OREANDA-NEWS. January 17, 2013. Dmitry Medvedev: We are here for our first meeting this year, so I wish everyone success. Today we will be discussing a vital sphere, education, in particular the implementation of the project to modernise the regional elements of our system of general education.

Education has been and will most likely remain the key priority of the state for the coming years and possibly even decades. It concerns long-term development trends and the future of the country and, of course, the lives of millions of people. It concerns both pupils and parents, as well as our large teaching community. The country needs well trained citizens with a modern mindset as the foundation for the country’s competitiveness and its ability to address the key issues of global development.

The implementation of the Education national priority project and the Our New School initiative has created an environment for modernising the content and conditions of education as well as schools’ financing and equipment. We have seen this happening, and this work has not yet been completed. The law On Education has been adopted recently, following lengthy and complex discussions. Working under the project to modernise regional elements of the system of general education, we have consolidated resources in the most important spheres of school development. Federal subsidies are being allocated to give the regions the possibility to fulfil their commitments most effectively.

I’d like to remind you that this project is designed for three years, from 2011 through 2013. In all, 120 billion roubles will be allocated for its implementation from the federal budget, including 60 billion in 2012 and 40 billion this year. The regions allocated about 20 billion roubles for this project in 2011 through 2012.

Much has been accomplished over the past two years. Many schools have been repaired and provided with modern equipment, including for introducing modern educational standards. Sport halls, libraries and canteens have been repaired at many schools. Last year, major repairs were completed at over 3,000 schools. Of course, we have not achieved the desired result at all schools, and parents still have reasons to complain, including to the Government. We understand that nothing had been done in many regions for years, if not decades. The situation there is dramatic, because no money had been invested there, and many schools had not been repaired for decades and so have become dilapidated.

Honestly speaking, the countryside and other regions sometimes lack  the basic amenities. Quite often at schools there is no heating, no hot food and even no toilets. Once, I visited a school at a community where they managed to show me everything, including a computer class. When I left the school, the parents whispered to my ear that there was no toilet there. At the same time they boasted of their computer class. We must make sure such situations do not exist. Actually, our consolidated efforts, those of the Federal Government, Russian regions and municipal entities, must aim to accomplish this. I would like to once again draw attention to the fact that substantial funding is being allocated. Therefore, the heads of territories and municipal entities are supposed to ensure their cost-effective spending.

In 2013, we must implement all planned measures. First of all, we must renovate school buildings, purchase additional equipment, which is lacking, install available equipment, deliver modern literature to libraries and connect libraries to online networks. And, of course, we must try to ensure modern Internet connections. The share of schools with broadband Internet access with a speed of at least two megabytes per second should increase. Whenever necessary, the concerned officials must buy vehicles and bus children to schools from other communities, especially where schools with few students are being merged into larger educational institutions. And, at long last, we must provide permanent professional improvement opportunities for teachers in line with the most advanced curricula.

The salaries of school teachers is a special parameter, which continues to be monitored. Indeed, this is a key factor of school renovation. I repeat that this is a key, but not the only, factor. Nevertheless, salaries must serve as an incentive enabling teachers to work better, effectively and creatively. The Ministry of Education and Science will now report on what has been accomplished.

In November 2012, the salaries of all teachers in Russia exceeded the average national economic wages by over 10%. However, this amounts to average wages. This parameter does not reflect the situation in specific regions. However, teachers’ salaries in over a third of Russian regions have exceeded the average regional economic wages in 2012. At any rate, we must completely even out the salaries of teachers, so that they would equal the average economic wages during the comparable period. We must do our best to accomplish this objective. I would like to stress that we have the right to expect effective results, while making such impressive allocations. The Minister will now tell us what has been done in various regions.

As usual, regional leaders have been invited to attend the Government meeting on the main issue. Today, I will give the floor to Tyumen Region Governor Vladimir Yakushev and Kirov Region Governor Nikita Belykh.

The next item on our agenda also deals with education and the allocation of federal-budget subsidies. As I have already said, first-category subsidies will be used to modernise regional education systems. Second-category subsidies will be used to pay bonuses to teachers for classroom management. Almost 11.5 billion roubles will be spent on these purposes in 2013. About 800,000 educators working at state and municipal educational institutions will receive 1,000-rouble bonuses for classroom management. These bonuses will be adjusted, depending on the number of students. And, finally, third-category subsidies worth 200 million roubles will be spent as bonuses for the best teachers. Each of them will receive 200,000 roubles. In all, every year one thousand of the most talented and successful educators receive these bonuses. I would like to remind you that this measure was introduced by the January 2010 Presidential Executive Order. And we will continue to implement it.

We will examine another important issue, although all issues are serious, and they concern the entire country. I am talking about measures to prepare for a more effective and high-tech response to large-scale emergencies and fires. The civil-defence and early-warning systems must be absolutely modern. We all realise this. The events of last year have proved this rather convincingly. It does not matter whether we are talking about industrial accidents or natural calamities. In this context, it is particularly important that we provide units and services of the Ministry of Civil Defence, Emergencies and Disaster Relief with additional state-of-the-art equipment. We have been implementing these decisions over the past few years. Much has been done in line with a programme to re-equip units of this Ministry. We started actively implementing this programme after the events of the summer of 2010 with its wildfires. We purchased new fixed-wing aircraft, new-generation fire-fighting and rescue equipment and mobile communications systems. We spent an impressive 16 billion roubles for these purposes. In 2013, there are plans to purchase an additional 127 pieces of equipment worth over 1.5 billion roubles, along with other technical means. In effect, this work must continue, so that we receive modern capabilities, which would match the scale of our state.

As regards the first issue – the implementation of a project for the modernisation of regional education systems – Mr Dmitry Livanov, you have the floor.

Dmitry Livanov (Minister of Education and Science): Mr Medvedev, colleagues. Implementation of the project for the modernisation of regional systems of education began in September 2011. The key target was to provide systemic changes in our school education, including improving teaching conditions, making the system of education more transparent, and introducing and spreading modern educational technologies. Along with these changes, the average teachers’ salary has reached the average wage level of a region’s economy.

The ideology of the project of modernising regional educational systems is to switch over from supporting the leaders under the Education national project and the Our New School initiative to overall distribution of the best practices that have been accumulated. This should lead to deep and serious changes in our school education. Today every Russian region is implementing a set of measures for the modernisation of regional educational systems, coordinated with the Ministry of Education and Science. The measures contain the main parameters for the project’s realisation and areas on which funding should be spent.  

Mr Medvedev, the total volume of the project’s funding is 120 billion roubles, as you have already said. Above that, over nearly two years, the regions have spent 20 billion roubles on modernisation. This includes improving the infrastructure, teachers’ qualifications and more. In 2013, we plan to set aside 15 billion roubles for these purposes from regional budgets. In addition, regions bear serious expenses on increasing teachers’ salaries. By our estimate, in 2011-2012, 55 billion roubles was allocated for this purpose from the regional budgets, and in 2013 the relevant funding will be 23 billion roubles. Federal budget subsidies will mainly be provided for purchasing equipment, including that for gyms and libraries, improving teachers’ qualifications, replenishing school libraries’ shelves, major and minor repairs, energy conservation efforts and purchasing vehicles to deliver students to schools.

The amount of these subsidies depends on the number of pupils in urban and rural areas, but for each rural student the sum is doubled. This means accelerated development of rural schools is prioritised.   

Since the implementation of the project for the modernisation of regional educational systems was launched in September 2011, average teachers’ salary grew from 13,800 roubles to 25,200 roubles in November 2012, which is an increase of more than 70%. In 2011, salaries grew on average by 14% as compared to 2010, and by November 2012, by 52% above that. The most substantial increase and growth dynamics were observed in the Republic of Tatarstan, the Chukotka Autonomous Area, the Arkhangelsk and Tula regions and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area.

Dmitry Medvedev: We still have problem areas.

Dmitry Livanov: Yes, I will speak about them now.

According to the objectives agreed upon in spring 2012 between us and our regions, by the end of 2012 regions were to raise average teachers’ salary to the average 2011 salary level across all industries. That was the project’s ideology, and all the regions fulfilled the task. The President set an even more ambitious task to bring teachers’ salaries to the average level across all industries in the relevant period, that is November to November, the fourth quarter to the fourth quarter, and so on.