“The current schoolchildren are the most reading and writing”: the expert commented on the list of references

“It’s time to include the texts of the winners of the Big Book”

“The poems of the poet of such and such / the stories of the prose writer of such and such we all know from the school bench.” A familiar phrase, isn’t it? And how much does the list of names of writers that our children study in literature lessons change over the years (say, since Soviet times)? Are young Russians ready to face the complex artistic worlds created by Pushkin and Turgenev, Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy, Bulgakov, Zamyatin? On the eve of the new academic year, Arslan Khasavov, a writer, editor-in-chief of Teacher’s Newspaper, a member of the Public Council under the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, spoke about this to MK.

– Arslan, how plastic is the set of classics that is mandatory for studying? This year, taking into account the updating of educational standards, will it change significantly?

– Education in general educational institutions of our country is conducted in accordance with the Federal State Educational Standards (FSES). In them, as well as in the exemplary work programs attached to them, I deliberately simplify, it is written what and how the student should study. By the way, from September 1, new standards for primary and secondary schools come into force (from 1st to 4th and from 5th to 9th grades, respectively). Previously, they were widely discussed publicly, within the framework of this discussion, extreme formulations were heard. The list of references required for study changes slightly, rather the changes relate to the very approach to the subject. However, the new standards, according to some teachers of literature, deprive them of the opportunity to choose – the texts are tied to classes and to the training calendar within the year. This situation, in turn, is aggravated by the fact that quite recently the Federal List of Textbooks has been radically reduced, which now contains only 327 positions.

– And the existing list, in your opinion, requires revision?

– This is an eternal question, which is essentially related to Shakespeare’s problem – “to be or not to be.” The current bibliography partly inherits the Soviet pedagogical tradition. The changes made to it during the recent history of the country can be called cosmetic. We regularly hear that some works of the school curriculum are excessively voluminous or difficult for students to perceive. But this, in my opinion, is the cost of a mass school – someone is happy to get acquainted with literary works even in excess of the norm, for others the need to read them is a kind of torture. And the latter does not mean at all that the interests of children cannot change over time. By the way, today’s schoolchildren are perhaps the most read and write in history, they just do it in instant messengers and social networks.

– Maybe they will be more willing to read the texts of contemporary authors?

– Yes. Therefore, I would suggest that texts by winners of the Big Book Prize be included in the additional program, for example, as summer readings. It is clear that it is necessary to specify the class and age to which this or that work is recommended, but in general, BK premium lists can serve as a good foothold for introducing schoolchildren to high-quality modern literature.