On January, 21, 2010 in Saint-Petersburg - in the Russian state open pedagogical university of Herzen - a festive ceremony of opening the Year of Teacher 2010 in the Russian Federation took place. In its work more that 600 people from 80 regions of the country participated.

       "This action is not just the tribute to the profession of teacher", - underlined the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev who opened the festive ceremony. - "We estimate that the year of 2010 will become the year of serious modernization, the year of positive changes. It is time to summarize all those experiments which have been conducted during the previous years".

       He marked that nowadays the domestic school was starting to realize the national educational initiative "Our new school". Its essence is in creating educational institutions, which are able to open the personal potential of children, to cultivate their interest to study, to create conditions which are adequate to the requirements of modern life. Just today, after active discussion by pedagogical community of the country, Dmitry Medvedev approved of the educational initiative "Our new school".

       The President also stressed that the domestic system of educational had accumulated a unique pedagogical experience, and it was necessary not to lose it. At the same time now, due to a number of talented teachers, new traditions of education and upbringing are forming.

       "The task of the state is to raise the prestige of teacher's labor. Of course, it is not easy. Our activity should not be cronyism, it is impossible to obtain results in short amount of time. The Year of Teacher is only a convenient occasion to make start for this work", - convinced the President.

       Dmitry Medvedev expressed concern that only 7-12% young teachers work in schools of Russia. "The attraction of young specialists is our priority. School should be filled with the energy of the young", - underlined Dmitry Medvedev.

       One of the causes of such a situation is the insufficient level of salary, which does not correspond to the level of responsibility of teacher's labor. Dmitry Medvedev promised that the transition to normative-per capita system of labor remuneration, which will be oriented first of all at the result, will be finished in three years. The success of this system has been proved in 31 regions of Russia, where it is being realized now.

       The development of teacher's potential require changes in the programs of raising the level of qualification and modernizing the certification of pedagogical and managerial personnel. "Now qualification requirements have been principally renewed, the central place in them is taken by professional pedagogical competences", - stressed the President. He made the accent that no bureaucratic obstacles should exist for those teachers who would like to approve of the level of their qualification before the appointed time.

       The Minister of education and science of the Russian Federation Andrei Fursenko in his report underlined that it was necessary to create maximally comfortable conditions for a teacher, that "the salary of a teacher should not be lower than the average in economics of the region".

       The minister marked that he hoped for rectors' support to create courses for raising qualification of teachers in the leading universities. "It is a strong stimulus for teachers to study, and for their pupils - to choose these universities for entering. The universities should go to schools", - stressed the minister and underlined that in 3-4 years the number of student in the Russian universities will lower approximately twice, which is connected with demographic problems. "It is necessary that pupils go to the best universities and that in these universities teachers are taught". Returning to the topic of teachers' salary, Fursenko underlined that "good teachers should get more, and there is no place for bad ones in school".

       Speaking about the Unified state exam (EGE), Andrei Fursenko marked that it needed changes, but "the basic things should be kept, and no one places it in question". The minister also stressed the role of revival of Olympiads, which let discover talented children and to some extent play the role of a profile exam. The introduction of portfolio system, on which there is work now, will give additional opportunities for schoolchildren to express themselves. "Creation of a portfolio will give additional opportunities to children from the very beginning of study in school to express themselves and later to get ready to entering a university", - marked Andrei Fursenko and underlined that "one should not replace the system of education by preparation for the EGE, the balance should be transferred to the process of education - interesting and integral itself".

       Andrei Fursenko underlined that the constant discussion about education system, on problems and ways of their solving was necessary in society.