Saratov residents named the shortage of teachers and the “double shift” as the main problems of schools

Speaker of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin again organized an “educational” survey and voting on the social network. This time, in his native Saratov, he asked parents about what problems they most often encounter in schools. The number one problem turned out to be “shortage of teachers” – this answer was given by almost 40% of respondents. Almost 30% complained about shift training. Next, in terms of the degree of dissatisfaction, are the lack of repairs in schools, overcrowding of classes, lack of extended day groups and extortion.

Volodin conducted a similar survey in his small homeland six months ago. Then the majority of survey participants, and 10 thousand people took part in it, called studying in two shifts the main problem – this was the answer of 91% of respondents.

Everyone has long been accustomed to the fact that the head of the lower house of parliament organizes such “internal surveys” on educational topics. On Volodin’s social media channel, voting was held on the future of the higher education system after the Russian Federation abandoned the Bologna system. Then there was a survey about “works” in schools, the return of which Volodin himself ardently promoted. About the use of mobile phones, which they eventually decided to ban in lessons, about “extended school”, the Unified State Exam and so on.

Among Saratov residents, “shortage of teachers” is ahead of “second shift” in the ranking of school problems. 38% of respondents voted for the fact that the main problem is “teacher’s.”

The shortage of teachers is an issue that has been widely discussed throughout the previous Year of Educators and Mentors. And its resolution, by and large, is a matter for the future. When will the same 30% of students graduate who, according to the Minister of Education, “flowed” into universities beyond the enrollment of previous years? When will the problem with teacher salaries, which should, but still cannot, exceed the MORT, be finally resolved? When will the new legal and disciplinary norms already adopted in schools come into effect? And the awareness of the prestige of the teaching profession will become stronger in society.

29% of parents complained about Volodin’s two-shift schooling. Moreover, shift training in big cities is dying out. In Moscow, no one studies in two shifts for a long time; there are still such schools in the region. There are schools in two shifts in St. Petersburg, and there are many of them in the Leningrad region. But in Astrakhan, as they report, there are no more “double shifts”.

But what if they managed to finally get rid of third shifts in Dagestan, Chechnya, Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and some other regions only in 2023…

In Yekaterinburg, for example, they were very surprised by the minister’s words about 15% of schools with “two shifts” in Russia – this figure was announced two weeks ago at a working meeting with the president. Officially, most schools there teach in two shifts. The local educational department links this to the large number of primary schoolchildren in the city. After all, according to the law, the “boss” studies only during the first shift. Therefore, we can only state: getting rid of such a rudiment as shift training is proceeding unevenly.

As for other popular complaint answers, there is a lack of repairs (24%), overcrowding of schools (23%), poor condition of schoolyards and distance from their place of residence. Education experts note that any such complaints must be considered comprehensively. In the context of the demographic situation in the region, taking into account migration flows, etc. But, nevertheless, “an important issue is also the degree of synchronization of housing construction and the development of school infrastructure,” says Sergei Kosaretsky, director of the Center for General and Additional Education at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. They say that it is this discrepancy that “affects the persistence or intensification of problems in the designated territories.”

14% of respondents complained about “extortions” in schools as the main problem. This is a lot, considering the struggle against this deep-rooted evil that is being waged at all levels, from the municipal deputies to the State Duma. The Duma Education Committee annually updates a reminder for parents against extortion. The Ministry informs, Rosobrnadzor warns, calling on people to go to the police or straight to court if they hear about the “needs of the class.” In Moscow, indeed, collecting money for curtains or classroom renovations is becoming a thing of the past. Family committees collect the minimum necessary for the purchase of teaching aids, excursions and souvenirs. But in the regions, apparently, the topic of “curtains” is still relevant.

And another 14% of respondents complained about the lack of extended day groups in schools. It is not clear why there are so few. After all, the return to school of the “Soviet-style GPD” was legally enshrined back in 2022. The adoption of amendments to the basic law on education was preceded by a presidential decree. And then, by the way, the speaker of the State Duma also organized a vote: 72% of the participants were in favor of the extension.

Uniform rules for the GPA were considered and adopted. Not just childcare until the evening and food in the school cafeteria. But the same “preparation for school activities” is like the old days, when children came with their homework already done.

However, at the same time there were voices of skeptics who said: we are also against everything bad for everything good, including “extended care”. But in order to organize a “Soviet-style” GPA, funding is needed. Additional payment for teachers’ hours is required, with a coefficient, additional food and work of the canteen. Computers and office equipment. Yes, even cleaning… In general, it turned out that such an after-school program would cost parents from 20 to 50 thousand rubles a month. Therefore, even in Moscow, only 300 schools announced the introduction of a new “paid extended time” in 2023.