Education Day on Habré continues. I think this can be forgiven to all of us, because today, after all, is a non-working Sunday, in universities - the session finale, and tomorrow - the thematic holiday “Tatiana's Day” (Student Day, with which I congratulate all those involved).

It turned out that I have the opportunity to assess the situation at once from different sides of the barricades (I am a graduate student, but I already teach in the university). Then I want to tell a little about my own modest, but still experience, and, based on it, offer a few steps to the cherished goal (let's talk about good education that everyone would like: students, teachers, employers). The ideas I placed in order of increasing their utopianism. Yes, I am aware that no one will implement this plan. Yes, I started with myself and already tried to do something good in the surveyed area.

So, I finished a bachelor’s degree, then a master’s degree, after which I went to teach at my own university and enrolled in his own graduate school. I give a lecture, conduct seminars and workshops on computer software and programming (Java, C ++). I have been working for the third year, mainly with 1st year students in even semesters and with 2nd year students - in odd semesters. Thus, I am dealing with an audience that is still ahead. But completely inadequate students rarely get to me, since they are left behind in the first session. Our faculty is mathematical, but it is a pedagogical university (Moscow State Pedagogical University, formerly named after Lenin), so hunters for prestigious diplomas or, on the contrary, those who want to buy a diploma in installments for 5-6 years, do not come to us.
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Such details hint at the fact that I, as a teacher, regularly see not very typical representatives of the modern student audience. Probably working with the best or to the aspirants.

So, based only on my own experience, I can assume that a few simple steps could improve the quality of education, as a result of which the system would be able to produce more professional and trained specialists.

1. Teachers should not be inert

It is necessary to follow the interests of students. Within the fixed curriculum, the course can be presented in very different ways, I checked. As a rule, there is a very wide variation in initial training among students of even one group in practical IT areas. But the courses should be given so that different categories of students find there something valuable (some should be taken, others should be interested, the third one should show global goals, the fourth one should prove that even they can figure it out).

Improving the situation here does not depend on the system, but on the staff, on the teachers themselves. It is much easier for us (teachers) to act according to the usual scenario, we are not paid for additional efforts (and for the main ones they are paid, alas, not enough), but apparently we need to find some strength in ourselves and do our work with the soul. I had many such teachers and now many colleagues. Specifically, it is easier for me to do this, because I earn money on a completely different job, but even I don’t always give all the best.

2. To work must take capable professionals, and not people with diplomas

While for a HR-manager a diploma will mean more than the conclusion of a profile specialist on the results of an interview and the results of a sane test - young people will strive to universities, even if there is boring and expensive to learn. And in a college / college, you can train good narrow-profile specialists, perhaps it can even be done better than at a university, focusing on specialized training and not irritating the student with non-core subjects.

For example, freelancers are not asked for diplomas before starting a collaboration, but this does not prevent so many freelancers from showing excellent results without having a specialized education. And win the recognition of colleagues, and have regular customers.

3. It’s time to lucidly explain to our society who the bachelor is

After all, the bachelor is not at all an unlearned specialist. But, alas, this is what ordinary people think, and even some current students. A bachelor is a person with complete higher education who has been trained in a specific curriculum. Yes, he, for example, may have some gaps in fundamental training, compared with a specialist or a master, but this does not reduce his qualifications in the main direction. Many students would be less happy to do less interesting things for a year, if it did not threaten with less successful employment.

4. It is necessary to help young scientists and affordable advertising of science.

It’s trite, but it’s really necessary to create conditions for those who are ready to create something or move in some direction and at the same time stay here in Russia. Here we need modern criteria for evaluating the utility, impartial and professional "judges" and the understanding that a positive result is not necessarily a completely ready-to-use device, theory or method, but it is a significant step in the right direction.

Also, science should become clearer at all stages. Professors should advertise scientific achievements to students, students to applicants, etc. The scientific environment will always be a half-closed caste, but at least ordinary people should learn about specific results in an accessible and attractive form. Such an “advertisement” of scientific achievements, and especially those that are shown by young scientists, will at a minimum simplify the task of dragging budgets for education and science.

Total nano-show, which is now easy to watch even on TV is a step in the right direction. Over time, I think, we will learn how to promote professionally.

5. Professional army

Even in our faculty, many young people go solely in order not to go into the army. Higher education for many is an inexpensive (compared to the price of a soldier) delay.

But the army is a very difficult issue of national security, it does not dare “somehow suddenly,” there are hundreds of arguments “for” and “against”, except for higher education.

The voice of the people

Some alternative options are offered in the comments. Those of them that seem interesting to me, I drag to the topic.

Involve successful professionals in teaching (dragged from comments)

It is necessary to actively invite practitioners to study. People who have achieved great success in their activities, and who know the reality, in practice, should be actively invited by universities to teach. What does this initiative have to come from the universities, so that the students will go for results?

This is suggested by vadimus in his commentary .

There is some question with the motivation of recognized leaders: why should they? For the sake of fame and recognition by the younger generation, for the search and preparation of the best employees for their business or their research, for the sake of some bonuses from the state (if it does, it would be worth it).

Total

Already, there are quite specific plans for the reform of higher education: the number of universities will be reduced, federal universities will be created, the number of universities giving diplomas will be reduced exclusively for money. These are all steps in the right direction, but probably violent.

But it would be great to solve the problem naturally. Then only those who are really interested in studying, those who have a desire would enter the universities. Yes, university students would be less, but that would lead to more specific funding.

Would teach in universities those who want to teach , and would study those who want to learn and then apply this knowledge in practice or to develop this knowledge further, becoming a scientist.

Of course, I’m curious to know what you would have changed in education first of all if I’d run our country in SimCity or some other stimulator.

PS If it is read by someone from my students, write a personal message on Habré or on @kostin (if there is no local account), while I haven’t met any of you on Habré, but as they say, I really hope.