Medium - Term Development of Education and Socialization in the Russian Federation. An expert group report

Abstract

Isak Frumin, Head of the New School expert group, editor of the report, D.Sc. in Pedadogy, Professor, Director of Research and Development at the Education Institute, National Research University —Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation. Email: ifroumin@hse.ru
Address: 20 Myasnitskaya St., Moscow, 101000, Russian Federation.

Anatoly Kasprzhak, Head of the New School expert group, editor of the report, Ped.D., Professor, Director of Center of Leadership Development in Education, Education Institute, National Research University —Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation. Email: agkasprzhak@hse.ru Address: 20 Myasnitskaya St., Moscow, 101000, Russian Federation.

Expert group authors: T. Abankina, A. Adamsky, V. Bolotov, N. Bysik, L. Dukhanina, S. Kosaretsky, T. Kovalyova, V. Kurennoy, Y. Lenskaya, A. Mayorov, M. Mokrinsky, A. Prokhorov, M. Pinskaya, I. Fedyukin.

The report was prepared by the New School expert group established in February 2011 by the order of the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation to develop proposals for the Russian government to adjust the Program of Long-Term Socioeconomic Development of the Russian Federation up to 2020 (‘The 2020 Strategies’) adopted in 2008 to the education area.

The authors analyze the existing system of general school education in Russia, taking into account the global development trends. A comparison of educational systems in Russia and OECD countries has proved that Russian general education conforms to modern requirements, which makes it possible to bring it to leading positions in the world and to make school one of the drivers of innovative development.

The report reviews a number of weak points in the system of education and socialization and the negative trends in traditionally efficient segments that jeopardize not only further development but also maintaining of the Russian school education at the current level. The authors analyze global challenges menacing quality and competitiveness of the Russian general education.

Methods of enhancing the quality and efficiency of the Russian educational system are proposed. Possible scenarios of medium-term development are described for the system of education and socialization. A list of actions to be taken in the nearest future and up to 2020 is developed.

Educational policy should focus not only on the formal system of schools and pre-school centers but also on the whole field of socialization and education of young generation.