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The improvement and expansion of the training of economic cadres was discussed in a presentation by A. P. Bukhtoiarova (Ural University). She examined the development of economics education in its quantitative and qualitative aspects. In her opinion, the quantitative correspondence of economics cadres to the needs of the national economy can be judged on the basis of a number of indicators: the overall number of economics specialists with diplomas; the percentage of economists in the total work force and in the total number of specialists; the professional advancement of economists engaged in research; the proportion of higher-education students specializing in economics in the total number of students [in the country]; etc.The total number of economics specialists with diplomas is characterized by the data given in Table 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The report by E.V. Fedina (Moscow Institute of the National Economy) discussed a number of important questions pertaining to the improvement of the utilization of specialists with higher education. In 1969-1970 the author of the report conducted an economic and sociological survey, based on questionnaires, of economists with higher education. Two large economics faculties of higher education were the subjects of the survey: the Moscow G. V. Plekhanov Institute of the National Economy, and the Irkutsk Institute of the National Economy. The survey included specialists who had graduated from higher-education institutions between 1965 and 1969 and who were working in various regions of the country. Eleven specialties in economic employment were surveyed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the competence of Russian college and university instructors in the use of information and communication technologies shows that it can be improved through the use of online conferences if training is provided in advance. Russian education needs to devote more resources to developing this use of technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews some government policy measures aimed at strengthening competition in the Russian university market and looks at the best international practices in this area. It analyzes the competitive behavior of universities under the current government policy on higher education and research and development and suggests an approach to assessing the efficiency of government stimulation of competition among universities and to predicting the outcomes of applying existing stimulation tools. This paper presents the results of assessing the current level of competition in the Russian university market using a nonstructural method, an adjusted Panzar-Rosse competition assessment model. We used the value of grants received by universities as part of government orders as one of the model factors and also analyzed the effects of other factors describing the size, entrance requirements, and research activities of universities. This article investigates how university income depends on the value of grants received (a ratio of total income to the size of grants) and on the number of students and teachers. The level of competition in this market is characterized by the elasticity of the total income of an average university based on the value of grants received. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The study of Russian children's illustrated magazines at the various stages of their formation and development remains a relevant topic due to the evolution of their printed forms in the context of the transformation of the media environment. The first Russian children's magazine was Children's Reading for the Heart and Mind [Detskoye chteniye dlya serdtsa i razuma] (1785–1789). This publication contributed to the creation of Russian periodical literature for children, and it provided the point of departure for the creative efforts of numerous publications that followed in its footsteps, including even present-day Russian children's magazines. The aim of the present article is to study the evolution of the forms of Russian children's illustrated magazines under modern processes of the transformation of the media environment. This goal has determined the objectives of the paper: to study empirical materials related to this topic, consisting of numerous children's publications from different historical periods; identifying the relevant stages of the development of children's periodicals; examining the content and formal characteristics of children's periodicals; applying an integrated approach to working with the most important aspects of Russian children's magazines in the process of transforming the media reality. Our research methodology is based on a structural approach, which has been updated to incorporate structural-functional, structural-formal, and system-synergetic approaches as well as linear regression methodology. The problems that arise from the epistemological context are determined by the significance of the integrated approach to the study of the formal structure of Russian children's illustrated magazines. When we review the state of research in this area, we see that there have been very few studies of Russian periodicals for children despite the relevance of the topic. During the process of their formation and development, children's magazines came into being as a special type of publication with varying subject-thematic, ideological, political, pedagogical, and commercial orientations. They differed in their target audience, content, and presentation, and they were made available to a wide circle of readers. The content of these publications mainly included fiction, journalism, nonfiction articles, sociopolitical commentary, entertainment, and advertising. We have provided a theoretical justification of our research methodology, which uses the general scientific structural method and facilitates the study of the evolution of Russian children's illustrated magazines. The methodology has allowed us to draw conclusions about how their formal structure as well as the larger media environment were transformed over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an overview of studies on the correlations of teacher pay to regional economics and to regional factors affecting the size of teacher salaries. It describes the basic pay indicators for teachers in the regions: absolute salary, teacher pay level as compared to the average regional salary, and ratio of salary to the cost of a fixed set of goods and services and to the per capita gross regional product. Based on calculations that used open government databases, a classification of regions by teacher pay level was developed. Regions of the country turned out to belong to seven different clusters. Recommendations on teacher remuneration were developed for each of these clusters and common risks and challenges were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Socio-pedagogical studies of victimization consider various age cohorts within their respective anthropological contexts, in which specific risk factors are identified for individuals at a given physio-psychological stage that may threaten their integral identity and future development. This paper examines the characteristics of youth that predispose young people to join countercultural groups, and in particular antisocial cults. There is a pressing need to address this issue because the leaders of countercultural organizations are actively recruiting young and capable persons to join their groups. Because Western scholars have been the first to write about the problem of antisocial cultism, our goal has been to analyze the main foreign studies by primarily American and Canadian psychologists and educators that probe the reasons why young people join vile cults. Characteristics of this age group, such as fear of rejection by peers, growing sexuality, growing conflicts with the adult world, youthful black-and-white thinking, the active development of an independent worldview, and sympathy for alternative religiosity, are not strict conditions determining whether young people will join antisocial cults. However, the considered characteristics allow us to deem this period in a person’s development as one of the most vulnerable in terms of developing deviant religious views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the fact that the family is extremely significant in the system of values of young people (in Russia), the number of divorces is increasing in this population group. Our analysis of this contradiction establishes that young people need to be specially prepared for family life. The paper presents the results of a large empirical study conducted in eight regions in various federal districts of Russia. The study covered a representative sample of over 7,000 respondents from two-parent and one-parent families, families with one to two children and large families; they were inhabitants of large and small Russian cities and villages. The study showed that (a) the family is of primary importance in the formation of young people’s values. (b) Most respondents believe that a family is an indispensable condition for happiness. (c) Most respondents believe that one should be specially prepared for family life. (d) Only a third of respondents believe that a school course on family issues could solve this problem. (e) Most respondents noted that their parental families failed to be role models. (f) Young people’s reproductive attitudes, which mainly involve having two or three children, do not correspond to actual modern demographic statistics. (g) More than half of the respondents approve of common-law marriages. (h) But the young people were less tolerant of births out of wedlock. (i) Mothers had the greatest influence on young people as they were growing up. (j) Fathers took second place, with a large gap between them and mothers. (k) The generalized portraits of mothers and fathers were entirely positive; that is, there were no negative characteristics. (k) The most popular adjectives used to describe both mothers and fathers were the following: kind, dependable, caring, responsible, family-oriented, and smart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An expanded meeting of the board of the Ministry of Education of Russia was held on 2 March 1999, summarizing the results of the work of the system of education in 1998 and mapping out the principal tasks to be accomplished in 1999. How has the past year turned out, and what is in store for us in the new year? This was the subject of the paper given by V. Filippov, minister of general and professional education. Herewith, the editors offer readers a number of the topics from that paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As prime ministers have come and gone in the Russia of the 1990s, so have the heads of the basic governmental departments that are responsible for the day-to-day running of the nation. The confusion and uncertainty that this creates needs no elaboration, and education has suffered the same fate as other areas of Russian life. As readers of this journal know, the constant tinkering with education and the endless debates on this or that particular policy have not been helpful to those who teach and run the schools on a daily basis; in fact, it has had a demoralizing effect on educational personnel. In an attempt to clarify where he intended to take education, last year the education minister (Aleksandr Tikhonov) presented a position paper to a board meeting of the Ministry, and it is with the text of this paper that we begin this month. While covering a large number of issues, the main thrust of his argument is the need to put secondary education as the primary concern of the nation, a policy that he sees as central to the future health of education in Russia. Stating clearly that free and universally available access to secondary education was to be the norm, he tried to allay the fears of those who are concerned about the growth of fees and the proliferation of private schools. He also stresses the need for schools to return to their earlier mission of "upbringing" and the instillation of moral values, and for greater attention to be paid to those who were on the margins (such as the neglected rural schools) or were outside of education altogether (such as the million or so children who are not receiving schooling at all). It is the task of the Ministry, he asserts, to take responsibility for the social welfare of children, to halt the growth of delinquency, and to work with other state agencies to strengthen and support family life. Given the parlous condition of the government's budget, a program such as this will call for some tough and unpopular choices, one of which is the capping of expenditures on higher education; thus, the decision to reduce the number of tuition-free admissions to universities. While Tikhonov's position is set out in a clear and mercifully jargon-free manner, he has not really specified what the goals of education should be. There remains a need to clarify exactly what the schools should be trying to achieve, for the constant declaration of often contradictory goal-statements has made it difficult for school administrators and teachers to know what to do. In an attempt to bring some order to the situation, Veit et al. have provided in their article an organized survey of some of the more prominent statements on educational development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the explanatory possibilities and limitations of the concept of alienation within the framework of educational psychology studies. Research into various phenomena associated with alienation (frustration and burnout, extrinsic motivation, cynicism, etc.) is often limited by the ontological realm of the individual, whereas the concept of alienation refers to a whole range of processes characteristic of both individual and sociocultural levels. The study outlines the heuristic potential that the cultural-historical activity approach to meaning and meaning regulation has in the analysis of alienation phenomena. The author reviews findings of empirical studies of alienation in education, as well as the theoretical groundwork dealing with the triggers of alienation and ways to cope with it. The discussion reveals that as human knowledge expands and becomes more complex and multifaceted on an ongoing basis, this causes various manifestations of alienation to grow in their frequency and intensity across educational environments. However, what could potentially help overcome specific psychological instances of alienation is the individual's conscious and more socially aligned self-identification that can be achieved through meaningful reflection on the contributory part they play in the broadest context of collective activity and societal progress as a whole. Although too abstract and heterogeneous for specific psychological studies to be based upon, the concept of alienation may be of great utility in interpreting psychological findings and integrating them into the interdisciplinary context, in order to more thoughtfully revisit and improve the existing institutional configurations and instructional practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is based on the results of a study of secondary school principal decision-making styles conducted in eight regions of the Russian Federation (one per federal district) in 2014 using the methodological approach developed by Alan J. Rowe. The study aimed to assess the reformist potential of Russian school principals. We believe that this potential is determined in the present context by a leadership style that involves teachers in decision-making processes and the delegation of responsibilities to them in uncertain situations that require them to solve extremely complex tasks. Using the two-factor leadership model proposed by B. Bass, we suggest that either the transformational or transactional leadership style may prove to be effective depending on a given school's individual circumstances. Consequently, two types of leaders may be the most effective in terms of their ability to enact reforms: (1) principals who mainly exhibit a conceptual decision-making style and secondarily make recourse to an analytical style; (2) principals who mainly exhibit an analytical decision-making style and secondarily make resource to a conceptual style. The article establishes that only 12% of school principals apply the conceptual decision-making style while relying on an analytical style to a secondary degree. These are the principals who we classify as transformational leaders. Only 11% are effectively prepared to implement changes given a specific environment. These are the transactional leaders who are likely to change their leadership style for a transformational one. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents the results of an analysis of the moral value judgments of adults (parents, teachers, educators) that directly concern the socialization process of the young generation in the modern metropolis. This paper follows the model study by Jean Piaget that investigated the moral value judgments of children. A comparative analysis of the judgments of respondents allows us to investigate whether certain perceptions of the norm are widely held. Statistically significant differences between the groups of “parents” and educators uncovered give us grounds to pose a practical question whether representatives of these groups can be functionally interchanged in pedagogical practice. The results of the analysis demonstrate the need to conduct comprehensive research into the normative value system, which is an integral component that regulates the activities of both children and adults. We also discuss the broader issues relating to the original explanatory model. We note the ambiguity, variability, and the complex structural construction of the normative-value unit that regulates activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work discusses the results of a pilot project performed in 2013–14 within the framework of the Asian Leadership Project international comparative study, which continues research of school leadership in Europe and America since years 2006–2008. Alongside with Russia, the pilot project also included Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. After analyzing statistical reports on the Russian Federation as a whole, as well as on Moscow and Krasnoyarsk Krai in particular, we created a profile of an average school principal and identified their specific features across regions (age, sex, years of experience, competencies, etc.). Upon investigation of decision-making styles (A. Rowe's Decision Style Inventory) applied by school principals in Moscow and Krasnoiarsk and by award winners in the School Principal professional competition, we found that contextual factors and personal and professional attitudes of school principals have considerable effects on school leadership style. This paper also discusses changes in school leadership styles over recent decades, managerial methods used by Russian school principals, and similarities and differences between school leadership practices in Russia and Canada. The report describes the concept and design of a future large-scale study of these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper proposes a model of educational strategies for college entrants that makes it possible to assess the investment efficiency in additional preparation as evidenced by the Unified State Exam [USE] scores. It was found that college entrants still use traditional forms of preparation despite the new institutional admission conditions at universities. However, it was expected that after the unification of the examination system prospective students would be less likely to resort to extra classes in order to prepare for university entrance. A survey of first-year students and their parents was conducted. It included a total of 1,600 households in the 16 largest Russian cities. A positive relationship was found between monetary investments and time spent on additional preparation courses, on the one hand, and exam results, on the other. However, the return on these investments was low. These results were based on an assessment of a modified function of the educational achievements of students. On the one hand, this means that the results of the USE are connected to the efforts of prospective students, and on the other it shows that those who pursue additional preparation outside of school may gain an advantage by achieving an overall higher score, thereby creating inequality in access to higher education. The particular school that a student is enrolled in and that student's school performance are more significant factors in some cases than the effect of additional preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper presents the results of a large-scale study on the scope of extracurricular education services and an assessment of the potential role of education outside the classroom and informal education in solving children's socialization issues. The study was carried out by questioning students as consumers of education services. A new instrument was developed and tested to allow for a detailed description of various aspects of extracurricular activities and their correlation with studies and social and psychological characteristics of students. An extensive set of statistics (over 6,000 questionnaires filled out by schoolchildren from several regions of Russia) was used to analyze the degree of engagement of children of different ages in out-of-class activities; the most popular types of activities of specific age groups; the age range when children are most engaged in such activities; the reasons for nonparticipation in extracurricular activities; the infrastructure of education beyond the classroom; the relative frequency of structured and nonstructured activities; the correlation between out-of-class activities and development of self-esteem, a feeling of community, and satisfaction with school. Age- and gender-related profiles of various activities are described. It appears that structured extracurricular activities, unlike unstructured ones, correlate with higher self-esteem (both overall and academic), and a stronger sense of belonging in and better satisfaction with school. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Born in the Ukraine in 1888 and educated as a teacher, A. S. Makarenko is widely cited in the Soviet educational literature as one of the central figures in the efforts to develop educational systems appropriate to the philosophical and practical realities of the early Soviet state. Though influenced by a wide range of educational theories, Makarenko's perspectives on education were defined in many respects by his experiences in socializing and educating children who had been made homeless during the period of the revolution-some of whom had roamed the countryside of the Soviet Union in criminal gangs. Much of Makarenko's early reputation in the Soviet Union reflects his involvement in rehabilitation and production settlements such as the Gorky Colony and the Dzerzhinskii Commune. Indeed, many of those interested in Makarenko's work outside the Soviet Union are concerned with the rehabilitation and education of orphaned, homeless, and delinquent children (e.g., Kristen D. Juul [1986], International Journal of Special Education], 1:193-96); Bob Caskey [1979], Comparative Education, 15:277-86). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In February 1978 an important conference was held in Moscow on the theme of continuing education. Some forty papers were presented, and the leading ones were summarized in the report of the conference proceedings that comprises the bulk of this issue of Soviet Education. Dr. A. P. Vladislavlev, deputy chairman of the "Knowledge" [Znanie] Society - a key provider of popular education programs for adults in the USSR - gave the concluding paper; his address is included as it appeared in the Soviet journal Voprosy filosofii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about several papers discussed at a seminar sponsored by the editorial boards of the journals "Pedagogika" and "Voprosy filosofii," the Russian Academy of Education, and Moscow N. E. Bauman State University of Technology in Russia is presented. The event tackles the role of education in the formation of a civil society. Other topics include the pedagogical aspects of socialization in the context of education. The seminar features several educators, psychologists, and philosophers.

Administrators of regional bodies of educational administration and of the Russian Academy of Education and methodological services participated in a meeting of the board of the Federal Ministry of Education (31 March-1 April). The media showed understandable interest. Aleksandr Nikolaevich Tikhonov, minister of general and professional education of the Russian Federation, delivered a paper entitled "On the Principal Guidelines and Concerns in the Sphere of Russia's Educational Policy." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with written tests, drawing tests can be used to determine the individual characteristics of school students. Drawing tests have a number of advantages. First of all, the results of a traditional test kquently testiQ not so much to the child's abilities as to the level of his knowledgeability and the particular skills he has fonned. Second, most traditional tests call for the use of essential test materials (questionnaires, blanks, tables, and so forth). Making a drawing, on the other hand, does not require any special devices or materials; all it takes is a pencil and paper. For this reason, such a test can easily be carried out under any conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the spring of last year, the Moscow Institute of Architecture together with the RSFSR Architects' Union held an impressive conference concerning the humanization* of architectural education. Problems that were touched upon in many of the papers are so important that they should be discussed more broadly and in greater detail, especially considering that the task of "humanization" is one that faces not only architectural education but the entire sphere of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of alcohol abuse are not especially a secret to children and adolescents. Sometimes they see drunk people on the street, at home, in the park or at the stadium, or in other public places. Quite frequently, drinking people, vulgar drunks, and alcoholics are portrayed on movie and television screens. Both on these screens and in real life, youngsters have a chance to observe drunken brawls. Lately, young people can read about the horrors of drunkenness just about every day in the newspapers. Adults tell them about the consequences of drunkenness, and don't spare them the details. We thought it would be useful not only to find out what teenagers know about drunkenness from hearsay but also what has happened to them personally after using alcohol. For this purpose, we asked them the question, "What consequences have resulted from your use of alcoholic beverages?" From their answers it is clear that there are all kinds of consequences, some highly unpleasant: "I couldn't get home and passed out on the way"; "The police or people's volunteers picked me up" (we should specify that these are the answers of girls as well as boys); "I wound up in the sobering-up station"; "I lost my papers and money"; "I got in an accident on the street." Compared to the answers we have cited, those such as "I was refused a trip ticket" or "I got into a fight with my parents" look almost innocent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers who are blazing new paths to students are often met with suspicion by people in science who attempt to intimidate them with some kind of "theory." The calculation is simple: don't turn off your path, or you'll get bogged down in debate. An article with a rather scornful title appeared in a Leningrad newspaper. With scientific aplomb the author reproached me for something I never did. The astonishing thing was the sheer, eclectic jumble of the article, consisting of numerous "halfs": half-facts, half-rumors, half-insinuations. I knew that the author of the article was working on his doctoral dissertation, but my innovations were in fundamental conflict with it. What he liked to do was deal with a theoretical, paper student-"recipient." There is no need to seek out and find a personal path to such a student, since no such student exists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the national newspaper for schoolteachers in the Soviet Union, the thrice-weekly Teacher's Gazette [Uchitel'skaia gazeta] took it upon itself last year to mount a campaign publicizing innovative school teaching. The purpose of this press campaign, which got under way with a zeal that is quite astonishing for readers accustomed to the traditional style of writing in that paper, was to move the educational reform that had been adopted in April 1984 forward to implementation in actual teaching practice. The Uchitel'skaia gazeta campaign is one element in the mobilization of the central, Moscow-based press to further the overall socioeconomic reform, or restructuring [perestroika], of Soviet society. The announcement of goals and new policies for reform, such as those promulgated for the national school system by the Gorbachev government during its early months in power, proved a comparatively simple stage in the reform process, much easier than the actual implementation of change that was lagging behind schedule in the spring of 1986. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have spoken of the need to seek out new methodological approaches to the formal instruction of six-year-olds. The school and the kindergarten can both gain a great deal from this by trading experiences. Here we present just a few examples of these new approaches. The most typical is the inclusion of an element of play in formal learning activities. However, unlike the fun and games in which children usually engage, this play has an instructive, didactic import, and makes it possible to abandon to a signficant extent the rigid behavioral and instructional regimentation of children that psychologists view with well justified disfavor. One should not be surprised to find, in Russian language or mathematics lessons, the little ones playing with dolls or balls, standing in a circle, going up to the teacher and whispering their answers or backing up their responses by holding up pictures or objects, getting together to illustrate a fairy tale, making models in groups on the rug, building towers, making paper cut-outs, modeling in clay, and so forth. Play is now both a teaching method and a way of organizing the children's activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An all-union scientific conference on the topic indicated in the title was held in Moscow February 1-3, 1978, under the auspices of the Board of the Ail-Union "Knowledge" Society and the Scientific Council on Problems of Continuing Education of the USSR Academy of Pedagogical Sciences. Participants in the work of the conference included: representatives of the USSR Ministry of Education and the USSR Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education, of a number of branch ministries and agencies, of scientific research institutes of the USSR Academy of Sciences and the USSR Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, and of higher educational institutions and people's universities, as well as executives of the All-Union "Knowledge" Society. V. N. Stoletov, president of the USSR Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, delivered the introductory address to the conference participants. Papers were presented by F. G. Panachin, first deputy minister of education of the USSR; V. S. Gott, editor-in-chief of the journal Philosophical Sciences [Filosofskie nauki], meritorious scientist of the RSFSR, and doctor of philosophical sciences; N. K. Goncharov, active member of the USSR Academy of Pedagogical Sciences and chairman of the Scientific Methods Council on the Propagandization of Pedagogical Knowledge under the Board of the All-Union "Knowledge" Society; A. V. Darinskii, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Pedagogical Sciences; and thirty-five others. The proceedings of the conference were summarized by A. P. Vladislavlev, doctor of technical sciences and deputy chairman of the All-Union "Knowledge" Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of a longitudinal study of the formation of graphomotor skills in elementary school children between the ages of seven and nine (students in the first and second grades). Patterns in how the skills under investigation develop in normal children and those with learning disabilities were revealed using a computerized survey of sequential movement organization and writing functions in combination with a general neuropsychological study. It is shown that graphomotor skills develop unevenly between the first and second grades in children, successful and unsuccessful in academic achievement: second-graders perform assignments faster and with fewer regulatory errors, but the spatial characteristics of their writing become worse. It was also found that children with learning disabilities lag behind in their development and automation of graphomotor and writing skills. This problem may be associated with this group's identified lack of programming and control functions as well as movement sequential organization skills. In addition, a comparative analysis of connections between age, social factors (grade level) and the formation of the functions under investigation was conducted. This analysis has shown that grade level has a greater influence on this process than was previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corruption and other forms of unacceptable behavior in Russian universities frequently is the result of poor conditions of work, low salaries, and inadequate administrative and oversight structures. A thorough reform and reorganization of institutions of higher education should go a long way to reducing the incidence of this behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This critique of the interpretation of education exclusively in terms of the system of commodity relations explores the general cultural role of education and its "producing" function from the standpoint of the growth of the culture of knowledge. It looks at the position taken by foreign specialists that sheds light on the negative consequences of the "commodification" of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the occurrence of bribery in higher education in Russia. The authors assert that many Russians believe it is possible to enroll in an institution of higher learning as a result of having connections or on the basis of paying money, and that without connections or without paying a bribe it is extremely difficult. The authors survey available literature on the subject, which they term "shadow economic relations." The results of a survey done in 2003-2004 of college students in Moscow and Saratov, Russia are presented. The article concludes that the majority of the respondents "have heard about" cases of dishonest admissions to institutions of higher learning (98 percent), but only a very few (16 percent) say that they themselves did not get in on their own.

This article discusses student science societies and special-interest circles which are among the most venerable forms of corporate association among students in colleges and universities. The first such associations, the "Assembly of University Students for Exercises in Composition and Translation" and "Friendly Science Society," came into being at the University of Moscow, Russia. The author of this article relates how scientific and technical circles began to be widespread after the first Russian Revolution and attempts to examine the different work style characterizing the circles. College students in Russia have always been characterized by a certain amount of local patriotism, which is why quite a few were certain preparing themselves to fulfill noble missions for the good of their home.

The article presents information on the results of the Unified State Examination. Analysis of the results of the Unified State Examination in 2003 makes it possible to obtain generalized information about the level and quality of the general education training of secondary school graduates; to determine how well the graduates of secondary school have mastered the content of subjects as reflected in the mandatory minimum of content and in the requirements on graduates' level of training and to evaluate the quality of control measurement materials. In 2003 the Unified State Examination was conducted in twelve school subjects, namely, mathematics, Russian language, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, social science, history, literature and foreign languages. The control measurement materials for all of the subjects except for the foreign languages consisted of three parts and included tasks of various types and complexity. The results of the unified state examination demonstrated the possibility of using control measurement materials in order to differentiate graduates in terms of the level of their training.

Asserts the importance of improving the quality of professional sociological education in Russia Federation with special emphasis on areas of Sociology which require use of Mathematics. Details of conferences held in Russia Federation focusing on the development of mathematical use in Sociology; Discussion of sociologists' attitudes toward mathematical modeling; Hindrances faced in improving the mathematical culture of research in Russia Federation.

Analyzes the ideas of educator Makarenko about pedagogical science and practice in Russia. Use of the innovative experience in the process of training pedagogical cadres; Foundations of college students' pedagogical expertise; Role of literature in the instruction and upbringing of young people.

Politics, economics, technology, science, the arts, religion, and any other sociocultural sphere have always existed in a unified cultural space, and the term "education," in conjunction with two others, "upbringing" and "development," constitutes one of the immanent semantic components of the Latin word cultura. This relatively trivial thought, though to be sure in different conceptual equivalents, seemed obvious in European antiquity and provided the foundation of its understanding of the world, which naturally joined the world of nature and the world of human beings; the latter, in turn, united various spheres of its cultural activity. This generally accepted and fruitful (in terms of creativity) view of the nature of things that had been inherited from ancient Eastern civilizations and archaic times enabled the time of antiquity to become what it was and to continue in later conceptions of the "Golden Age" of European culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 29 December 1994 a meeting was held in the Monastery of St. Daniel between Alexius II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and members of the Russian Academy of Education, headed by Academy President A. V. Petrovksii. Below we publish the paper that was given by His Holiness Alexius II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People presenting papers and taking part in the discussions in Section 1 examined a broad range of urgent problems in the theory and methodology of the economics of higher education. Thus, in the report 'The Problem of Improving the Country's Educational System," by V. S. Nemchenko (Moscow University), the author took note of the effectiveness of the USSR system of education and stressed the fact that successes in this area are inseparably linked to advances in science and in the economy. The speaker [V. S. Nemchenko] particularly emphasized the need for increased integration within the system of education. He noted that universal eight -year education and the transition to universal secondary education must produce qualitative clianges in other elements of the educational system. In the elaboration of plans for the development of individual elements [in the national system] of education, however, the latter are not being sufficiently coordinated with one another or with the demographic situation in one or another [geographic] region [of the country]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Any game requires rules and trust between players, its own drama and excitement. And when the All-Union Television Network conceived the show "Buratino's Picture Gallery" (or "Bura's Gallery"), we did not set ourselves the goal of teaching children how to draw. It was impossible to give lessons in drawing over television, especially on the black and white television of that time. To teach drawing, it is essential to have feedback, that is, for a teacher to monitor the children continuously, and to present a certain series of exercises that increase in complexity in accordance with the children's progress; certain materials are necessary (paper and crayons, etc.) and much more air time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the early years of perestroika, from 1985 through 1988, there were remarkable changes in the content of the official press of the USSR. Scholars in all disciplines wondered at the sudden profusion of unusual pieces-critical articles, sharp analyses of heretofore forbidden topics, ad hominem attacks, data-based critiques of the status quo, and pleas for new thinking, new action in social and political realms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some lessons and foreign experience in the transition to the marketing of professional qualifications.The V. I. Lenin Moscow State Pedagogical University held an international seminar titled "Economic Conception of the Development of the System of Education," which was participated in by representatives of more than fifty scientific research and educational institutes of our country as well as scientists from Bulgaria, Poland, and China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past few years we have turned more and more to the experience of the first years of Soviet rule and have studied the characteristics of that period. Among events from the history of preschool pedagogy we will focus the readers' attention on congresses dealing with preschool upbringing, specifically the First Congress.In February 1919, the RSFSR People's Commissariat of Education held a one-day conference of heads of preschool subdepartments from governmental regions, at which they discussed organizational questions of the First Congress on Preschool Upbringing. They determined the themes to be discussed, agenda, system of representation, accommodations for the delegates, and so on. In accordance with the conference's decision, four basic questions were submitted: (1) the tasks of public preschool upbringing in connection with new forms of life; (2) the basic type of preschool institution; (3) the training of preschool workers; (4) the organization of work in preschool upbringing in the center and in the outlying localities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shaping of children's responsible attitude toward the environment is a complicated and lengthy process. It should result not only in the mastery of particular skills and knowledge, but in the development of emotional sensitivity, the ability and desire to actively protect, improve, and enhance the natural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upbringing is a social process in the broadest sense. The shaping of the individual/personality is influenced by the whole structure of the life of society-the environment, the school, the home, labor activities, literature, the press, radio, and so on. Of interest in this regard are Makarenko's ideas and practical recommendations concerning the content and methods of work with the periodical press in the schools. His assertion of its importance constitutes appreciation for this important medium of "an integral complex of influences," the dissemination and inculcation of communist morality. Makarenko linked newspapers to the inculcation of cultural habits in children, the shaping of public opinion, and the organization of the activities of school collectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narrow specialization has always been the hallmark of Soviet higher education. There are more than sixty universities in the country, and more than eight hundred specialized institutes. Most university graduates teach in secondary school or make careers in scholarship and research. There is no concept of a basic, collegiate, liberal arts education preparatory to one's life work. High-level, technical, and professional employment throughout the national economy - whether as an engineer, physician, or agronomist, for example - is entered from the specialized institutes. General education ends with graduation from the ten-year secondary school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new minister was appointed to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, and she has continued the erroneous practice of passing reforms that are divorced from the ethos and social values of law, which previous ministers had also become infamous for doing. The ministry was renamed as the Ministry of Enlightenment and began to speak more actively about pushing through reforms that seem to be very strangely worded and are in any case meaningless. Far from being reforms, they in fact threaten to accelerate the collapse of the education system in the country. However, so far they have amounted to a division of the old ministry into two agencies and the renaming of one of them the Ministry of Enlightenment. It reminds me of the infamous flop of the Yo-mobile Russian electric car, which was the brainchild of a Russian oligarch and never got off the ground. So I propose calling the undertakings of the Minister of Enlightenment "Yo-reforms." And we can only hope that these reforms go no further than the Yo-mobile, but it is nevertheless a pity that so much money has to be wasted on them in any case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides a theoretical grounding for the use of resources that can support educational activities at inclusive schools. We designate those techniques that help include students in the decision-making process, teach the principles of cooperation, and develop teamwork skills. We outline the features of the third space approach, which can be used to create a special environment for learning and development at the inclusive school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of various institutions of scientific imperialism, including the institution of publishing academic articles in English, the institution of standardizing how research should be reported, and the institution of indexing of articles in two global databases. We show that the establishment of institutions of scientific imperialism entails a number of negative trends: slowing down the publication of articles, the loss of a national research culture, and formulating and presenting research results to fit the requirements of indexing databases. We identify possible approaches to mitigate the negative effects associated with the expansion of the institutions of scientific imperialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1930s, the Soviet government undertook great efforts to promote literacy and awareness in the countryside. Workers at cultural and educational institutions were entrusted with carrying out this task. The article analyzes the condition and historical development of izby-chital'ny [known in English as village "reading huts"] in the regions of the South Urals as centers of education and propaganda in rural areas. Little attention has been paid to this topic in the regional historiography. It is shown that there was a more extensive network of reading huts in the Chelyabinsk Region than in the Orenburg Region. The article explores how these reading huts mainly functioned throughout the region and what activities were commonly practiced at this institution. These included, among others, reading aloud newspapers and fiction that were intended for illiterate and minimally literate audiences, hosting reader conferences, and providing knigonoshestvo [a service of book delivery]. The article uncovers the main problems that faced reading huts in the region: insufficient funding, the expropriation of club buildings in a number of towns for purposes of grain storage, lack of equipment and furnishings, etc. Finding staff was perhaps the biggest problem that these institutions faced. Nevertheless, the mass popularization of this political and ideological institution was decisive to the formation of the Soviet citizen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]