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On February 21 the expanded session of the working group of the State Council of Russia concerning modernization of education was held in Petrozavodsk under the presidency of the Head of Karelia Sergey Katanandov. The meeting was devoted to preparation of the report which the head of Karelia being at the head of the group will present at the session of the State Council in the end of March. This document should become a reference point for the further development of the Russian system of education.
Presidium of the working group
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The Minister of Education and Science of Russia Andrey Fursenko, representatives of the State Duma, Administration of the President, federal ministries, business community, trade unions of workers of education and science, as well as heads of education controls of regions of the Northwest and districts of Karelia have taken part in the session of the working group. In the center of discussion there were economic problems of education and social partnership with business.
Session of the Working group of the State Council of the Russian Federation on education
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Opening the meeting, Sergey Katanandov has called the audience to be ready for serious work and has noted that system approaches to modernization of education in Russia are necessary today. As the Head of Karelia has declared, an overall objective of this work is increase of competitiveness of the Russian education by means of innovative methods.
In turn, Andrey Fursenko has emphasized that the basic tools and vectors of development of the Russian education have been set in 2000 when the working group of the State Council was also headed by Sergey Katanandov, therefore, the new report should lean on former results, many of which are already implemented in practice. Nevertheless, the Minister has noted, that with the advent of the national project Education a lot of important problems became obvious. In Andrey Fursenko's opinion, the branch has shown unavailability to scale projects as the majority of experts have apprehended the initiative of the President as some kind of "repayment". Meanwhile, the national project is, first of all, the catalyst of changes and it demands response of all participants. According to the Minister, the question how increase of salaries of teachers will affect quality of education, is incorrect. Now it is important to define precisely what quality of education should follow corresponding increase in financing.
The issue of education economy became one of the main topicts for discussion. In opinion of trade unions, the general expenditure of this branch should be increased gradually up to 5 percent of internal total product. At that transition to branch system of payment which will become a set of the minimal social standards for workers of education is necessary.
For development of material and financial resources of educational establishments trade unions suggest to encourage regional initiatives through co-financing from the federal budget, and to introduce normative-share financing, as well as program-target method which will promote transition from cost-is-no-object economy to economy of development.
Thus, participants of the meeting from St.-Petersburg have noted importance of the aspect of economic-financial independence of educational establishments. Possessing experience in this area, representatives of the Northern capital have emphasized that this innovation demands serious reforming of the system of preparation of heads of education.
Main problems of mutual relations of education and business were specified in performance of the representative of the Union of Industrialists and Businessmen of Russia Sergey Prokopov. As he said, today quality of man power is included into the first three of key problems which employers face, however in about 5 years it may win first place. According to Sergey Prokopov, quantity and knowledge of graduates of Russian establishments of vocational training often mismatch needs of employers.
To change the situation industrialists and businessmen consider it necessary preparation of forecasts of condition of the labour market, revival of the system of vocational counselling of youth and solution of the problem of serving in the army. As Sergey Prokopov has declared, nobody will put up substantial money in preparation of experts if upon graduation they go in the army at full uncertainty whether they return and what skill level they keep upon returning.
Sergey Katanandov has objected, that business should not underestimate its role in arranging order for experts. The vice-president of the State Duma's committee for education and science Valentina Ivanova has supported the head of the working group, having offered five ways of social partnership of business and education.
In the opinion of member of the parliament, participation of business in drawing up of branch forecasts of labour market and order for experts of various structures is necessary. Secondly, such kinds of cooperation as purposeful enrollment, educational credits, as well as co-founding, creation of corporate universities and boards of guardians of educational establishments promise rather good prospects. Besides, Valentina Ivanova considers it expedient to include professional training expenditure in the cost price of production and, thus, to stimulate enterprises to conclude contracts with educational establishments.
Concluding the discussion, the Head of Karelia has thanked participants of the session and assured, that all stated points of view will find reflection in text of the report. The next session of the working group is expected on March 2 in Moscow. Also exit sessions in Saransk, Krasnoyarsk and Yaroslavl are planned.
Upon the end of the meeting, members of the working group have discussed modernization of the system of education with teachers of Karelia at the meeting in the National school of Petrozavodsk.
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