Dear Language Enthusiast,
Welcome to the newest edition of our Russian newsletter. As fall approaches, we are all
feeling the pull of the back to school season. Even if we do not have children of our own
boarding the bus, the smell in the air, the cool mornings and the end of summer vacations
still remind us of our school days.
That is why we have dedicated this issue to education. We thought you might be interested
in seeing how Russia differs from the United States in its approach to education. We have
also included a tip for Russian Now! users, news about our web site and a new product
announcement. We hope you enjoy it.
Sincerely,
Transparent Language
www.transparent.com
In English:
The education system in Russia significantly differs from the one in the United States.
According to the law of Education issued by the Russian Federation, every child from the
age of six must attend school. The elementary stage of education includes grades 1 through
4, and is followed by the secondary stage, which includes grades 5 through 11. In contrast
to American schools, all grades from 1st to 11th are located in the same school building.
After graduating from the fourth grade, children continue to attend the same school. Even
more than that, the class roster does not change from year to year: all students remain
assigned to the same class through all eleven school years. Moving up from one grade to
another, these classes don't change. Exception to this policy may be made for those
students who need to change schools because of relocation. Therefore, a sense of community
within a class in Russian schools, as a rule, is more united than in American schools.
These communities have a great deal of influence (negative as well as positive) on their
members.
Class make-up remains fixed because students in Russian schools don't chose the subjects
they will study. A set of subjects (approximately 13 in total) and the contents of these
subjects are compulsory for all schools in Russia and are controlled by the government.
Only recently did individual schools begin to allow students in secondary schools some
choice regarding their major subjects, usually towards either a technical or liberal arts
degree. However, students are not allowed to choose the subject itself, only the quantity
of academic hours and the level of difficulty.
The school year for all Russian schools begins September 1st and ends in the middle of May
for elementary schools and at the end of May for secondary schools. Summer vacation lasts
three months: June, July, and August.
Discipline in Russian schools is significantly more strict than in the USA. Students are
not allowed to talk during class. They must stand up when the teacher enters the
classroom, and raise their hands if they want to answer a teacher's question. Educational
programs in Russian schools are more difficult and intensive than in American schools.
This is particularly true for elementary school students. In the first grade children
begin to study a foreign language, and in the 5th grade, algebra. They typically have
homework every day for each subject. At the end of every quarter, students must take exams
in each subject. Secondary school students must also take final exams. If a student fails
the final exam and does not have satisfactory grades for a certain subject during the
school year, he or she must stay in the same grade for another year.
Russian schools use a five-mark grading system: 5= excellent, 4=good, 3=satisfactory,
2=unsatisfactory. Russian teachers do not grade their students with a mark of 1.
The majority of schools works on a six-day schedule. Each period lasts 45 minutes with a
5-15 minute break in between them. Elementary school students have 4-5 periods every day
and secondary students have six, sometimes seven, each day.
The beginning of "Perestroyka" put an end to the government monopoly of the
educational system. Private schools began to appear in Russia. In contrast to public
schools, where education is free of charge, private schools exist on money contributed by
students as a fee for education. Currently, one year of studying in a private school costs
approximately $1000. A teacher's salary range in a private school is approximately
$100-150 per month. This is twice as much as a teacher's salary in a public school.
Teachers in public schools are not paid on a regular basis because of the general economic
crisis in Russia. One can understand why there is a lot of competition to obtain a
position in a private school rather than a public school. For this reason, private schools
usually have the more talented and experienced teachers.
After graduating from secondary school, most students aspire to attend institutes or
universities, which in Russia are called "Highest Educational Institution," or
"HEI" for short. Universities prepare their graduates for work in a particular
scientific field, while institutes prepare students for the field of manufacturing. For
some HEIs there can be as many as 10-12 candidates for each opening. Such fierce
competition is explained by the fact that education is one of the most valuable traditions
in Russian culture. But also, there is a law in Russia regarding general and compulsory
military service for all men from the age of eighteen. Studying at an institute (or
university) frees men from this obligation. Therefore, a lot of young men strive to join
an "HEI" in order to avoid the Army.
In Soviet times, higher education, as well as secondary and elementary schooling, was free
of charge. Furthermore, students who had marks of "5" and "4" received
a monthly stipend from the government. However, in 1994 places of higher education
received only half the financial aid they were promised, and they were given permission to
raise the funds themselves. The result was the establishment of paid educational programs,
which became crowded with students who failed the entrance examination, but had the means
to pay for their education.
The educational program in a Russian "HEI" usually lasts five years, however
lately some institutions allow a four-year course of study. After completing a course of
study, graduates are granted a diploma of higher education (equivalent to a B.S/M.S.) and
are ready either to start their professional career, or continue their education by
enrolling in a post-graduate program in which they would spend two to three years writing
a dissertation and would receive a "Candidate of Science" degree (a higher
degree than M.S.).
The general economic crisis in Russia is having a negative impact on the country's system
of higher education. It is continuously becoming more expensive and less prestigious.
According to the statistics of the Ministry of Higher Education in Russia, approximately a
fourth of college professors have changed their careers to ones of business and trade
where the salary range is significantly higher. Only half of the graduates from the most
prestigious universities remain in a scientific field; the rest prefer a career in finance
and business.
Tips for using Russian Now!
Don't be overwhelmed by a Title! You don't have to work with all of the text at once.
Focus on a paragraph, a page, or even a single sentence - whatever makes you comfortable.
For a quick summary and some background information about any Title, choose Help / Author
Introduction while the Title is open. It's a good way to get an idea of what the text is
about.
Numbers are a handy thing to know in any language. Many Titles contain numbered lists. The
sound for these numbers is recorded, just like any other word, so you can learn to count
out loud in the foreign language by double-clicking on the numbers.
Want to test your Language Proficiency?
We have developed online proficiency tests for you to assess your language skills. Go to
http://www.transparent.com/tlquiz/proftest/index.htm
on our web site to see how you do. It's a fast, easy & fun way to get some feedback on
your progress.
