Speaking at the board meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets discussed the rating of Russian universities. In her view, these universities should take efforts to gain leading spots in international ratings. Such higher educational institutions should not only gain coveted spots in these ratings, but also leave their rivals far behind, she said.
Regarding the Unified State Exam, Mrs Golodets said that the preparations for the exam in secondary schools have isolated applied courses. Senior students now take every effort to prepare for the Unified State Exam. Mrs Golodets believes that this situation should be rectified. School graduates should have skills that are necessary for life, and not just be versed in the subjects in which they take their exams. The broader their understanding of the world, the more competitive they will become, she said.
Mentioning preschool education, Mrs Golodets said that new standards will start to operate in a pilot regime in Russia in September 2013. The standard includes the specifications on the basic educational programme structure, the personnel, material and technical conditions for their implementation, and the results of mastering basic educational programmes.
