| Alexander Wilson, President of the Association of Non-State Educational Institutions, talks about the “national characteristics” of Russian private schools.
— Calling our non-state schools private would not be entirely correct. The private school is independent. And, by the way, in most developed countries, non-state schools are called exactly that - independent. And non-state schools in Russia are very dependent on the state. The state not only provides licensing and accreditation, without which it would be impossible to work, but also controls the content of education and the financial activities of the educational institution.
- Then what are the main features of non-state schools?
- This is a small school. Usually the average number of students does not exceed 60-70 people. Accordingly, small classes, sometimes even 6-7 students. If in a state school the work is for the average student and for the whole class, then in a non-state school it is individualized education.
In a non-state school, classes are structured so that students can bear the load more easily. For example, the daily schedule of a boarding school: after breakfast, swimming pool, then two lessons, second breakfast, then two more lessons. Then sports outside, lunch and more activities. In a non-state school there is practically no homework. Since the classes are small, the teacher manages to teach new material, reinforce it, and check it in one day.
In addition, a non-state school is more dynamic.
-- There is an opinion that private schools are a legal purchase of a certificate for children with learning problems.
“I wouldn’t say that today.” 6 years ago this was probably true. Many parents sent their children to non-state schools, realizing that their child did not fit into the framework of the state education system. And perhaps for such children this was the only way out. But in the last few years there has been a turning point in the minds of parents. Now non-state education is treated more like an elite one. The concept of clubbing is even beginning to emerge. It is prestigious to study in a number of non-state schools. Although, there are still many children with difficulties in our schools.
- The most elite schools in the West are boarding schools. How popular are they in Russia?
— Our first boarding school of the Western type appeared 7-8 years ago - the Stolichny Lyceum, which opened on the basis of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is important that this is not just a school where children can sometimes spend the night. A real boarding school is when children live at school all the time: a completely different lifestyle, a different upbringing. Boarding education requires special infrastructure. Firstly, nature, good ecology, and secondly, a good base, especially for sports activities. And this is very expensive, and few educational institutions could afford it. Today there are about 10 boarding schools in Moscow.
- What is the guideline for today's private schools - pre-revolutionary Russian traditions or Western experience?
— It’s hard to say what our non-state system will be like in 20 years. Russia had its own traditions - autocracy, faith - its own canons and rules. In the new Russia this has not yet been established. Of course, for now the West is an important reference point for us. So far there is not a single school in Russia that would accept a child in first grade and graduate after 11 years.
I would say that today we form our understanding from two components: the traditions of the Soviet school, which are not all that bad, and some achievements of Western education that we are trying to use.
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