Protest against the test
Rectors criticize education reform
The sixth congress of the Russian Union of Rectors opened in Moscow. As one would expect, the main topic of the event was the upcoming education reform - discontent in the academic community has reached its extreme point. The rectors want to convey their opinion to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting to be held in mid-December.

Two years ago, at their congress, the rectors obstructed the former Minister of Education Alexander Tikhonov, who suggested that universities earn money themselves. However, the current Minister of Education, Vladimir Filippov, has gone much further than his predecessor - the recently adopted education development strategy will lead to the largest changes in the education system in recent decades. Rectors do not need these changes.
Thus, reformers (they are supported by the Duma factions Yabloko, OVR, SPS and Unity) propose introducing a system of so-called state registered financial obligations (GIFO), when, depending on success in school, a person receives a certain amount from the state for studying at a university. He will “bring” this money to the chosen university. This means that funding for universities will depend on the number of students, which is something that rectors of educational institutions do not like.
In addition, in a few years, entrance exams are planned to be abolished at Russian universities - they will be replaced by a unified state test. According to Vladimir Filippov, Russia is among those 10% of countries where there are still entrance exams to universities. In addition, according to reformers, the new system will eliminate the shadow market in the education system, that is, private tutoring and bribes (according to some estimates, Russian families spend about $1 billion annually on preparing children for university admission). True, as the rector of Moscow State University Viktor Sadovnichy said yesterday, future students will still have to pay, only for preparation for the state test, and “then there will be much more money circulating in the shadow market.”
None of the rectors at the congress spoke out in support of the reform, although the tone of the speeches was mostly restrained. Perhaps because the government found a way to appease the dissatisfied. This year, an additional 3 billion rubles have been allocated from the budget for education, and next year, for the first time in recent years, universities will receive 400 million rubles. for the arrangement of libraries (and the same amount for organizing student internships). Even Viktor Sadovnichy, representing the conservative wing of the rectors’ community, said: “The positions of the rectors and the ministry coincide, but we have differences in assessing the consequences of the reforms.” Perhaps the rectors simply do not want to aggravate relations with the reformers and are storing up emotions before meeting with the president. However, Vladimir Putin is unlikely to agree with the opinion of the rectors. This year he has already spoken out against the national education doctrine they developed, calling it vague.

MARINA Kommersant-Ivanyushchenkova

Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 230 dated December 7, 2000, p. 2

Authors:

Marina Ivanyushchenkova