We Live And Learn

It’s a serious fault in our approach to the educational system in this country, that we take it for granted. We seem to have never been much worried about bringing it closer to the Western one, and, ever since the red flag was hoisted over revolutionary Petrograd, have gone our own way.
To consider the educational system in this country from the beginning of the 20th century, and to do so outside the academy of accepted scholars and authorities, might seem a foolhardy thing to do. “Scholars”, as Alan Titley once said, can be a notoriously prickly bunch, guarding their borders with as much zeal as any armed functionary.” And Russian scholars in particular can be notoriously aggressive in defending their territory against encroaching intruders.
There is no point in debating whether this state of affairs is good or bad: in some ways it is one, and in some ways it is the other; and in any case there is ample room for difference of opinion. What is crucial is to recognize the fact of discontinuity, and distinction.
This issue has been central to educational authorities in Russia for more than a decade and has been answered, as can be expected, in at least two different ways. On the one hand, well-established and long-rooted universities and academies have tended to ignore it; while those engaged in building a new, Europe-oriented Russia generally treat “educational” integration as part of a larger campaign for stability and mutual understanding.
And it may now be safely affirmed that some headway has been made with this: many Russian universities have adopted a BA-MA system; and a Unified State Exam, a counterpart of the British A-level exam, is now obligatory in most regions of the country.
However, while there is a positive attitude to these changes in the country, there is always a difficulty in translating this goodwill into action. As soon as any proposal, or change, is made – big, small, or indifferent – the barrage of excuses begin: ‘This is not the right time’, ‘It costs too much’, ‘Why should we become part of Europe?’
The real question is: ‘What is the correct way to go about it?’