Russian PM: We Should Take The Experience Of The Former USSR Into Account In Reforming Education

Russian premier Mikhail Kasyanov considers that the positive experience in the field of education accumulated by the former USSR and Russia should be fully used in upgrading this sphere. Opening a government meeting on Thursday, the premier explained that the point at issue was first of all giving students not only knowledge in the field of applied science but also the general education background, as was the case in the former USSR. One of the subjects of the meeting is the concept of upgrading the education system. The government meeting is also expected to give "a clear-cut answer" to the question of whether a 12-year education system will be introduced in Russia, noted Kasyanov. Speaking of other important problems, the premier drew the government members' attention to the need to speed up the provision of schools with computers. Apart from that, noted the premier, it is necessary to draw the conclusion on the expediency of using a single examination in the sphere of higher education. The financing of education has been markedly improved of late, he stressed. The government meeting must provide a "clear-cut" answer to the question of the future of education as seen by the government and experts, noted Kasyanov.