135 Russian Education Facts To Understand What They Learn In School

Russia boasts an esteemed education system and according to the Economist Intelligence Unit in 2014, it was the 13th best in the world.

The literacy rate in Russia is 99.7% for men and 99.6% for women, which estimates about 54% of the adults who received tertiary education. Therefore, Russia is the second country with the highest literacy rate in the world.

Russia has always comprised a highly educated population. The Ministry of Education and Science regulates the education system of Russia. It is one of the five BRIC countries that constitute the highest number of students who make remarkable progress during their secondary education.

The Constitution of the Russian Federation provides free preschool and secondary vocational schools. Basic general education is compulsory for nine years, which starts at the age of six or seven. This is usually much later than other OECD countries.

Three distinct stages of Russian education are primary, basic general, and secondary education. Primary education continues for about four years starting from age six or seven. After this, the basic general education persists for about five years. On completing it successfully, secondary education lasts for another two to three years.

A wide variety of schools and vocational training colleges are available in Russia for the students to choose from. Keep reading to know more interesting facts on the Russian education system.

If you liked this article, then don't forget to check out Russia geography facts and Russian history for kids, here on Kidadl.

Fun Facts About Russian Education

Russian education includes a variety of subjects and is known all over the world for its quality of education. This country ranked 26th among the top 50 countries according to the research conducted for a list called The Strongest Higher Education Systems by Country.

Russia follows the Bologna system, which was accepted in 2003.

On completion of the bachelor's degree for four years, a student undertakes a specialization degree or a master's for another two years of study in Russia. More than 896 higher education institutes are present in Russia, which impart the great popularity of Russian education among international students who get a wide range of choices.

In terms of teaching staff, Russia excels with great pride. A burgeoning number of more than 45,000 and 174,600 doctorate degree and Ph.D. specialists respectively are present here, which amounts to a total teaching staff of 319,300.

The academic year mostly starts from the month of September and continues till June. A dominant mode of teaching is the Russian language, however, their education system encourages the students to have a proficiency in English.

It is customary for all parents to enroll their child by the age of six for compulsory education in a pre-school or a primary school. Middle school starts from age 10 and continues till the age of 15.

Private institutions of secondary schools and pre-school provide great exposure to Russian students. Several extracurricular activities, like physical education and participation in various activities, are given in these Russian schools apart from their excellent private education.

After completing the education from secondary schools, the students start with vocational education, which begins from the age of 15 and continues till 19, depending upon the type of education the students are seeking.

The school life of the university students is full of new experiences and they avail of the benefits of an extraordinary educational system with remarkable professors.

History Of Russian Education

During and preceding the era of the Soviet Union, about 80% of the Russian population was illiterate. They did not have the access to education, and the church was responsible to provide one. Only the elite group of people residing in the urban areas were able to access this education.

Despite all the talk of socialism and equality, the Soviet Union barred the people of rural areas to get any form of education.

Families generally gave their children education in farm chores and made them aware of the various village traditions. The Soviet system of education followed some strict rules and regulations including the regimented classrooms and the five-point grading scale.

The Russian students under this system had to follow the standard school uniform as well, which was a white shirt and black trousers for boys and a dark-colored dress with a white collar for the girls.

The Soviet ideals of a highly centralized education continued in the post-Soviet system. Several reforms were made after 1990 to overcome the strict norms set by the Soviet Union. However, a lack of funds meant they failed to fully incorporate the new reforms at that time, and as a result, plenty of experts left the teaching field.

Currently, the educational institutions have curbed the rote memorization teaching technique of the past and introduced new learning and teaching methods, that have garnered a lot of fame internationally for the same.

Some of the renowned Russian scientists are worth mentioning in this segment, including Mikhail Lomonosov, who was the first academic University founder in Russia. He gathered immense fame for his research in chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematics.

Mendeleev's periodic table, which is taught globally, was created by Dmitri Mendeleev, a Russian chemist. The famous Russian clinician, Sergey Petrovich Botkin, introduced pathological anatomy and explained to the world that Hepatitis A is caused by the Hepatitis virus.

Zhores Alferov was the recipient of the famous Nobel Prize in Physics in 2000. Countless Russian figures, who have made a significant contribution to the world, prove the outstanding education in Russia.

Facts About Secondary Education In Russia

There are two stages in secondary education in Russia. There is the stage of basic general education, followed by the basic state examination.

Basic general education lasts for four years. It provides a kind of middle education that bridges the gap between primary school and secondary school. On completion of this, the students have to undertake the basic state examination, which determines the subject each student can take up during their final years of education in Russia.

The students who get the highest marks and qualify for this exam can take up their choice of subject to pursue the final stage of the secondary school year. The rest of the students are able to take up vocational training in various fields.

The public schools are free for everyone to attend. The state education, controlled by the Ministry of Education and Science incorporates subject matter experts in the schools providing higher education in Russia.

The public secondary school is free of cost just like the public primary school. The Russian language is compulsory to learn in public secondary schools for at least a few years.

However, the education given in private schools is somewhat better in terms of the innovative teaching methods and a wide range of extracurricular activities besides just education. These schools are mostly located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, and Penza.

They charge a high amount of fees on a monthly or yearly basis. For example, the private school in St. Petersburg, Tete-a-Tete charges about ₽240,000 per year for higher education.

A large number of international schools are also present in Russia. These are mostly based in Moscow and provide higher education in several native languages.

Facts About Russian Education Curriculum

The secondary schools in Russia follow an extensive education curriculum, along with the Russian language, which is compulsory in most schools. A foreign language, which is mostly English, is also taught.

Other subjects like mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, social studies, history, music, art, design, and computer science are commonly taught in these schools. The history of the several Russian wars, including the battle of Moscow in the Second World War, is an important part of the curriculum in all the Russian schools.

Students can enroll themselves in vocational and technical schools, where they are prepared for an extensive variety of career choices. These options include aviation, engineering in different fields, veterinary medicine, design, and also social and secretarial works. More in-depth knowledge in these subjects can be obtained from a wide range of colleges in Russia.

Apart from this, Russia also provides the option of an International Baccalaureate Education Program for the students. This program is popular among international students. Russia has more than 50 schools that offer this program; a majority of the schools teach their students in English while some schools provide the option for learning both Russian and English.

Students are required to sit for the mandatory Unified State Examination (EGE) in order to graduate. Passing in mathematics and the Russian language is compulsory. Students who qualify for this exam can apply to various universities.

Russia also provides for children with special educational needs (SEN). They are entitled to additional programs, including in-depth education in corrective boarding schools. Children with physical disabilities can get into specialized schools which cater to them by adopting unique teaching techniques.

There are more than 200 specialized schools in Russia that teach hearing-impaired students.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 135 Russian education facts to understand what they learn in school, then why not take a look at Christmas in Russia facts or facts about Moscow, Russia.