Moscow, March 25, 2009

Dearest chairman!

Dearest colleagues!

Under innovative education we understand such an education, which ensures new results, upbringing of competitive, socially responsible, initiative and competent citizens, which is the basis for innovative development of economics and society.

The primary approaches to building of innovative education were formulated in the Priority directions of development of educational system of the Russian Federation, approved by the Government in 2004. Just then in front of the system the tasks of renewal of network of institutions of professional education, availability of qualitative school education, changes of educational standards, introduction of efficient organizational and financial mechanisms, informatization, social management were set.

The real break in realization of these approaches on all levels of education was made due to the priority national projects. The principles of work as in general as in professional education were basing on leaders, participation of social institutions and employers in formation and evaluation of the quality of educational programs, project approaches "money for obligations".

The fact is not only in money, though it is large. For three years for the tasks of the national project by address way there were sent more than 120 billion rubles from the federal budget. The thing is that the complex approach was applied, which provided system changes with basing on concrete "growth points".

As a result, the qualitative changes on all levels of education took place. I will mark them shortly.

In general education, as well as contest support of more that 15% of institutions of general education, all schools are provided with the Internet and license programs. More then 10 thousand buses and 55 thousand sets of modern training equipment are sent to village schools. Introduction of modern technologies of organization of healthy nutrition has been started in schools. Now the school is an advanced area in using informative technologies and forming healthy life-style.

This direction is integrated by support of regional complex projects of modernization of education. During regional projects the rate of schoolchildren, who study in modern conditions, has been increased in several times. Today it is 60% (a year ago it was 30%). In two and more times the salary of qualitatively working teachers has been increased. In a number of pilot regions the average salary of teachers has reached the average in economics. In schools bodies of state-public management have been created and are actively performing.

Speaking about professional education, I will stop separately on basic and secondary professional education - and on the university one.

The support of 246 institutions of BPE/SPE was followed by developing the partnership with employers, creation of already more than 600 new flexible training programs by their orders, improvement of practice bases, re-equipment and re-building of the whole educational process, openness for labor market. The winners of the national project become regional modernly equipped resource centers for re-training of freeing personnel and advanced education for demand from the labor market.

As for the high school, here 57 innovative universities have been supported and two federal universities have been created. In the universities modern equipment has appeared, as well as new technologies and personnel. By the quality of programs, training equipment, qualification of teaches - here we have a jump for 10-15 years forward.

Thus, only the quality of simulators and other complicated technological equipment, introduced to the educational process, has been increased in 10 times, the number of electronic databases has been increased in 4 times, for which universities subscribed for the first time.

For the last two years in innovative universities there were built 24 supercomputers. 4 of them are included to the world TOP-500 of supercomputers.

The appearance of new equipment has let maintain experiments and checking of scientific hypothesis more thoroughly and surely, which in its turn has increased the value of results.

For all the levels of education it is important that along with conditions of education requirements to its results are changed in significant way. It found the reflection in forming new educational standards. The significant advancement was reached here. There were bought things elaborated by innovative institutions with participation of employers: 110 projects of standards on BPE, 84 - SPE, for 145 projects of standards on interconnected level programs of baccalaureate and magistracy, and 10 - on programs of magisterial training.

The advancement of new standards has become possible due to the fact that the community of people interested in them appeared, who was able to constructively influence on their elaboration. Groups of professionals were formed, who had positions confirmed by innovative practice and conceptions of a new standard. To these groups the best teachers - grant recipients, teachers of institutions - winners of the national project are included. The active role is played by the managing councils of innovative schools and employers - partners of innovative institutions of professional education.

What are, in our opinion, the further steps on developing innovative education?

The united strategic approach was set in the Concept of long-term social-economic development of the Russian Federation for the period until 2020 and Primary directions of the Government's activity until 2012. In the "Concept-2020" the following priority tasks of development of education were defined:

1) modernization of institutions of education as instruments of social development. I.e. forming public relations through the system of education, the most favorable for developing each person and the country in general, the development of civil society;

2) providing the innovative character of basic education. I.e. renewal of educational programs and technologies on all the levels, creating new organizational and financial mechanisms and opportunities for achieving new results, realization of flexible individual educational programs;

3) creating modern system of non-stop education, training and re-training of personnel. I.e. providing the opportunity for citizens to study and re-train during the whole life, keeping successful on the labor market;

4) forming mechanisms of evaluating quality and demand of educational services with participation of customers. I.e. creating mechanisms of feedback with society.

These priorities are included to the program of realization of the national project up to 2012 as well.

Speaking in detail, in general education the main forthcoming steps are formed in the national educational initiative "Our new school", announced by the President in his annual message to the Federal Assembly. Including:

Renewal of standards of general education, introduction of modern requirements to the organization of educational process and creation of modern conditions in schools;

Search and accompaniment of talents, care for schoolchildren's health;

Attracting talented personnel to school, who love and are able to work with children. Which is, in its turn, provides re-building of as pedagogical education, as system of raising the level of qualification, creating efficient stimulus for teachers.

At present the detailed project of the initiative is placed for discussion at the site of the Ministry and has been sent to the regions.

In professional education.

The support of resource centers of BPE/SPE will be continued. This week the new contest has been announced. In 2009 around 60 institutions are planned to be supported.

Along with it, the preparation to announcing the contest of support of national research universities is being finished. With public participation the key criteria of their support have been defined.

(In full about the core of this action we spoke in February, discussing the project of the corresponding law)

Now, before to answer the questions, I will stop shortly on the most important anti-crisis measures, which the Ministry realize. We regard them as natural continuation and strengthening the whole system of works on modernization of education, creating conditions for innovative development of the country.

The elaboration of the complex program of re-education has been started, which suggests forming a wide specter of programs of additional professional education and re-training on the contest basis, which are aimed at new labor markets.

Preliminary evaluation of perspective directions of re-training from the point of view of job placement has been made. These are the spheres of services, exploitation of infrastructure objects, advancement of innovative decisions, creation of informative systems of management.

Within the support of students:

In spite of the continuing decline of the number of graduates, this year the number of budget places on internal departments of universities will not be reduced. In 2009 for 1 000 school leavers 420 budget places of internal form of education has been given. For comparison, in 2008 this figure was 394, in 2007 - 343, in 2006 - 322, in 2005 - 310, in 2004 - 295.

For 3 thousand places, from 26 to 29 thousand places, the admission to post-graduate course has been increased.

In more than 1,5 times, from 20 to 35 thousand places, the admission to magistracy has been increased. This year university graduates will be able to get the second higher education for free (we speak about the graduates of the programs of "specialitet", who enter the magistracy).

At this we are actively changing the structure of distribution of budget places among direction of preparation: budget places are transmitted to more demanded and perspective profiles.

The mechanisms of educational credit are being modernized. Due to the state support a credit percentage will be minimal, and return will start after a student finishes his/her education and finds work. Young people who study at specialties demanded by the Russian economy will get the priority support.

This year it is planned to transfer around 25 thousand paid students, who have high results at learning, to vacant budget places on the basis of interaction with universities.

The work with universities on fixation of payment for paid students is being maintained, too. Today about 320 universities have already made the corresponding decisions.

Thus, the measures, which are being realized, aimed at providing innovative character of all levels of education, closely connected with the concept of long-term social-economical development of the country, and the task of transferring to innovative path of development.

Thank you for your attention.