OREANDA-NEWS. February 16, 2009. Teachers of Murmansk region met at the Regional Center for Public Information About Radiation and Nuclear Safety Feb 12–13 to discuss the introduction of a new school subject “Choice of Profession: Nuclear Science and Engineering.”

Educational project “Nuclear Education and Personnel Policy” is already underway in St. Petersburg and Leningrad region: it was launched in 2007 by the PETERFOND Modular Education Development Foundation (project of the International Labour Organization). Together with the St.Petersburg Academy of Post-Graduate Pedagogical Education, PETERFOND has developed a new optional course for 9–11-form pupils of secondary schools. The program of the course has been approved by the Regional Expert Council of the St.Petersburg Education Committee and has been underway for two years already. The General and Vocational Education Committee of Leningrad region has supported the initiative to continue the project in 2009.

Over 350 teachers of physics, chemistry, biology of secondary schools of St.Petersburg and Leningrad region took part in methodological seminars in 2008. Over 3,000 schoolchildren visited the Regional Center of Public Information of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation in North-Western Region. Two competitions were held in the framework of the project in 2008: the 1st contest of drawings among pupils of primary school and the 2nd contest of essays among pupils of 9–11 forms.  

This year the project entered Murmansk and Kaliningrad regions. The director of the Regional Center for Public Information About Radiation and Nuclear Energy of Murmansk region Valery Mararitsa said that the Center was just developing but it was already actively working with the public. In 2009 the Center is planning seminars and excursions for teachers and schoolchildren.

The project is financed by the government in the framework of a grant program in line with presidential decree #192 (Apr 14 2008).