Quote of the Week: "We all understand where we've come to, but the emergency brake has already been pulled"

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Course with employment: "The profession of a methodologist from scratch to PRO"

The head of Rosobrnadzor plays a key role in the educational sphere of Russia, exercising control over the quality and accessibility of education. The main task of the head is to ensure compliance with the legislation in the field of education, as well as the implementation of state policy in this area. Important aspects of the work of Rosobrnadzor are monitoring educational institutions, conducting certifications and accreditations, as well as analyzing the results of state final certification. Effective leadership of Rosobrnadzor contributes to raising educational standards and improving the educational environment in the country. The director's work includes interaction with various government agencies, educational institutions, and society, making this position crucial for the development of the education system in Russia.

A roundtable discussion, "Quality of Education: The Basis for Achieving National Goals," will be held at the Empress Catherine II St. Petersburg Mining University. The event will bring together education experts and specialists to discuss current issues related to the quality of educational processes and their impact on achieving national goals. The roundtable will present best practices, innovative approaches, and methods for improving the quality of education in Russia. Participants will have the opportunity to exchange opinions and develop recommendations for further steps in education policy.

The wave of reforms that began in the 1980s diverted education from its core goals and objectives. We recognize the consequences this has had, but the critical moment has already passed, and progress toward improving education has begun. Despite the challenges that exist, we are on the right path to achieving quality education that can meet the modern needs of society.

The Head of Rosobrnadzor plays a key role in the Russian education system. This highly professional specialist is responsible for monitoring and overseeing education, ensuring that educational institutions and programs comply with state standards. The head's primary responsibilities include developing educational policy, introducing innovations into the educational process, and improving the quality of education. Responsibilities also include interacting with other government agencies, participating in the development of legislative drafts, and overseeing assessments and examinations. Effective leadership of Rosobrnadzor contributes to the improvement of the educational environment and the raising of the level of education in the country.

A roundtable discussion on "Quality of Education: The Foundation for Achieving National Goals" will be held at the Empress Catherine II St. Petersburg Mining University. The event will focus on the importance of the quality of educational processes for achieving the country's strategic goals, discuss current trends in education, and propose ways to improve educational standards. Participants will have the opportunity to exchange experiences and develop recommendations for improving the quality of education in Russia.

The wave of reforms that began in the 1980s has distracted education from its core goals and objectives. Everyone is aware of the current problems, but a catastrophe has been averted, and progress in the right direction has already begun. Despite the ongoing difficulties, we are on the path to quality education that truly meets modern requirements and the needs of society.

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Anzor Muzayev spoke at the roundtable discussion "Quality of Education – the Foundation for Achieving National Goals," which was held at the Empress Catherine II St. Petersburg Mining University. In his speech, he described the overload of school curricula as an "outrage" that must be eliminated. Muzayev noted that most subjects in the standard school curriculum are overloaded with topics that in the Soviet Union were studied in the second year of university. In his opinion, it is impossible to master these complex topics at school age. As a result, as the head of Rosobrnadzor pointed out, teachers are often forced to skip such topics, which negatively impacts the quality of education and hinders the achievement of educational goals. Anzor Muzaev emphasized the problem of "cramming" for the Unified State Exam, noting that the exam should not become an end in itself. To fully develop students' worldviews, it is insufficient to limit them to just two or three subjects on which they focus for the exam. Furthermore, the emphasis on the Unified State Exam leads to an increase in tutoring, which creates a financial burden on the families of graduates. The head of Rosobrnadzor noted that educational institutions should ensure the mastery of Federal State Educational Standards (FSES) without the need for additional paid classes. This will reduce the burden on parents and make education more accessible to all students.

Assessments of the Russian school system have long been the subject of debate and criticism. This system faces various challenges related to the quality of education, teaching methods, and teacher training. Public opinion about school education in Russia is formed based on both positive and negative aspects. It is important to note that modern realities require the adaptation of educational programs to the needs of the times and society. Improving the quality of education and introducing innovative teaching methods can play a key role in increasing the competitiveness of Russian schoolchildren on the international stage.

In December 2023, Valery Fadeyev, Chairman of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC), stated that due to preparation for the Unified State Exam, high school students are not fully mastering the school curriculum in most subjects. To encourage schoolchildren to study the entire curriculum, he proposed taking into account an "integrated assessment" when applying to universities—the average grade point average in all or some subjects, namely history, literature, and geography (which, according to the head of the Human Rights Council, are essential for shaping students' worldviews). This proposal was considered, but has not yet been incorporated into the university admissions process.
The issue of families burdened by preparation for the Unified State Exam (USE), for which schoolwork proves insufficient, has long been raised repeatedly. For example, back in 2021, Deputy Sergei Mironov stated that many graduates are unable to enroll in university precisely because their families lack the funds to pay for tuition. And in his 2024 address to the Federal Assembly, President Vladimir Putin stated that it is necessary to ensure that the USE complies with school curricula. In December of that year, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko announced plans to improve the quality of education in schools so that graduates would be prepared to pass the Unified State Exam "without the need to hire paid specialists."
A recent Human Rights Council report on the workload of schoolchildren focuses primarily on the number of classes (for high school students, the workload was estimated at 56.5 hours per week), but also touched on the imbalance of the program. According to the report's authors, with long classes, schools lack time for high-quality teaching—there are many complex topics, and lessons are often "wasted" due to additional activities, all-Russian tests, teachers' busy schedules with the Basic State Exam and the Unified State Exam, and so on.

Anzor Muzaev's speech at the Saint Petersburg Mining University was a criticism of the existing school system, but he noted that steps are being taken to improve it. Rosobrnadzor emphasized that the Ministry of Education is working to reduce the workload for students and teachers. Specifically, Ministry of Education Order No. 704 will come into effect on September 1, 2025. It establishes unified federal educational programs for all subjects, synchronizes educational programs with the Basic State Exam (OGE) and Unified State Exam (USE), and introduces a unified lesson plan. The main goal of this document is to normalize the academic workload. More details about these new provisions can be found here.

According to Interfax, the Ministry of Education commented on the speech by Rosobrnadzor Head Anzor Muzaev. He noted that there had previously been a problem with the academic workload of schoolchildren, but the implementation of unified educational programs has significantly improved the situation. The introduction of such programs reduces the burden on students and creates a more comfortable learning environment.

Sakhalin State University Rector Alexander Samardak drew attention to the problems in the education system, particularly in higher education institutions. In his speech at the Eastern Economic Forum on "Synchronizing the Labor Market and Professional Educational Organizations," he noted the critical situation with personnel training. According to him, there is no federal labor market forecast, and regional forecasts do not meet actual needs. The targeted training system also fails to meet employer demands, resulting in a lack of demand for places under the targeted quota. This highlights the need to revise approaches to training specialists in accordance with the real demands of the labor market.