Позитивные изменения. Образование. Школа будущего (Тематический выпуск, 2022)/Positive changes. Education. The school of the future (Special issue, 2

"School is, after all, a social institution in which a child spends many years. At school age, the mentor and the environment, the peers with whom the child is in constant contact, play a very important role. In most of our schools we talk about learning and knowledge, not culture and education. I would like to see some kind of influence from the school on teenage minds that are just forming and growing. Who will they be in the future, what ideas will they promote? What good will they do for themselves and society? There’s a lot of talk about this now in foreign schools — about ethnic diversity, about the importance of doing something good for the community, no matter who lives in it. In our country, unfortunately, this is not developed at all. And children are not only unenthusiastic about going to school, where they are simply given knowledge, but they also do not receive any development as individuals”, adds Natalia Kravets.

Russian schools need more involvement and enthusiasm on the part of the teachers to help children not just learn theory, but understand the world around them through the viewpoint of the subject being studied.

"It’s quite a lot of analytical work, which requires a lot of creativity on the part of the teacher and his/her desire to convey the topic of the lesson in a way that every child will be comfortable with. Not all children perceive the same information in the same way. In Russian schools, as a rule, teachers have a lot of paperwork and so they lack the emotional resources to tell children how the laws of physics relate to real life, why children need to learn it at all, and where it can be observed. And, of course, the equipment in the schools leaves much to be desired”, says Tatyana Glitsan.

The feature of our education that is not available abroad is the opportunity to participate in numerous School Olympics, creative camps, which any Russian student can apply to.

WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT RUSSIAN SCHOOLS

However, things are not so bad in Russian schools. Our strengths are in the natural sciences: physics, mathematics, engineering. Schoolchildren and students from the CIS countries, Asia, Iran, and China come to Russia to study technical specialties in the future. And Russian students take first places in math, physics, and computer science at international Olympics.

In addition, a new format of schools has recently emerged, i.e. schools that do not only educate but also have a cultural component. They are located mostly in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

"These are private schools for the most part, available to a small number of people. But they have a community created on the basis of the schools and comprising students and teachers. They have a spirit of support and motivation that makes you want to come to school. Private schools can afford good equipment and visual aids, they can employ good teachers with a great desire to work in the school, to teach children, to see their eyes sparkling with interest. In a foreign school, it is difficult to imagine a person who just comes to class, conducts the lesson and ticks a box in the class register. The teachers there have a benevolent and motivating approach. And naturally, children react differently to them. This approach is just gaining ground in our private schools. This is very encouraging to see”, says Natalia Kravets.

According to the expert, the schools of the future will develop towards ensuring a holistic development of the child, raising awareness in children and parents.

Another feature of our education that is not available abroad is the opportunity to participate in numerous School Olympics, creative shifts and camps, which any Russian student can apply to. For example, Sirius Educational Center offers monthly intensive programs in the following areas: "Science”, "Art”, and “Sports”, for children ages 10 to 17 from all parts of Russia. Children learn from the best teachers, experts and coaches, meet managers of Russian companies, famous scientists, artists, athletes and writers.

“Overall, the students of today have more opportunities than what they did 15 to 20 years ago. Thanks to advanced digitalization, the Olympics are available to anyone. In no other country I was talking about, a child can join the Olympics from anywhere and compete with anyone. It’s not really about the school, but about the opportunities provided by the state. But in any case, students have access to regular newsletters, competition announcements, etc. You can try yourself even if you don’t have the funding or great knowledge”, says Natalia Kravets.