How to reform education

The reform of Russian education is inevitable. She will still be. What is obvious is that the change will move:



- from free to paid,

- for students to choose specialized subjects,

- to greater integration with potential customers: future employers to work.



But now I would like to write not about what will change in the education itself. I want to write about how our state can carry out reforms.

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The worst variant of the development of reforms

A good example of bad reforms: shock reforms of the economy of the early 90s. First announce the exchange of money in a 3-day period. Then release all prices. Then they distribute vouchers and offer to invest them during the year. Moreover, pensions, payments for the maintenance of children are delayed, state employees are paid a penny. Law enforcement agencies refuse to protect new businessmen, they are pressed by bandits. Wild inflation.



The government says: everything will be fine, the market will settle itself, new owners will appear, they will manage their property effectively. The market has not settled itself. New owners appeared, but under the hard press, first of all crime, then officials and law enforcement agencies.



Since then, the majority of the population hates Gaidar and Chubais. And at the word “Reforms”, he abruptly begins to buy grain and salt, and who is smarter: look for a new country for permanent residence.

How could the reforms be made

There is an example of Poland, whence came the term "shock economy." Yes, there was a shock situation, people were told: we are changing, looking for a way to survive. But at the same time:



- elderly people who find it difficult to change were paid on time pensions, which were quarterly counted with inflation,

- the unemployed were offered big loans for business development,

- entrepreneurs immediately began to protect against crime.



That is, the opportunity to carry out reforms, even the most unpleasant, is still there. For a small country like Poland, this was an acceptable option. Moreover, the majority of the population and so sought capitalism and democracy. For Russia, this option is not suitable: we are less eager for capitalism, our country is large, the disunity of society is great.

Is it possible to calculate all the consequences?

It is impossible to foresee all the negative consequences of reforms, it is impossible. The authorities, on the other hand, bring to the people all reforms in the form of laws, as the only true, calculated a hundred times. This is the first lack of Russian reforms. The authorities are afraid to seem to people not wise, not all knowledgeable. No experiment is foreseen. More precisely, some formal short-term experiments will be carried out in a pair of schools, the results will be adjusted to expectations. And will be implemented throughout the country.



All the negative will start to come out in a few months, in half a year - a year it turns out that everything is bad, and again everything must be saved.

Will the state find the strength to honestly say: it will be difficult, but we can handle it

How many economic reforms were going on, people said all the time: We are building a socially protected economy! We think of ordinary people! We will not forget anyone! In fact, various people are leading the reforms, it is not possible to control everything, so corruption, theft, no social services. protection.



Will the state find the strength this time to tell people honestly:



- This is a difficult task, but we have no other way out, we have to do it all together.

Will the state be able to admit mistakes?

The path of reform is a path with mistakes. They are inevitable. They must be recognized, they must be considered and avoided. But the authorities do not like to admit their mistake. In the best case, find someone guilty, dismiss. But the system does not change, the authorities continue to pretend that they are on the right path, the only correct one in the current situation.

How to carry out reforms

So, we must admit that reforms are necessary. Do not pretend that the wise leadership has come up with what everyone dreams of, this is not true. Just the situation with education is bad, and can become terrible, and then catastrophic. And one way out: to recognize this fact honestly and directly.



It is necessary to morally prepare society for change. The most public, the most open.



We must initially do so that the older generation of teachers lead lessons according to the old well-established rules; they cannot be dismissed and disgraced by the inability to master new methods. We must treat them with respect. But at the same time, they should recognize the right of young teachers to conduct their lessons in new ways.



Experiments on the creation of new systems should also be carried out as openly as possible. Let television work in several schools and let the School 2.0 program take place there. Let possible problems be obvious. Let psychologists work in these schools to show what problems the reforms are facing. And most importantly, how to overcome these problems.



Russia has a unique resource: television. Everyone is watching, and there are several major federal channels with huge influence. So let it serve the cause of reform. Let the reforms in different schools go in different ways. Let the schools carry out meticulously and publish all expenses so that it can be seen how much is really spent on what. And then our officials will find a way to cut the money and recognize the reforms as unsuccessful due to insufficient resources.



Do not think that the main thing is to start the reforms, and then everything will resolve itself. Does not resolve itself. It is necessary to be prepared for difficulties, but not to transfer these difficulties to teachers and parents.



One last thing: do not think that the reforms will be able to pass quickly. I think that only an open and transparent experiment (or rather several competing experiments) should take at least 2 years. And only then you can try to massively introduce changes when the main directions of change become apparent.

School reform and IT

I am sure that it is the IT industry that is able to make education as efficient as possible. Let remain the main subjects, which are conducted by the old methods:



- maths,

- literature

- Russian language,

- a certain general subject which would give the most general knowledge in other subjects. By studying this subject, students could choose what they study in depth.



And then, students can study in-depth subjects ... via the Internet! Video tutorials, tutorials, tests. With that, let anyone develops the methodology, if only there was a result. Result: this is a stable knowledge of the subject on tests of the exam type, which should be conducted almost every month.



And let these courses be commercial. The state can set the maximum bar for the course, for example, 100 rubles per student per class. Or you can make the courses free at all, but developers can make money from online consultations. There are options.



Of course, there should be control by the state over programs, but it should be reduced to the fact that curse, eroticism, racial things would not pass into the programs. And the state should launch a clear program that you need to learn in what class, so that developers know what to prepare students for. And on this the state should limit its influence, let the developers create effective programs and earn money on it.

What will destroy the reforms?

The following things can destroy reforms:



- If you give the reform in the hands of officials, accustomed to cut money. Reforms can be immediately considered failed.



- If the development of the methodology to give at the mercy of only the elderly people deserved. They do not like change because of their age, with all due respect to them, they will not be able to keep pace with the times.



- If the development of the methodology is given to a young, ambitious graduate student who will create the program “Reform for 500 days”. I would like to do everything so quickly, but this is not possible.



- If the development of the methodology at all give at least someone to one. There must be a competition of techniques, otherwise neither.



- If the reforms impose on the new "Stolypin", or "Gaidar." One can not do anything. It is necessary to manage to rally around the whole society.

Utopia? Utopia

I read the text and understood: I am a dreamer and a utopian. So you can not even criticize me, I myself understand that none of my ideas will be implemented.



So, if someone also has his own utopian ideas, please express them. We assume that I created a club of utopia fans in Habré.

Afterword

A commentary appeared on the excellent book on the global problem of modern education. The Book of Mathematics by Paul Lockhard. There are many letters, but they are worth it.



Although the author writes about mathematics, his approach is relevant for other subjects. Here are some thoughts of the author:



“We need ideas, not idioms.” (Gauss)



- A rigorous learning program kills creativity.



- The solution of the problem is more important than memorizing formulas.



- The main value of mathematics is not that it is useful in life, but that it develops creative thinking.



- Mathematics is always the discovery of patterns and the creation of beautiful and meaningful explanations.



- The methods of evidence are too complicated, the student seems to say: “Your intuition and your ideas are dubious. You must speak and think our way. ”



- Insatiable sense of severity leads to abomination.



Here you can read a book in the original language . PDF format.

Authorship

When copying and publishing materials, please indicate authorship: Vadim Galkin. And put a link to my personal page: vadimgalkin.pp.ru .



The illustration is taken from the Bulgarian Wikipedia, from the article on Maneski Codex .