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Priority tasks in area of socio-pedagogical support and rehabilitation of children were:
The major feature in development of the system of state support of children being in a difficult situation, is perfecting normative-legal base of boarding school type educational establishments activity.
The basic normative document regulating activity of children's homes and boarding schools for children-orphans, is the Standard regulations "On educational establishment for children-orphans and children who have been left without parents custody", approved by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of July 1, 1995. The decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of September 5, 1998 approves a Standard regulations on a comprehensive boarding school with original summer training. In 1997 the Law of the Russian Federation "On supplemental guarantees for a social children-orphans protection and children who have been left without parents custody" came into effect.
For providing the additional benefits to children-orphans and children who have been left without parents custody, in 1998 the federal laws "On modification and supplements in the Housing code of RSFSR", "On modification in Article 8 of law of the Russian Federation" "On supplemental guarantees on a social protection of children-orphans and children who have been left without parents custody" (in terms of explanations on possession of the real property) are approved.
In the field of socio-legal protection of childhood, the Ministry developed and sent to education management bodies of the subjects of the Russian Federation the instructive letters: "On violation of the legislation on a social protection of the minors"; "On problems of social orphanhood and their solution".
With the aim of scientific-methodical and information provision of development the given kind of educational establishments were held:
The results and goals of development. Cutting and reorganization of comprehensive boarding schools are caused by sharp financing cutting of education establishments. These establishments are expensive, local budgets do not cope with their providing. However their cutting leads to further aggravation of a regulations of non-sufficiently provided for and having many children families, especially in countryside, raise of a social tension, aggravation of criminogenic situation.
The capital repairs and reconstruction of the majority of buildings, material and technical equipment of establishments (technological, equipment of workshops, motor transport, medical equipment and medicines, equipment of subsidiary farms, soft stock) are required. In many regions there are no funds on purchase of clothes, footwear, schoolwriting materials, medicines. Providing establishments with art and periodic literature, and also textbooks sharply has worsened.
In the system of the Russian Academy of education there are no specialized laboratories conducting researches on problems of comprehensive boarding schools activity.
Situation with nourishing of children-orphans and children requiring for state support and bringing up at children's homes and boarding schools of all types, and also students in educational establishments for today - is critical. The nourishing standards approved by the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of June 20, 1992 "On pressing measures on a social protection of children-orphans and children, who have been left without parents custody", distributed by the Government of the Russian Federation instruction on all boarding school type establishments, are not carried out.
The federal Law of Russian Federation "On compensatory payments for nourishing students in state municipal establishments, establishments of an initial vocational education and secondary professional education" in respect of fund allocation from the federal budget is not carried out. In each fourth inspected region the grants from the local budgets for nourishing practically are not allocated, and in each tenth region the funds are allocated only to children from non-sufficiently provided for families. The sum of compensation allows rational nourishing standards no more than by 20-25 %, and in regions of Far North - by 10-15%.
Especially danger situation there was in republics Udmurtiya, Mary-El, Dagestan, in Altay Krai, Kemerov, Kirov, Astrakhan, Novosibirsk, Tambov, Amur and Kurgan Oblasts.
Because of inadequate technical equipping and wear of commerce and technological and refrigerating equipment at school restaurants it is impossible to organize at due level the students nourishing.
The facts take place, when children at school classes fall in hungry faints. Only at one school of Verchnyaya Salda city of Sverdlovsk Oblast there were 5 such cases with children at ages 11-14, the hungry faints of children from poor families in Peschanskaya secondary school of the Belgorod Oblast were marked; in two regions of Amur Oblast 26 children were put in hospitals with symptoms of extreme exhausting. All this occurs on a background of aggravation of students health. Number of children with diseases of digestion organs three times has increased to 80 % of the young men of a call-up age by medical criteria are not ready to the service in Armed Forces.
The Ministry of Education of Russian Federation sent to the Government of the Russian Federation the detailed information with recommendations for solution this particular and other sore problems however taken measures could not radically improve the situation.
Professional education. On the All-Russian meeting of specialists in the field of special (correctional) pedagogy is discussed and prepared for consideration in education management bodies of the subjects of the Russian Federation the first variant of state Standard of a general secondary education of persons with the limited health potentialities.
Conceptions of system of professional education reforming and creating the service of special psychology in education, higher pedagogical education of persons with limited health potentialities and patterns of psychology-medico-social help centers of authentic children are developed.
The authoring programs for special (correctional) educational establishments VIII kind are developed. Patterns of oblast, urban, regional psychology-medico-educational commissions and variants of diagnostic techniques are developed.
Have received further propagation innovative patterns of special (correctional) educational establishments: consulting-practical center of children abilitation with a visual pathology (St.-Peterburg), centers for deaf and hearing-impaired children (Zelenograd of Moscow Oblast, Republic Sacha, Khabarovsk), center of a medico-pedagogical and social rehabilitation of children with cerebral paralyses (Archangelsk).
In educational establishments the different integrative forms of training persons with limited health potentialities (including universities, such as the Moscow state technical university named after by N.E.Bauman, Moscow state pedagogical university, Russian state pedagogical university, Social institute, Ural state pedagogical university, Chelyabinsk state university).
The large attention is given to education problems of children with special needs. Only in 1998 20 All-Russian and international conferences, seminars and meetings on training, retraining, further training of heads and specialists of educational establishments, education management bodies of the subjects of the Russian Federation (7 of them - in the subjects of the Russian Federation) were held.
The serious work in the field of a children rehabilitation the education management bodies of Moscow and St.-Petersburg cities, Krasnoyarsk and Seaside Krais, Moscow, Murmansk, Nizhniy Novgorod, Perm, Pskov, Samara, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk and Yaroslavl Oblasts, Republic Mordovia are carried out.
Issues and problems of development. Among unsolved within the framework of the Federal program of development of education, problems concerning the education system development for handicapped persons are:
· only 48 % of retarded children have the possibility to be trained in special (correctional) establishments;
· system of early diagnostics of retarded child is not created;
· not all psychology-medico-education consultations are provided with modern techniques of diagnostics of mentally retarded and emotionally disturbed children;
· material and technical base of many establishments does not provide special conditions for a children rehabilitation;
· federal set of textbooks (excluding the textbooks issued by the Braille font for blind children);
· methodical base of licensing and attestation of special (correctional) establishments is not developed;
· system of professional, including special educational establishments for the given contingent of children and adolescents is extremely insufficiently developed.
· program of developing education of children with the special needs now is designed.
6.1.7. Policy in the field of education content in transitional period
The educational state policy in a transitional period is subordinate to the basic purpose - remaining the integrity (unity) of the country educational space. Achiving given aim is provided by means of a number of tasks solution:
- creating unified federal legislation in education field, and also legislative base regulating low relating in a the sphere of education at the subjects of Federation level, not contradicting to the federal legislation and taking into account specificity of regions development;
- developing and put into force state educational standards at educational levels (stages of training), providing availability of federal (compulsory for a realization in all territory of the country) components;
- approval as the federal law of a state educational standard of a basic general education; acting on territory of all country, general basic curriculum in the field of compulsory education;
- creating mechanisms providing horizontal and vertical student mobility within education system;
- creating unified mechanisms of licensing, attestation and accreditation of educational establishments, providing quality control over educational services;
- upgrade of an education content (especially its social-humanitarian component);
- control over guarantees observance of the rights of citizens to receiving compulsory (general complete secondary and initial professional) education in all territory of the country;
- taking measures which do not allow reduction (privatization) of system of state educational establishments providing all citizens with the country the service in the field of compulsory education;
- providing allocation of financial assets in sizes necessary for functioning schools, offering a public compulsory education.
6.1.8. Health, nourishment and progress
Cut down a system of free-of-charge health services of children and adolescents, sharp cutting of number of bases for children's sports development, inaccessibility to the majority of children of improving and rest in summer time, aggravation of quality
nourishing, the educational programs, not always adequate to physiological possibilities of students, wide usage at schools of poor quality computer equipment, are still saving to increasing sickness and physical inability rate.
On the Ministry of Public Health of the Russian Federation official data, the number of healthy adolescents hardly reaches 10%. Each fourth adolescent are boundary neuro-psychological impaired.
Among the eldest schoolchildren the number of smoking runs as high as 70 %, number of systematically using alcohol - 30%. according to official statistics the number of the adolescents-drug addicts is constituted 100 thousands. Different forms of reproductive health violation have up to 20 % of girl-adolescents.
It is obvious, that retarding the situation with health of children and adolescents depends on a degree of activity coordination of medical, educational and improving establishments for children. In this connection the Ministry of Education together with the Ministry of Public Health a draft of the federal target program "Health of a adolescent in Russia" (as the constituent part of the presidential program "Children of Russia") was developed.
The Ministry of Education has developed its proposals for "Conception of public health care of the Russian Federation in a transitional period of economy and social sphere reforming" and "Conceptions of state alcoholic policy in the Russian Federation", has taken part in development of a drafts of federal target programs "Safe motherhood", "Family planning", "Urgent measures of tuberculosis control in Russia", and also draft of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation on measures for overcoming of tobacco smoking ".
In Russia the network of improving educational establishments of a sanatorium type for children requiring for durable treatment slowly but develops. In 1998 their number has been as great as 145 with a total number of students - 25 thousands (in 1997 — 141 establishments, 22472 students).
Overwhelming number of them are educational establishments for children with tubercular intoxication - 104. Under control of the Ministries of Education is the only Russian sanatorium-rehabilitation center for children-orphans suffering from various forms of a tubercular infection in Evpatoria city (Ukrane).
In 1998 new improving educational establishments of sanatorium type for children requiring for durable treatment (in Vologda, Moscow, Orenburg, Tomsk Oblasts, Krasnodar Krai, Republic Buryatiya) launched.
Due to lack of financing on maintaining of material and technical resources of these establishments, 80 % of them are placed in unpractical premises requiring repair, 70 % require substitute of motor-vehicle pool, 90 % have acute necessity for acquiring of treating-diagnostic, physio-therapeuticl equipment, medicaments.
In 13 territories of Russia there are no improving educational establishments for children (Murmansk, Novgorod, Oryol, Tula, Ulyanovsk, Magadan, Sakhalin, Kamchatka Oblasts, Karachaevo-Cherkessk Republic, Republic Adygeia, Republic Altai, Jewish autonomous Oblast) at all.
One of the important factors defining students health, is organization of their nourishment in educational establishments. Almost everywhere heads of the executive authority of local power, education management bodies and educational establishments carry out significant work, directed as at development of material and technical resources of school establishments of public catering, and at decreasing cost of food production, made for students.
To this end many local authorities practically everywhere give educational establishments land lots for cultivation of vegetative agricultural production and development of an infrastructure of school public catering enterprises.
For decrease of trade extra charges on food raw material heads of educational establishments through mediation of local authorities bodies, as usual - chiefs of municipal structures, Department of education management conclude agreements for direct deliveries, that considerably reduces cost of a set of products, and from it - cost of nourishment for students. There are precedents (Republic Chuvashiya), when the local heads of administrations have taken decision on liquidation the tax debts in local budget through offset of products cost delivered by agricultural enterprises for needs of educational establishments.
Student health protection is closely connected to complying with sanitary-hygienic standards at school food-blocks. Education management bodies and educational establishments, understanding importance of this problem, take all efforts for providing control over food raw material safety and production quality at school dining-rooms. To this end the education management bodies conclude agreements with local sanitary-epidemiological supervision services for the analyses conducting, but besides, the cost of the services is rather great, and not all educational establishments can be able to do that.
For organization of these measures, as a rule, at all schools the commissions are created which carry out the daily control over food quality and sanitary condition of these structural divisions. On materials gathered by employees of the Department of inspection of the Ministry of Education for last 2 years, high degree of differentiation of the organized student nourishing in professional schools could be determined. So, there are territories, where practically all issues on organized nourishment are treated positively. It is connected to opportunities for carrying out these measures under provision for financial aid from budgets of the subjects of the Russian Federation. Samara Oblast and number of other territories which are not being subsidized, can be served as an example. Average cost of the students nourishment varies depending on financing.
As a rule, the student number, receiving 4- 3-times diet, constitutes up to 35 % of all contingent. The general indicator of student nourishment coverage increases up to 60-70 % at the expense of students receiving two-times diet. At the same time, the student nourishment (except for children-orphans and children who have been left without parents custody) in establishments of an initial vocational education of a number of oblasts is terminated. A reason - lack of financial assets from the federal budget.
During the last years a significant number of an initial vocational education establishments take on their balance public catering establishments serving students which have educated in these schools before. Besides, it should be marked, that in organization- legal terms they, as a rule, are defined as structural divisions of these establishments. But there are examples, when the professional schools create their catering establishments having full rights of juridical person, that appreciably raises both degree of administration responsibility of these establishments, and interest of employees in results of labor.
On the average up to 40 % of professional schools have own vegetable store and warehouse premises, try to develop own industrial infrastructure with the purpose of the cost price decrease of made production, improving service quality of students and visitors.
Developing commercial and industrial activity many professional schools have gained possibility to receive additional funds, channeling them for developing as industrial base, and taking measures for social protection both student and workmen. Also it should be marked, that there is an increasing of the number of initial vocational education establishments having subsidiary farms and received plots of land for cultivation of vegetables and fruit, and also producing cattle-breeding production.
Nevertheless, for the last years the number of the students receiving hot meals, continues to be reduced. It is in turn connected to inadequate financing or lack of any financing on these purposes. So, there are cases, when workmen and students of professional schools included in their collective demands the items on cancellation of long-term pecuniary debts for student nourishment and, in the case of refusal, in their realization warned the administrations of education management bodies about going on indefinite strike according to the legislation on settlement way of collective labor disputes conflict.
The heads, engineering and pedagogical personnel of educational establishments carried out large work for defining and usage of additional material and financial sources on prices reduction of nourishment. So when organizing student practice in agricultural enterprises and on the basis of mutually advantageous agreements for direct deliveries of products without extra charges and trade extra charges in canteens of educational establishments are realized.
Way of creating free prices on products, coming in public catering establishments of educational establishments, are regulated by local education management bodies.
The Ministry for period between 1995 and 1998 has carried out inspecting checks of activity of different levels of education management bodies and educational establishments authorities, in particular, execution of the order "On unsatisfactory condition of hot food for students of an initial vocational education establishments". As marked inspectors, in many initial vocational education establishments the problems of organized student nourishment under condition of, first of all, sufficient financing and development of alternate forms of organized student nourishment would be solved much better.
In an organization of preventing and improving activity it may be marked, that only each third general educational establishment of Novosibirsk Oblast has a medical cabinet, in Republic Sacha (Yakutiya), Krasnodar Krai, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Moscow city they do not work because of uncompleted by the medical personnel.
In a number of areas of Republic Sacha (Yakutia), Tomsk, Oryol Oblasts (in violation of items 1-3, Article 24 of Fundamentals of legislation of the Russian Federation on citizens health security) medical examinations of children are not conducted for some years. In Novgorod Oblast the profound medical student examinations are conducted only at regional center. In Moscow city annually up to 30 thousands schoolchildren of II-V grades remain outside of the specialists examination, medical examinations of schoolchildren in Perm Oblast are conducted unsatisfactory.
Especially unsuccessful situation is in boarding school type establishments. Teating children with chronic diseases is carried out not in good time, or is not under way at all. Directors of many boarding schools do not have at their disposal all necessary information about the students health condition.
In violation of the current legislation educational load on student is set without considering recommendations of public health bodies. The conducting doubled and tripled lessons and cutting a duration of breaks affects health condition of student.
There does not meet sanitary standards condition of majority of school buildings premises in Vladimir, Volgograd, Kurgan, Novgorod and other oblasts, in Ekaterinburg city. Inadequate illuminant and low temperature mode, non-conformity at school furniture to height-age student peculiarities negatively affects their health condition. The facts of pollution of school premises by mercury steams and other harmful substances are not rare. In violation of Article 33, Law «On education» in many regions educational establishments function not having license for the right to educational activity holding, as sanitary-epidemiological service has not drawn the appropriate conclusions because of non-observance of sanitary-hygienic rules.
In Krasnodar Krai, Moscow city and Naryan-Mar city (Nenetsky autonomous okrug) the numerous violations facts of the legislation requirements for setting up physical inability of children having for it lawful reasons are revealed.
Special alarm presets by the number of accidents with children and adolescents. The accidents number in pre-school educational establishments and establishments supplemental education of children increases, in addition, the majority of traumas happens to children on breaks and lessons of physical culture because of inadequate execution of official duties by the tutors, teachers and medical personnel (latter are not deficient in educational establishments).
In Republic Tatarstan, Volgograd, Kurgan, Omsk Oblasts, Moscow city regulations "On the way of investigation record and official registration of accidents with student and pupils of an education system of the Russian Federation" systematically are violated, a practice of traumas hiding from the registration is widespread. Such situation has become possible because the education management bodies fail the control over correct and duly investigation and registration of accidents, do not dispose reliable information about traumatism.
In relation to worsening situation, a work has begun and actively underway on developing valeological service in education, formation for children is healthy way of life owing to the help which is rendered by scientific collectives, scientists, representatives of pedagogical, psychological, medical, biological and other sciences, professional asceticism of education and public health practical personnel. The geography of territories, where in variative part of the basic curriculum the educational subject "valeology" is provided, widens. In Russia the network "Schools of health" grows. The schools develop children health during the educational process and in the context of it, using valeological approach. For 3 years of "Schools of health" activity in 11 oblasts of Russia positive dynamics of children health condition is marked. Need for teachers who are engaged in health issues, is realized in a new specialty-teacher-valeolog.
Aiming to protect children health the Ministry of Education together with international noncommercial organization "Project HOPE" have begun implementation of school program on prophylaxis of alcoholism and drug addiction "Useful habits",has drawn up the draft order on establishing coordination of scientific-methodical council on valeology problems in education.
A series of measures directed at solving the problems, connected with normative-legal scientific-methodical providing and technical equipment of activity of educational establishments for children who require psychology-pedagogical and medico-social help has been effected.
Within the framework of the federal target program "Development of social service of family and children" the material and technical base of a number of psychology-pedagogical and medico-social centers was equipped.
It has been possible to fix and to strengthen the positive tendencies in developing practical psychology service in the subjects of the Russian Federation: the regional patterns of services, methodical recommendations on organization of the psychologist activity in educational establishments of different types and kinds have appeared. Data base of practical psychology services in each region of the Russian Federation for 50 indicators characterizing condition of educational establishments, which render psychology-pedagogical and medico-social help to children, level of their efficiency, training and necessity of psychological staff in the education system has been formed. The most advanced services of practical psychology are in Yaroslavl, Kirov, Samara, Novosibirsk, Perm, Bryansk, Kursk, Kurgan, Omsk, Tyumen Oblasts, Republic Udmurtiya.
The basic directions of special psychological providing development, training and education of handicapped children are defined:
Draft conception of special psychology service, which was debated by participants of the All-Russian conference "Modern psychological diagnostics of deviated development: ways and means" and All-Russian seminar "Problems of special psychology in education" is drawn up.
However, despite of serious actions made for developing service of practical psychology, no one of major problems of its existence - adaptation of the Standard regulations on the service of practical psychology in the education system is not solved, that essentially complicates a development processes of appropriate services both at regional and federal levels.
6.1.9. Structure and content of
initial vocational education.
Essence of happened changes
Initial vocational education is included into the system of a continuous professional education in the Russian Federation. Establishments of an initial vocational education realize professional instructional programs directed at training skilled labor workers (workers, specialists and white-collar workers) on the basic directions of socially-useful activity.
Main goal of an initial vocational education is mastering by citizens initial professional knowledge and skills according to state educational standards.
Reform of a content of an initial vocational education assumes a number of changes. Urgent step at implementing reform of the initial vocational education content is developing state educational standards of an initial vocational education with new professional and qualified structure of personnel training, which is variative in nature and reflects 3 levels of training – general-sectoral, general-professional and special. It will allow to solve problems of including graduates of the initial vocational education establishments in active labor activity and creation precondition of further raise of their educational level.
Putting into service state educational standards of an initial vocational education should be grounded on quality control over the graduates training and adapting of state educational standards of an initial vocational education to requirements of the society.
With a view to provide state educational standards of an initial vocational education by model instructional programs, curricula, textbooks, methodical and didactic by materials it needs to be developed long-term and short-term programs of publishing educational and education-methodical literature for establishments of an initial vocational education, and also to consider a possibility of usage of repaying forms of education-methodical providing at the expense of funds of the subjects of the Russian Federation and educational establishments.
For functioning of state educational standards of an initial vocational education it needs to be carried out retraining and further training of pedagogical staff of an initial vocational education and to put the respective alterations to the curricula of teachers training in higher educational institutions.
In educational establishments of an initial vocational education it is assumed to implement united educational program of a secondary (complete) general and initial vocational education on the basis of a basic general education (9 grades) with 3 years of schooling duration.
The united instructional program of an initial vocational education will allow to change size of a general education content with a view to more complete and qualitative mastering of the profession by students.
Property and financing of initial vocational education establishments. The establishments of an initial vocational education can be:
Federal executive bodies and executive bodies of the subjects of the Russian Federation, realizing guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation the right of the citizens to public and free of an initial vocational education, carry out protectionist financial policy in respect of the subsidiary subjects of the Russian Federation and municipalities through allocating target transfers and loans.
Budget of a professional education is calculated on the basis of state (including sectoral) and local standards and should take into consideration expenses on:
Financing of an initial vocational education establishments depending on the status of the founder is carried out from:
At the expense of the federal budget funds it is supposed to carry out mainly target financing of the personnel and specialists training in most significant for a federal labor market professions, first of all, for scientific-capacious and high technology productions.
Budgetary financing can be supplemented by following out-of-budget funds:
The invoking by establishments of an initial vocational education of additional funds does not result in decreasing of their financing at the expense of the founder (founders) funds.
Scientific providing the system of an initial vocational education reforming. The most important directions of researches for implementation of the present Conception are:
Normative-legal providing an initial vocational education. For providing efficient implementation of the present Conception there is a need to accept the following normative legal acts:
Implementation of the Conception of reforming of initial vocational education system. During implementation of substantive provisions of the Conception approved by the Government of the Russian Federation, professional and qualification structure of training workers and specialists in establishments of an initial vocational education began to change. There is a step-by-step redistribution of training sizes for the benefit of non-productive sphere (sphere of services). So, in 1996 in branches of material production 41,1 % of the total number of a day time professional schools and lyceums graduates was directed, and in 1997 - 36,7%.
The scales of an initial vocational education activity on training of the unengaged and released population are extended at the expense of some cutting of schools graduates admissions.
On the basis of Conceptions in regions own programs, conceptions, plan of reforming and development of an initial vocational education have been designed. Now they have passed or pass an expert estimation in bodies on labor and employment, in structural divisions of administrations (industry, transport, communication, social sphere, economy, finance, handle of asset) of subjects of the Russian Federation, at meetings with the employers, administrations heads of cities and districts, board meetings of education management bodies.
In 1998 during reforming of the initial vocational education content, the 35 state educational standards of the initial vocational education are developed. In total as of 01.01.99 237 educational standards of 257, stipulated by the acting List of professions, and specialties of an initial vocational education are approved.
With a view to join forces of regional methodical bodies for carrying out of a content education reforming the Ministry approved a Regulations on regional Education-methodical associations of an initial vocational education. The same order structure of eleven regional Education-methodical associations, which cover all system of an initial vocational education of Russia were approved. The set up Education-methodical associations made active work for putting educational standards in force and developing of its program-methodical providing. The Subject list of the base textbooks for initial vocational education establishments is adopted.
Considering the changed situation in a labor market, the Ministry in view of the education management bodies of the subjects of the Russian Federation proposals has developed draft of new edition of the professions List of an initial vocational education. The alternation and additions which have been inserted to the new List, have passed a stage of the agreeing in the interested federal ministries and now the new List is prepared for approving by the Government of the Russian Federation.
A work on perfecting mechanisms of a control system over an initial vocational education is continued.
At present in respect to establishments of an initial vocational education the scheme of state administration control consisting of two links functions. The founder of the absolute majority of an initial vocational education establishments is the Ministry of Education, but in addition, they are under operating control of education management bodies of the subjects of the Russian Federation.
By levels of property and financing 4 patterns of educational establishments of an initial vocational education division act:
Thus, the tendency of decentralizing of a management of an initial vocational education system is traced, the transition from directive style of object way control to methods of regulation is carried out. At the same time in the subjects of the Russian Federation the management structures of the initial vocational education have undergone serious changes, in a number of cases not giving of positive results. So, in the 13 subjects of the Russian Federation the independent initial vocational education management bodies function, in the 11 - autonomous, but being into the structure of education management bodies, and in 65 - are in the structure of education management bodies. Besides, the functions of separate management bodies have different entirety and significance, measure of the rights and responsibility.
In connection with variety of control forms in regions the necessity for developing of recommendations for the model schemes of an initial vocational education management in region depending on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the regional system of an initial vocational education has ripened.
Together with association "Rosprofteh" the Ministry provides developing of a lot of the documents and recommendations directed to implementation of regional policy in the field of an initial vocational education. New principles and mechanisms of the initial vocational education system management are determined, the state-public character of management through development of the dialogue of state management bodies with numerous public associations and associations originating in the system of an initial vocational education (association of the directors, boards of directors, club of professional lyceums and others) are realized.
Extremely weakened remains information-statistical providing of management, "feedback" frequently bears the subjective forms of personal estimations; the system estimation of processes occurring in an initial vocational education as a whole and in its regional sectors, practically is lacking, as well as a system of monitoring the course and productivity of the reform.
The purposes of setting into correspondence of organization and management of an initial vocational education both to requirements of the society, and to educational system itself may be considered:
For this purpose it is necessary to solve a number of the problems:
Thus, it is necessary to strengthen vertical structure of management by more closer coordination of federal, regional policy in view of further raising role of the Russian regions and independence of educational institutions.
According to the Article 5, Federal Law "On education", to "education for all" (that is compulsory education) primary general, basic general, secondary (complete) general and initial vocational education are referred of which, general availability and free of tuition is guaranteed to all citizens of Russia irrespective of sex, race, nationality, language, origin, residence, religion, beliefs, belonging to public organizations (parties, associations), age, health, social, property and official status, and also a previous conviction availability.
The expenses on citizens training in paid non-state general educational establishments realizing program of a general education, are reimbursed to citizen by the state in the event that the educational establishment has state accreditation. The pre-school education which is carried out by appropriate educational establishments of different ownership patterns, is partially or completely paid. The expenses for it to the citizens (parents) are not reimbursed.
With a view of exercising the right to a compulsory education of citizens requiring social help (for example, children-orphans, children who have left without parents custody), the state completely or partially bears expenses on their maintenance when they receiving education (citizens category, forms, sizes and sources of the help are set by a special federal law).
The state creates to the handicapped citizens the conditions for receiving compulsory education, correction of physically handicapping and social adaptation on the basis of special pedagogical approaches. Besides, the state assists to citizens, who have shown great abilities, to receive education.
The access to other levels of a professional education (besides initial vocational) is carried out on a competitive basis. The number of student's places in higher institutions is financed at the expense of the budget, is limited to estimated figures of enrollment, different for various levels of education. The citizens of the country have also possibility to satisfy their need in receiving secondary and higher professional education on a paid basis (at the expense of own funds, funds of enterprises and organizations, sponsor's and charitable foundations) as in state, and non-state educational institutions.
In the Soviet epoch the equity of opportunities was obvious political priority, now this priority is under endanger and becomes a source of political disappointments. The students, learning for own funds, receive advantage before the ones who does not pay, even in official establishments. In rich regions the educational opportunities are higher, than in poor; universities are oriented on specialized secondary schools ever more, owing to what the inequity accrues.
Positive feature of a modern Russian education system is that the choice of educational opportunities has become possible in the majority of urban regions and rather prospering parts of the Russian Federation. The rights of minority, both cultural, and language, now better are defended, than it was earlier. Almost half of 89 regions have the rather large ethnic minorities in the composition, therefore there is a problem of teaching language or at least of a place of the ethnic minorities language in the curricula. In 1987, students could receive instruction up to the 10th grade only in 4 languages, except for Russian, by 1993 4 languages of training were added, and by 1996 any more less than 87 languages of peoples of Russia becomes, in this or that form, a part of the instructional plans.
The policy of general secondary education realizing for the last years, substantially has lowered an inequality in duration and quality of school training accessible of youth at pre-university stage. However such tendencies, as accent on differentiated education at secondary school, growth of schools number, which prepare for universities and where the students are enrolled on the basis of selective examinations, development of the system of private schools for children, so-called, "new Russian" create the next inequality of opportunities.
The following phenomena which are narrowing down access to education cause anxious:
Though, all this occurs under a banner of so-called freedom of choice, in a result cause decrease of educational opportunities for some children, especially those who lives in countryside, those who come from less provided for families with not good enough "liaisons", irrespective of their personal merits.
In the years 1995-1996 the local control bodies have set up new departments in boards of a social protection to advise the young drug addicts, children eliminated from school, homeless children and psychologically disturbed youth. These boards also play a role of the intermediate between student and school or student and his family. Traditionally, the schools worked with so-called youth with deviant behavior by method of punishments. The establishment of boards for social work should play important role in change of the situation, to promote attaching youth to schools and directing it on correct vital ways.
The integral strategy of educational requirements service not elitarian and low gifted students is not worked out yet. The students of rather small abilities and students from rural and geographically remote areas are in constant danger of loss chance to receiving education. The most serious loss for the economic future of the country - potential loss of this significant sector of population. The researches of students development and ways of their training show, that many potentially capable students do not cope with complex theoretical and too abstract curriculum and the best are trained within the framework of the curriculum, which integrates practical application of knowledge, laboratory work with academic study. In Russia, certainly, there is a understanding that the curriculum and pedagogy is necessary change in compliance with needs of economy. Ability and desire to effect such changes in different places are different, and the problems in this connection arise, first of all, at the stage of primary and secondary education. The accent when developing the curricula and working out the pedagogical approaches, elaborating as before, is made on a content and studying of a material. The smaller attention is given to such important skills, as group work or problem solution.
The large concern caused the condition of schools in the poor urban and remote rural areas in a context of the continuing process of social stratification developed in Russia.
Schools in poor regions operate in the heaviest conditions. The schools can not afford elementary repair and the conditions are still worsened. They are short of elementary sanitary. At schools there are no teaching materials and textbooks, and also well trained teacher's personnel. The schools in areas of building sometimes have not enough land to cultivate a plot, which would allow to lower cost of school breakfasts. The bad financial conditions at schools are still worsened due to some regional laws bans the schools engaging of out-of-budget financing.
Rural schools, schools located in marginal areas, receive less financial support, than urban schools, as the parents in these districts can afford more rarely private donations, and the enterprises are less interested in investing money in the non profiled schools. Basic contingent of rural and settlement schools are children, which parents have received minimum education, many of them hardly scraped up on livelihood. Children from traditionally poor families living in isolated settlements and villages, from families, where only one working parent, and sometimes - any, most often is subject to risk be behind the class and to leave school after 9 grade. Therefore setting up the service of social work for dealing with youth and vocational guidance is the important measure of social support of these children.
To ensure that children from the remote territories have received wider access to education, it is necessary to use opportunities of distant education as classes with an broadcasting through the satellite. However effect of the forms of distant education will be inevitable limited so long as between schools there will be no horizontal relations. Unfortunately, the schools, which especially require computers, TV sets and satellite communication, receive them in the last queue.
Thus, the basic problems of an inequality in education are come to the following. As the Russian society is stratified on ever more to standard of well-being, the Russian education is ever more stratified by educational opportunities. For the majority of children the educational choice is limited. In a reality for many of them the opportunities of access to education are narrowed down for the following reasons:
The first two of above mentioned problems have arisen in connection with transferring the responsibility at a regional and local level in a context of financial and administrative decentralizing. As the policy in education, approaching the decision making bodies to school this solution is a positive step. However reality in less provided regions and municipalities is those, that the federal contribution to financing of education has become less, and the tax base in region or municipality is inadequate for maintaining the school system, already found on the verge of great collapse after two years of inadequate financing. Especially strong has fallen to sector of professional and technical training: many schools, when enterprises were closed together with the enterprises, leaving many children, especially with bad academic progress, behind a board and without a possibility of choice. Certainly, choice in education - it is not only the business of families, is necessary to take into consideration interests both states, and society. Between the personality rights and interests of the state in education there is a thin verge. Today, both interests can suffer, owing to disastrous shortage of funds on providing of education in many parts of the Russian Federation.
Other menacing factors in the greater degree are referred to problems of educational policy and with them the educational workers themselves can cope. The agreements "school - VUZ", limitation of access to educational innovations, selective, if not to tell designedly discrimination practice of enrollment on key stages of the system - all this unnecessary barriers on the way to equity of opportunities and freedom of choice in education and they now start to be overcome.
Staff providing of pre-school education establishments. During the last two years pre-school educational establishments practically are fully completed with pedagogical personnel. Now more than 678 thousands teachers work in them. The positive tendency of an educational level of pedagogical personnel was clearly defined. Only for 1998 the teachers number with the higher and uncompleted higher education (all they constitute 27,5 % of total) has increased by 1,5 %.
The number of pre-school educational establishments has grown, in which the full-time specialists - teachers-psychologists, foreign language teachers, fine arts teacher, teachers-organizers and others work. The new specialty "Special pre-school education" is entered into the Qualifier of specialties of a secondary professional education. However it is necessary to mark, that the educational qualification of pedagogical personnel in the system of pre-school education still remains below than in other field of education.
Now, when the need for pedagogical personnel practically is satisfied, there is a main task of their professional level raise. However, in a number of educational institutions of the country the pre-school faculties of pedagogical higher institutions and schools still gravitate towards old traditions and slowly mastering of pedagogical technologies of a new generation, while the pre-school educational establishments more flexible react to demands of time. Such situation in training of personnel is one of main problems in advance of reform.
Staff provision of the system of a general secondary education. Despite of economic difficulties, for the last 5 years the number of the teachers is stable (when minor increasing in comparison with 1992 by 232 thousands) [35].
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