement in conditions of
education, has become a catalyst for system changes in education. The
project singles out certain directions of changes in educational system and
some important measures for all country's regions. At that, the effective
control over the budget resources and obviousness of results is ensured.
Examples of these measures are "Form-master", "Best teachers", "Innovative
schools", "Talented youth", "Internet in education", "Training equipment",
"School catering" and "Rural school bus" programs.

Based upon the already formed mechanisms of purposeful schemes within
the project another sub-program was introduced - "Comprehensive
modernization of regional educational systems". The sub-program defines the
system of targets, while regions are responsible for the precise way to
reach them - budgeting, legislation, raising professional skills,
structural changes. Thus, the project "Education" has become an example of
implementation of innovative management technology, applied to the complete
social sphere, including interdepartmental and interbudget interaction.

Reference Data: More than 800,000 Russian form-masters are now getting
higher salaries. Besides, they feel the State's attention to their
complicated work, to the pedagogical mission of Teacher. Yearly, 10,000
best teachers get 100,000 rub incentive each. Yearly, 3,000 schools,
implementing innovative educational programs, get the 1,000,000 rub State
grants. These grants could be used for equipment and rising professional
skills of teachers.
There are five nominations for talented youth selection: socially
important and public activities; scientific and research activities;
professional skills; creative arts; amateur sports. There are 1,250 prizes
by 60,000 rub, 4,100 prizes by 30,000 rub for winners of international,
Russian, and regional Olympiads allocated yearly.
Wider use of Internet and other digital educational resources are real
for every school in Russia, rather than for "advanced" or "experimental"
ones only.
"Training equipment" program for the first time in decades drastically
changes level of educational standards for thousands of Russian schools.
"School catering" and "School bus" programs, having 1 billion rubles budget
each yearly, create normal conditions of schoolchildren's education and
nourishment.

Importance of the national project is also in drawing attention to
drawbacks and "bottle-necks". For example, schools proved to be unprepared
to handle budget funds rapidly because of their lack of experience in
documentation, economics, modern educational technologies and balance
between centralization and decentralization. Gained experience shows that
the Federal Law No 94-FZ dated 21.07.2005 "About placement of orders for
supplies, services and works for State and municipal needs" cannot ensure
competition of suppliers, causing sharp decrease of quality and
nonfeasance.
It is supposed that schools and teachers, having got support, widely
diffuse their positive experience in education. However, according to
surveys, most innovative projects, implemented by schools-winners in
different contests, are not used even in their regions.


3. Prospects of school education: traditions and innovations


3.1. Education


The need for Russia's world competitiveness determines priorities in
education's structure and substance.
The priority State task is to ensure the high-quality basic level of
mathematical and natural sciences for all school seniors, both for future
scientists and skilled workers. Solid education in mathematical and natural
spheres, its fundamental nature is Russia's advantage in competition. At
teaching mathematics and natural sciences, we must use at most the existing
potential and Russian traditions, supplementing it with the latest
scientific achievements and modern educational technologies.
Teaching of the humanities and social sciences requires special
attention because of their role in developing national self-consciousness
and social processes.
Another priority in school education is teaching of Russian and world
history. Study of Russia's history in school should not be the mere
memorizing of many facts, but adopting historical guidelines of Russia's
State system and culture, thus forming the basics of Russian identity and
civicism in young generation.
The Russian language occupies a special position in school education.
All our knowledge, including school subjects, is perceived through language
and by language. Language is not just a mind game and an instrument of
intercourse, but the main tool in forming national self-consciousness.
Teaching of the Russian language, traditionally limited to spelling and
punctuation, should be amplified with habits of right vocal behavior.
The Russian literature and the Russian language, being the core of
humanitarian culture, are essential in forming and development of moral
position and personality. These possibilities to form a person and a
citizen are used insufficiently. Teaching of the Russian literature is
reduced to analysis of different works, at best. More frequently, it is
just writing of summaries. Practice of composition, essential for
development of vocal culture and intellectual potential, is practically
lost.
Foreign languages are more and more important in modern world. Methods
of foreign language teaching are being constantly improved; new
technologies are being introduced. The main task is to develop, mainly,
active vocal intercourse habits, using modern training aids. It is time to
pay attention to teaching of oriental languages, especially the Chinese,
the Japanese, the Korean.
The course of technology in Soviet school was directed to satisfy
needs of country's industry, agriculture and households. It helped to
become familiar with traditional technologies and to form practical skills.
Now the course has reached a deadlock and it needs to be reshaped
completely.
Our society waits an effective career-guidance work from school.
Employers, institutions of high professional and vocational schools and
mass media together with school should form in public opinion positive
attitude to labor, appeal of labor trades. We have to create conditions for
free motivated choice of individual educational or labor careers.
We face a serious work to regulate approaches and form new substance
of primary and fore-primary education.
The age for transfer from primary to secondary school should be
revised, too. A long-term pedagogical experiment needed to compare four-,
five- and six-year models of elementary school.
National component, study of native language at first, is the key
element of Russian school. Trying to keep national features in educational
standards and programs, one should keep in mind that Russia is a united
country, with common history and common future; school should form this
civic position in children.
Gifted children are Russia's gold reserves. Now we can give them the
best, by world standards, individualized education at profile schools and
classes, by the system of additional education, at summer camps, with
remote educational technologies. Gifted children must be able to study at
the best teachers, prominent scientists, leading universities. School's
mission is to help them to develop their talents and abilities, build up
their creative potential.
Different intellectual contests, in particular Olympiads, play
important role in selection of talents. Probably, these talents will shape
the features of our science in 20 years. Olympiad movement, being a State
system now, should maintain its transparency and the highest scientific
level, develop milieu for contacts of children and scientists. Examples of
support of gifted children by business give us hope for establishing
National fund for support of talented youth.
The declared specialization of secondary school comprises mainly
subjects, traditionally lectured at particularized schools. Other subjects
have no high-quality courses so far. We need a well-balanced
specialization, which blends deeper knowledge in one group of subjects with
necessary knowledge at "basic" level for another group. This will give
opportunity to students to continue their education in colleges and
universities.
Evaluating the current situation in school education, one can admit
that we still have no mechanisms to lessen pupils' workload. It is a
serious problem to be solved within new educational standard. Probably,
experts from adjoining areas should be engaged, flexible (i.e. open-
curriculum) "subject modules" established. Other than "class-lesson"
system, flexible forms of educational process should be considered.
The problem of additional education needs a solution, too. According
to Ministry of Science and Education, in 2007 there were 8,867
establishments of additional education in Russia. Different sports schools
(mainly of martial arts) comprise the majority of these establishments.
Those of technical, historical and artistic nature are sparse. Mechanisms
to guarantee 2 hours of additional education per week to every pupil are
needed.
Realization of constitutional right for education for disabled
children has a special importance for us. Society's successes in education
and socialization of these children are the proof of its humanity and high
level of its socioeconomic development, effectiveness of human capital
utilization.
All the assortment of information and communication technologies can
be used in home education of children that are unable to visit school.
There are 40,000 of disabled children in our country.
A special approach to education for these children and a new system
of relation between teachers and parents should be found. Along with art
festivals and contests for disabled children, other forms of equal
possibilities activities are needed.
Finally, a corresponding legal and statutory base needs to be formed
to ensure the adequate financing of disabled child education inside a
school. Therefore, we need a norm to allow him to attend selected lessons
in school along with use of remote education.
Integration into common education space is vital for children from
migrant non-Russian-speaking families. These children should get intensive
reasoned off-hour preparation and their teachers should get a special
training. Corresponding programs and training aids, though partially
existing, are needed, too. The before-school adaptation period is of
special importance for these children. An atmosphere of mutual interest,
help and tolerance should be cultivated in their Russian classmates.

Reference Data: According to official statistics, nearly 200,000 migrants
arrive in Russia, while about 50,000 leave it, yearly. Starting from 1990,
about 5 million migrants settled in Russia. Analysis of age structure of
these migrants shows 12% -13% of school-age children. Though officially
they are "Russian", they and their parents barely speak the Russian. As a
result, migrants live in enclaves, rather big and self-sufficient.
According to State Migration Service, in 8 months of 2008, 1.2 million
foreigners registered in Moscow, while in 2007 - 1.7 million. Taking into
account Moscow population of 10.5 million, one can see that migrants form
16% of capital's population.

Effective school is unconceivable without effective independent
system of quality control. All forms of control, including professional and
public, must be developed even wider. Parents must have clear-cut
mechanisms of independent quality control at all levels of education.
Certain help in creating of independent quality control in our country can
provide international experience - in particular, Russia's participation in
international researches like PIRLS, TIMSS, PISA, SITES and others. One
should remember, though, that in a number of cases these researches use non-
adequate criteria. Our experts should initiate similar investigations,
based upon guidelines that really reflect education's quality.
Centralized Testing (literally, Unified State Examination) has become
the legally confirmed form of quality control in education. Yet, some basic
principles of CT and practical experience encountered ambiguous, sometimes
distinctly negative estimation from pedagogical community and society. It
is considered that CT is unable to reveal creative abilities, intellectual
level and communicative skills. There is a risk that namely CT instead of
textbooks and programs will form the matter of education. Children are
being taught how to pass the CT rather than how to gain knowledge and
ability to reason. Now the CT is being corrected, the role of scientific
Olympiads has been confirmed legally, collections of schoolchildren's works
are being formed.
Textbook remains the basic form to represent educational material and
to organize the learning process. State grants are needed to work out new
generation of textbooks, including e-textbooks, especially for selective
and profile courses in secondary school.

Reference Data: According to Association of Textbooks Publishers "Russian
Textbook" only 25% of total amount of sold textbooks are being bought on
budget money.
Textbooks become more expensive. Average wholesale price of a textbook in
2000 was 50 rub, in 2005 - 100 rub. Average retail price for a set of
textbooks for elementary school pupil increased from 250 to 800 rub. In
spite of extensive market of textbooks, average provision with textbooks is
50-60%. Share of parents' money in buying textbooks is more than 10%.


It is necessary to press regional authorities to make them fulfill
their duties in supplying schools and pupils with free textbooks. Setting
of "textbook pools" in schools helps to save budget and parents' money and
to stretch "life span" of textbooks.
School textbooks are undergoing expert examination by Academy of
Sciences' commission for several years already. It is advisable to extend
the area of academic examination to new standards, certification materials,
information (including digital) equipment of educational process. Academy
of Sciences, Russian Rectors' Union, professional associations and best
teachers must contribute to the work.








3.2. Upbringing and socialization


Deliberate attitude of children and teenagers toward reality, basics
of life's values and priorities, moral principles and ethical norms - all
this is formed during school years. School must create the most favorable
conditions for upbringing of personality, development of moral principles
and civic responsibility.
The role of teacher and form-master in fostering conscience, honesty,
sense of duty and justice is very important.

Reference Data: According to Institute for Socio-Political Studies, for the
last 10 years senior pupils' values incline to pragmatism, utilitarianism,
personal success at any price. At that, intellectual potential is down,
while expectations and self-appraisal are up.
At the same time, traditional family, cultural and religious values are
widely spread among senior pupils. The conception of moral degradation of
schoolchildren is a gross overestimate.
In general, new socially active, success-oriented generation is being
formed. This generation has lost paternalism and does not expect any help
from State, so typical to preceding generations. Still, this social
activity is often oriented wrongly and does not base upon real knowledge of
labor market situation.

Different creative projects of schoolchildren can help to form a
system of social relations within school, which is essential for solving
problems of upbringing and socialization.
It is necessary to teach schoolchildren not only use "prepared"
knowledge and procedures, but to reason, to convince, to pose a problem, to
decide, to plan and fulfill plans, to work without assistance, to work in a
team.
Solving problems of upbringing and socialization must use both the
standard educational process and off-hours activities, namely:
. within subjects of basic educational process, with help of modern
educational technologies, it is possible not only transfer knowledge,
but also form pupil's personal position on history, culture and
social processes;
. development of social environment within school, where teachers,
parents and children are competent members of school society, where
children are trained to create relations with coeval and adults;
. children's participation in off-school social processes (district,
village, town), where they gain experience of social activity.
School educational process does not limited to a school subject and it does
not end up with lesson. The off-school activity has a vast pedagogical
potential. School must form an infrastructure and allocate resources -
specialists, premises, equipment - to realize it. It is necessary to oppose
to spontaneous forming of youth sub-culture by creating alternative
possibilities to manifest youth's intellectual, creative and social
potential.
The off-school activity must be fixed in educational standard as a
percentage of pupil's basic school activity. The off-school activity of a
teacher must be fairly paid.
School universe does not limited to school building; it includes
museum excursions, camping trips, theatre outings etc.
Special role belongs to museums of amusing science, where
schoolchildren may carry out an experiment and discuss its results; science
festivals, which display the latest achievements in science and high
technologies. These novelties need State support and must be extended
throughout Russia.
School vacation in Russia is among the longest ones. Still, the
system of schoolchildren's vacation rest is not sufficiently worked out.

Reference Data: According to Ministry of Health and Social Development,
there are 53,000 children sanitary camps in Russia. During 2006, from 13.3
million schoolchildren only 5.3 million had their rest in summer camps. The
majority - 2.7 million - had spent their vacation at in-town camps. About 2
million (i.e. 16%) had spent their vacation in out-of-town camps of
different types.
The number of out-of-town camps is 15,000. There are 1,500 towns in Russia,
so an average town has just 10 camps.

Along with traditional forms of summer rest, particularized and
profiled camps for sanitation, physical exercises, socialization and
creative work must be set up. It depends on executive powers of regions.
They have to stop the tendency of cutting down the number of children camps
and provide conditions for adequate personnel system. At least, one month
of rest in summer camp must be provided by State for every child in the
nearest future.
Serious problem in educational field is the negative impact of mass
media (mainly TV) and Internet on children. State and society must promote
creation of educational TV, good and interesting educational and
entertaining programs, open access to Russian classics. The best way to
withstand destructive mass culture is to cultivate an ability to choose and
to propose actively better examples.

3.3. Physical conditioning and health

According to experts, pupils' health is deteriorating over the last
decade.

Reference Data: Scientific Centre for Children's Health informs that over
1998-2008 period, number of dynamic and chronic diseases among elementary
school pupils has risen by 54.5%. In 1998, there were 4.8% of healthy
pupils, while in 2008 - less than 2%. Different changes in cardiovascular
system are being observed at a third of first-formers (34.3% for boys,
28.1% for girls). A half of first-formers have negative changes in ECG, by
the end of elementary school this figure rise to 62.9%. Motion activity
deficit at elementary school is 35-40%, at secondary school - 75-85%.




Earlier, attempts to improve the situation were limited to strict
observance of sanitary regulations. However, these regulations contain
different restrictions to educational process, causing negative impact on
the process and pupils' health.

Reference Data: Considerable part of sanitary regulations actually fails.
For example, many schools have no adjustable-height desks. Unrealistic
requirement to lessen number of storeys at school buildings should be
transformed into adequate evacuation procedures. Still the most serious
problem is the limitation of total duration of educational process. It
means that gymnastics lessons equal, timewise, to classroom lessons. This
restriction bans many forms of educational process and pushes pupils out of
school, into environment of idleness and asocial activity.

It is necessary to switch from restrictions to norms that register
pupil's health, to introduce an electronic health passport.
Child's health depends greatly on mental state, which is formed by
atmosphere in school, society and family. School and off-school loads,
intensive educational process, shortage of time to master information are
psycho-traumatic factors for pupil. They contribute to "fixing" of negative
changes in organism and illnesses' development.
Because of the widespread risk factors that are a menace within youth
community, it is necessary to realize innovative prophylactic programs,
aimed to form children's concern over health problems.
Reference Data: In 2007-2008 school year, 86% of schools provided meals to
pupils. Hot meals are being provided to 68.6% of pupils, including 23.6% at
subsidized prices. Cost of a school dinner varies by region from 0 to 12-15
rub per pupil. It is insufficient nowadays and does not secure healthy
and balanced nourishment.

According to child's physiological needs and sanitary regulations, it
is necessary to secure high-quality balanced hot meals catering for all
pupils by 2010.
Instead of increasing the number of gymnastics lessons, it is
necessary to make school gymnasiums and sport yards easily accessible,
invest into their renovation, organize sport teams, make a school a sports
center of neighborhood ( with separate budgeting), intensify a children
sport events program.

5 3.4. Conditions for education

Teachers are the main resources of Russian school. Their prestige
increase and professional level improvement are the basic conditions to
make educational process and the whole system of school education more
effective.
The system of teachers' remunerations, introduced lately, provides
for dynamism, and allows school authorities to consider teacher's level of
proficiency and results of his work. Measurement of teacher's professional
skills is a vital problem. This measurement should be carried out along
several directions - subjectwise, by communicative skills, by psycho-
pedagogical approach etc. Results of teacher's work are judged mainly by an
independent external estimation of pupils' works.
One of the main skills pupil has to obtain in school, is the ability
to learn during the whole life. That is why teacher must learn constantly
and teach his pupils to that. Teacher's permanent training is secured by
additional professional education system. State must finance teacher's
training (at least 144 hours in three years) in this system. Besides, a
teacher, having official documents, could be able to get, say, 72 hours of
additional training in a leading classic university or other accredited
institution.
Teachers' summer courses, attached to leading universities, are
important, too. One should continue and develop the practice of teachers'
work at schools-winners of national project "Education".
Planning of teacher's professional growth is based upon analysis of
existing difficulties, course and results of educational process, society's
needs. All these factors (personally for each teacher), using progressive
experience, are considered by methodical service. Existing legislation must
be updated promptly to include methodical centers into educational
institutions system, to introduce a system of methodists' certification and
to widen the practice of professional contests. Besides, teachers-
innovators must be systematically engaged in methodical work.
It is very important that in the context of modernization projects,
some regions ensure teacher's salary growth, compared to average wages in
region.

Reference Data: According to Ministry of Science and Education, average
teacher's salary has grown in 2006 by 50%, in 2007 by 30%. The salary
differs greatly by region. In the majority of central Russia regions and
Caucasian republics, it is less than 6,000 rubles/month, while in Moscow
and at Far East and North regions, it reaches 19.000 rubles/month and more.


Before the national projects were launched, talks about 30,000 rub
salary sounded groundless fantasy. In Moscow, average teacher's salary is
28,000 rub now. Along with the new wages system and other factors, level of
salaries keeps best teachers in school, attracts talented youth there.
All these measures should be secured and used to change drastically
youth's attitude toward teacher's work. Over decades, the double negative
selection system has been formed. Namely, not the best school graduates
entered pedagogical institutes and not the best graduates from these
institutes came to work in schools. This "Pyramid" of low-quality education
inevitably hit our society.
Stimulation of the best graduates from pedagogical institutes to work
at schools should be combined with different forms of interaction of these
institutes and schools. Bachelors should work at schools (including
elementary) during their last year, while masters should work at schools
from the first year of their training.
Conditions must be created to intensify training of highly qualified
schoolteachers at pedagogical faculties of classic universities. These
faculties must be extended at the expense of others, better equipped and
include regional pedagogical institutes. It is proved by experience that
teachers, having such training, can ensure high quality education in
specialized schools, where the human potential for country's progress is
formed.
Professionals from other areas - professors, scientists, engineers,
agronomists, lawyers, journalists, managers - are another source of
talented teachers. Appropriate conditions are needed to attract them to
schools. These specialists could greatly help to the professional training
system.
Replenishment of teachers' corps with highly qualified teachers-
innovators must be legalized as a special social order from State, as an
appeal from President of Russia.
A child spends 11 years at school - the most important part of his
life. It is our duty to make school (school building in particular) a child-
friendly environment: comfortable, interesting and developing. Still, about
20,000 schools need overhaul and over 1,000 schools need an emergency
maintenance. Each of these schools needs a plan of emergency measures. New
norms and technical regulations, related to school building planning, must
be adopted, taking into account all changes in school's tasks and in
educational process structure.
It is expedient to project different school premises considering the
age of pupils. Special attention must be paid to secondary school's
premises. One of many necessary changes is to increase library's area
manifold. Library becomes an IT center of school, a place for off-hours
independent work of pupils. School canteen must create a favorable
atmosphere, too.
Russia has made a great leap in communication and IT at school over
the last decade. In the context of national project every school has get an
access to Internet. Now regions must secure an effective work with Internet
information at school. Usage of IT in education should establish contacts
of the best teachers with pupils from the most remote schools, with
disabled children, with children of our compatriots abroad.
Much is done to set up National Collection of Digital Educational
Resources. Still, our pupils cannot see (using Internet) collections of
leading Russian museums; classical music collection is not easily
accessible, too. It is easier to arrange a virtual excursion to a foreign
museum.
Rural school's role as sociocultural center of local area, as a
factor of rural life's quality becomes more important. One could say about
its geopolitical role. At that, level of education at rural schools remains
a problem, especially apparent after introduction of "per capita"
financing. As a result, schools with a little number of pupils are in
difficult position.

Reference Data: According to Ministry of Science and Education, from 2001
to 2008 average number of pupils at rural schools has fall from 13.1 to
10.7. The lowest figures (6 to 7) are at rural schools in central Russia.


Measures should be taken for flexible application of remote
educational technologies, especially at secondary school, to support a
social status of rural schoolteacher by solving his dwelling problems and
securing his salary at, at least, region's average level, to give him
possibilities for raising his professional skills internally during
vacation and remotely - during school year.

4. Recommendations

1. To set up a National Commission (Coordinating Council) on school
education to work out joint State-public strategy of general education in
Russian Federation, with the following basic directions:
. Creation a pupil-friendly school environment to ensure
physical and aesthetic comfort (school building, classrooms,
furniture, equipment etc.); catering, medical services,
conditions for physical growth and development.
. Rising of teacher's prestige and social status as a tool to
solve strategic task - renewal and improvement of teachers'
corps. Measures should be taken to reform basic education of
young teachers, to make work at school more appealing (salary,
system of benefits and obligations), to refresh teacher's
skills, to create teacher's life prospects.
. Optimization of school education by real relief of curriculum
workload according to the new State educational standard; by
adapting process to different groups of pupils (school
without "educational deadlocks"); by introduction of new IT in
educational process.
. Creation of effective national system of evaluation
education's quality. This system must apply internal and
external tools to evaluate pupil's, teacher's and school's
conformity to demands of society, family, State, employer and
professional community. The system should make administrative
decisions at all levels more grounded.
. Stimulation of business' participation in school support.
State cannot materially and financially completely support
schools not now nor in the foreseeable future, especially
according to advanced standards. Special economic conditions
must be created to ensure participation of different
enterprises in school's infrastructure's development (exempt of
these expenses from taxable base, their attribution to "social
expenses" etc.). In spite of all talks about "social
responsibility" of business, the starting impulse must be given
at the highest level. Mechanisms of interaction between school
and real economics must be legally formalized.
To support the basic principles of State program "Education and development
of innovative economy: introduction of modern model of education in 2009-
2012", aimed to develop general education.
To give a special importance to development of mathematical and natural
education in Russia, setting specific tasks within the program. To
recommend to regions to accelerate the introduction of new approach to
financial standards in education, taking into account the off-hours
activities. To increase the wage fund at least by 30% at the expense of
regional budgets.
To set up easily accessible school library funds of textbooks and
multimedia tools to be used pupils at schools. To adopt and realized
programs of preparation of a new generation of textbooks, especially for
profile schools.
To support a formation of National fund "Talented Children" to develop
intellectual and creative contests, scientific and research activities. To
ask for support of the fund from the leading business institutions.
In the context of national projects "Health" and "Education" to work out a
"Pupil's Health" program. The program should include yearly clinical
examination, drug testing of children (at parents' consent), preventive
measures in cardio-vascular diseases, switch from educational load
limitation to health monitoring, combination of different school
activities, revival of pupils' summer rest system.
To take urgent measures to reconstruct school buildings (overhaul,
preventive repair, new construction); to work out new construction norms
and standard designs of school buildings.
To accomplish in 2009-2010 an exhaustive development and reconstruction of
school sports infrastructure. To take measures to make school's social
facilities (sport yards, libraries, museums, informational tools etc.)
easily accessible for family activities off-hours, and to secure an access
to non-school social facilities in school's interests.
To diversify forms and methods of pedagogical education and teachers'
retraining at leading universities and scientific institutes; to secure
work of teachers at school-winners of national project "Education" and
their independent additional education by Internet.
To declare the 2010 "Year of Teacher" in Russia and work out measures to
rise teacher's status and form Russian Teacher's image in public opinion.


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