Putin in his message to the Federal Assembly spoke about the reform of higher education: nuances

Unified State Examination will be left, but the tax deduction for education will be doubled

Much was expected from the president’s address to the Federal Assembly. And they were not deceived – in terms of education, Putin announced “big changes in higher education.” Although he comforted students who were already studying, they say, finish where you entered, do not worry. And previously issued university diplomas will also not be reviewed. But in general, the “tower” expects “big changes in the regulatory framework”, updating the status of graduate school, and much more.

Synthesis of all the best that was in the Soviet system and in the developments of the last 10 years, a return to basic education – universities are waiting for such changes. At the same time, the president stressed that 4 and 6-year training programs and highly specialized courses would remain, if necessary. But, probably, in the future it will still not be called master’s and bachelor’s programs (although the president mentioned both bachelors and master’s programs). One thing is clear for sure – graduate school will be moved to a separate higher level of education, as it was in the USSR.

From the speech of the President of the Russian Federation on the development of certain areas of industry and science, it follows that the course towards the priority of engineering is maintained. Particularly promising are the areas of study for the structures of the military-industrial complex, which will receive a number of benefits and preferences, the electronics industry, which is named among the priorities by the president, road construction and shipbuilding. The latter is due to the fact that, in search of new logistics, a new road network will be laid all the way to China and the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov, “which has become inland again,” will be redeveloped.

“Yes, the president spoke about the synthesis of the system that was before and the best developments of recent years,” Evgeny Szhenov, scientific director of the Scientific and Educational Policy Expert and Analytical Center, comments for MK. – He stressed in his speech that we are not giving up two levels of higher education. The first level of basic education will be 4-6 years, then, who needs it, they will receive a highly specialized education or go to the master’s level. Postgraduate study is the third level of higher education. The President outlined the continuation of the government’s course towards the development of science, support for young scientists and expansion of cooperation with industry and business. Another point that few people paid attention to is the development of professionalism in schools. This is a state project that actually brings schools and secondary vocational education closer together and greatly facilitates the entrance of an applicant to the specialist level.

Speaking of “a creative approach to taxation,” Putin also proposed doubling the size of the social tax deduction for the education (as well as treatment) of children. “From the current 50,000 to 110,000 rubles a year,” the president said. “And in terms of the cost of their own education, from 120 thousand to 150 thousand.”

Little has been said about schools, unlike universities. The repair and construction of new schools will continue, and subsidies to the regions for these purposes will become permanent. “It is necessary to increase the importance of teaching work, to tell your children at home about respect for the work of a teacher,” the president said.

Is there a need for reform in secondary education? The modern education system is often criticized, especially the USE. Like, all these cameras, metal detectors, harsh rules for submitting answers and testing – too stressful environment. And yet tests and standardized essays, whatever one may say, deprive of creative initiative. Part of the society is nostalgic – “do you remember how it was before?”, Warmly recalling the schools and universities of your childhood and youth.

Today, experts admit that Soviet education was, perhaps, not bad, but one-sided. Skewed towards mathematics, physics and technical disciplines in general (higher mathematics and physics occupied, for example, 10% of the study time). A weak foreign language, in which, after ten years of study at school and six at the university, a person could not communicate. Academism, isolation from real life. Isolation from the whole world, finally, which did not allow scientific trends to penetrate into the country closed by the Iron Curtain. All this, of course, did not move education forward.

Yes, there weren’t so many lessons every day and there weren’t so many homework assignments. But we should not forget that over 30 years of knowledge, humanity has increased. And, most importantly, a whole digital revolution has taken place, global changes have taken place in the field of information and communications. Many commemorate the school after-school. The president also spoke about her return. But one thing is a full-cycle extended day group (GPA) in a social society, and another thing now, when schools have switched to self-supporting. It is impossible to implement the GPA without additional financial injections. How to bring back the days when everything was free at school: knitting circles, football and dancing. Today, someone simply has to pay for everything.

Entrance examinations to higher educational institutions under the USSR, especially late ones, were an opaque story with a distinct caste connotation. Anybody, even having excellent knowledge, did not enter MGIMO, Moscow State University or Plekhanovka, prestigious at that time, on the fly. It is possible that even today “in some places we sometimes” cheat on the exam. But with a score of 100 or close to that, exam results definitely stand a chance. And the winner or finalist of the All-Russian Olympiad in a specialized subject even has guarantees. No matter how the proponents of the previous system swear, in terms of equalizing the chances of rich and poor, Muscovites and residents of the regions, unified state exams work.