Materials to report of the Minister of education and science of the Russian Federation Andrei Fursenko at the joint meeting of presidium of the State council of the Russian Federation, presidium of the President of Russia's Council of culture and art, and presidium of the President of Russia's Council of science, technologies and education

On increasing the role of culture in development of creative abilities of children and youth

Moscow region
April 22, 2010

       Dear Dmitry Anatolyevich!

       Dear members of the State council and members of the President of the Russian Federation's councils!

       I will inform you on main directions of work of the Ministry on developing creative abilities of children and youth.

       Firstly. We are actively working so that in each school conditions for display and development of abilities of each child are created.

       The important factor which lets ensure a successful solving of the stated task is introduction of the new federal state educational standards, starting from this year.

       For the first time the standards provide extracurricular activity and conditions for its realization. This is the basis for development of work forms, interesting for children: study groups, clubs, sections, and studios.

       We set the task for schools: to maximally use resources of educational institutions of additional education of children, organizations of culture (libraries, museums, theatres, institutions of culture-leisure type - clubs, centers and houses of creative work, palaces of culture) and sports. Such an opportunity is provided by the standard.

       The second task, to the accomplishment of which we have already started, is the development of network of innovative educational institutions; the use of modern technologies.

       We have already worked over the question of opening internal and extra-mural (distance) schools for gifted children at the federal and national research universities.

       Today four such schools are known (MGU, SPbGU, Novosibirsk state university, the Ural state university). We think that these schools should exist at least at each federal university.

       We propose to entrust the executive bodies of the Russian Federation's subjects jointly with our Ministry to examine the possibility of creating similar schools relying on the leading universities in regions. With the aim to liquidate or to lessen the geographical inequality.

       I consider the work of universities in this direction particularly important, taking into account the demographic decline and the necessity of conducting an active professionally oriented work ( which, we are sure, both universities and business representatives are interested in).

       As the first step of developing this direction the delivery (in 2009) of 48 sets of automated classes of practical interdisciplinary education for specialized schools of natural science profile and (in 2008) 117 sets on nanotechnologies for institutions of SPE and universities was carried out.

       The equipment provides with training of the pupils of 9-11 grades on the base of universities on main sections of school program on physics, chemistry and biology, and on basics of nanotechnologies, which lets conduct the preparation of entrants for universities on new professions and specialties in the field of natural sciences; besides, it lets cultivate in the children the interest to engineering sciences, scientific researches in the real sector of economics, in school already.

       The work in this direction is already planned and within the President of the Russian Federation's Commission on modernization and technological development of Russia's economics. As a result of realization of the whole complex of projects the system of search for gifted young people, training and re-training of qualified personnel (by the principle "school - university - industry - scientific researches") will be created in the sphere of ICT. It is important, because for specialists in the field of informative technologies and software an early vocational training and an early start of professional labor activity is characteristic - this sphere is for "very" young.

       Within the President of the Russian Federation's commission on modernization and technological development of Russia's economics the project on development of electronic educational internet-resources of new generation is already being conducted, including cultural and cognitive services, systems of distant general and professional education (e-learning), including for usage by people with disabilities.

       New modern technologies of computer modeling, game technologies have appeared, which ensure "participation effect" of the pupil and give the possibility to understand (including - with the help of interactive "cut-and-try" method) the subject and to become really interested in it.

       I would like to mark that forming the open information space has been started within the priority national project "Education". The most important section of the unified collection of electronic educational resources is represented by resources, which were formed with participation of the leading organizations of culture (the Tretyakov gallery, the Russian museum, the Hermitage, the Polytechnic museum).

       At the same time it is important to preserve the best of what was earlier. The Kurchatov institute is resuming the publishing of the "Quantum" magazine - a very popular one, which played a grand role for development of children's interest to technical and creative work.

       And the third. The effectiveness of work on all marked development is possible only on condition of effective system of search and selection of talented children, of attraction of their attention to the existing opportunities.

       Thereupon I would like to mark a unique experience - participation of schoolchildren in intellectual competitions - the All-Russia Olympiad for schoolchildren. More than 7 million schoolchildren from 10 to 18 years old are participants of the school stage.

       The All-Russia Olympiad is conducted on 20 school subjects (in the format of All-Russian - since 1991, earlier - All-Soviet. The very first All-Soviet Olympiad - on mathematics in 1960).

       It is important to mark that since last year the Olympiads, organized by universities, have been conducted. In 2009 there were 120 such Olympiads, the number of their participants - more than 420 thousand. They are mainly pupils of senior classes.

       Besides the fact that winners of Olympiads have an opportunity to enter leading universities on privileged conditions, this system is also the most important educating instruments, and gives the opportunity to almost any schoolchild to join the scientific and creative work.

       In conclusion I would like to mark one more thing. Almost all stated actions are the continuation (development) of various directions of priority national project "Education". I believe that it is a consolidating start for work with talented youth.

       It is important that this resource is kept.