Standards and reality: Is it possible to study in Russian universities if you follow the rules?

Abstract

Curricula and syllabi are the basic documents regulating the “correct” functioning of the education process. They assume that a certain amount of material has to be acquired by students in a specific amount of time. The author compares the requirements imposed by these standards on students and teachers, with real conditions under which they should be implemented. The author’s conclusion is that the syllabi, curricula and the corresponding education standard do not correspond to the actual situation in higher education and thus not only do they not serve as working tools but create a system of incentives for breaking existing rules.