Rebecca Foster

Rossiyskaya Federatsiya

(Russian Federation)

Russia. (2010). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved February 21, 2010, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/513251/Russia

Russian Facts:

Religions: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism

Life Expectancy: Men:59 years Women: 73 years

Language: Russian

Population: 142.5 million (2007)

Capital: Moscow

Government: President: Dmitry Medvedev

Prime Minister: Vladimir Putin Area: 17,075,400 km sq

Covers 17 time zones

Climate

Oymyakon in north-eastern Siberia temperature of -71.2 degrees CFar eastern regions 40 degrees C

Structure and governance of the educational system

Illiteracy rate dropped from 72% in 1913 to between 1 and 3 % in 1980s.

Ministry of Education and Science the Head of the Educational System

Local Committees

Public Council of Organizations

Culture-beliefs

160 different ethnic groups reside in the Russian Federation, so whose culture do we discuss?

80% ethnic Russian

Minority: Tatars and Ukrainians

Cluster populations -spread out over the country.

Finance Tuition fees

“The Russian Constitution (article 43, para 3) guarantees everyone the right to get higher education free of charge on a basis of competition. Adhering the law, the Government allocates funding to pay the tuition fees within an established quota / number of students for each state institution. Traditionally the size of quota varies from institution to institution and from one field (discipline) to another. It depends on the share of state in the institution's budget, demands from state bodies in a region, social programs and other, sometimes rather subjective estimates.”

Last years graduates 50% did not have to pay for their tuition.

Students can enrolled under free charge and the school may also enroll students for payment.www. wes.org/ewenr/PF/05dec/pfpractical.htm

Curriculum: Primary24 hours per week of instruction,

September through June

Courses:(Grade 2) Russian language, literature, math,

Russian/Soviet history, Foreign language

(Grade 3)Information and Communication

Technologies (ICT), geography, social science, natural science natural history arts music, physical education

Curriculum: Lower Secondary 34 weeks per year, 27-38 hours of instructionAge 11-12. Exams are in June. Some compulsory and some elective classes

Courses:Russian and world history, economics, social geography, natural science, math , biology physics, astronomy, chemistry, ecology, technology, basic skills: home economics, sewing, cooking, metal work carpentry, arts, PE and other classes mandated by the local authority.

Curriculum: Upper SecondaryTwo Tracks: Academic or Vocational/

Technical

Academic2 years of study (grades 9-11)

Courses:Russian language, literature (4 periods week)

math, informatics, history, society and geography, science: biology physics or chemistry, pe, technology, foreign language.

Curriculum: Upper Secondary Vocational/ Technical

Highly specialized field with some general education classes. Work experience is also mandated in those fields.

Reform

June 12, 1987 Berlin wall fellPresident holds the power, with a term of 6 years

beginning in 2012. May hold 2 terms.1991 Soviet Union transformed into the Russian

Federation. “How are educators who themselves do not know

what freedom is, going to educate free people” A quote by a Russian mother.

Schools are now in the process of reformation and evolving into meeting the needs of the changing culture. The focus has shifted to business, economics and communication technologies.

Technology A great push is still on for science, physics and math. A 2008 mandated all Russian schools will use free software

Labs are set up for classes in Informatics: Information (concept, representation, transmission, storage,

processing); Number systems and Boolean logic;

Computer (main components, their functions, system software);

Algorithms and programming; Modeling and simulation;

Information technologies (text and graphic editors, spreadsheets, data bases); Networks and Internet.

Special EducationNovember 14-21 was the first Inclusion

Education Week in Russia. There are more than 600,000 disabled

children and 450,000 are school aged.170,000 are mainstreamed schools40,000 isolated in homes or special

corrective classes60,000 study in special schools away from

familyNearly 200,000 are labeled as “uneducable”

and receive no school at all.

Teaching methods/Class sizesTeaching methods varied. Depended on where

the school is located and what the town government will provide for the school.

Lecture/group work“Blackboards” in some schools, others are more

modernDesks in rowsSome have computer labs, others just the

minimum of basicsLaboratories for experiments LibraryArt classroomsUsually around 16 students per class room

DisciplineDesks are in rows, groups in the more modern

areas

Yelling is acceptable by the teacher in some schools

Corporal punishment, physical abuse is accepted practice in some schools

Students all have a Journal where the teacher writes down the infraction. Teachers also can go to the parents for a student to be disciplined. If that happens it is considered to be a slight on their parenting skills.

Higher educationDegree structureFollows a three-tier pattern, three levels ( similar to United Stated and British)Two types of diploma (degrees) recognized as ones of completed higher education - these are diploma of specialist and diploma

of a Master level (magistr).The Bachelor diploma and certificate is used to start a career. Male graduates must serve two years in the service, while specialists and magistrs have half a year shorter conscription period.Russia signed Bologna Declaration , so in the year 2010 a transition process to a two- tier degree structure should be completed.

This mandate was one of the pieces of major education reform.    http://www.hse.ru/lingua/en/rus-ed.html

Level I Programs at this level are organized into two stages:

Stage 1 Two years of course work, upon completion of which students are awarded a "certificate of incomplete higher education."

Stage 2 Devoted entirely to one to two years of intensive professional training. Upon completion, students are awarded a diploma of incomplete higher education (o nepolnom visshem obrazovanii). 

Level I certificate or diploma have not completed their higher education, but can be employed in jobs that require some higher education, but not a degree as such.

 

http://www.hse.ru/lingua/en/rus-ed.html

Level II Bachelor (bakalavr): 

Completion of four-year programs in the humanities, economics and natural sciences along with practical professional training. This level is considered completion of "basic academic education." 

http://www.hse.ru/lingua/en/rus-ed.html

Level III After the second level, there are two choices: Masters and Specialist. Both degrees allow access to doctoral study.

Master (magistr):  A two year degree after the bachelor degree. Open to students wanting to go into academia and research. Candidates must continue in the same area of study as the bachelors. (Because most students continue after the bakalavr at the same institution, they may not receive the actual bakalavr diploma).

Specialist: Designed for students of practical applications of their specialization. Two choices are given:

1)Upon completion of at least 1.5 years of study after the bakalavr. (Students who earn the diploma of specialist this way often do not get their actual bakalavr diploma.)

2)Upon completion of four to six years of study after the attestat o srednem polnom obshchem obrazovanii (this is the unchanged Soviet diploma of specialist). Professional qualification in engineering, teaching, economics, etc. Bakalavr, magistr and specialist diplomas are awarded by the State Attestation Commission. http://www.hse.ru/lingua/en/rus-ed.html

Teacher educationPre Primary and primary basic teachersTwo-and–a-half to four-and-a-half yearsNon university level

Secondary school teachersUniversity level at least 5 years

Higher education teachersPost graduate training, scientific degree is

a must

AssessmentOnly 1/3 of students are prepared to attend

the university based on their present school knowledge.

1/3 take prep coursesOthers hire private tutorsEntrance exams are expensive

Grade Structure:2 is poor (fail),

3 is satisfactory (a pass but not great), 4 is good

5 is excellent.

http://www.hse.ru/lingua/en/rus-ed.htmlwww. wes.org/ewenr/PF/05dec/pfpractical.htm(Fact Monster, 2009)Yudina, A. (n.d.). Informatics in Logo for High

School (Masters thesis, ). Retrieved fromhttp://www.edurussia.ru/education1.htmlhttp://www.justrussian.com/blog/61/russian-

education-secondary-school(“From Russia With Discipline“, 2010)