The press center of RIA Novosti hosted a video conference between Moscow and St. Petersburg on the occasion of the appointment of the new president of the Russian Academy of Education. This position has been assumed by Doctor of Philology and Professor Lyudmila Verbitskaya, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Russkiy Mir Foundation.
At a meeting with Petersburg and Moscow journalists Verbitskaya spoke about the work ahead: "I've been a member of the Russian Academy of Education for more than 20 years already. In my opinion, RAE plays a very important role, since without it no other academy could exist. RAE was founded in 1943, when its existence became vital. And on December 10, 2013, it will turn 75. This is a remarkable event for Russia! For it is the Russian Academy of Education that settled and still settles significant issues: where and how to teach our kids, what textbooks to use."
Answering the question about "the first moves" in her new office and about the future plans, Verbitskaya said: "The academy has 25 institutes, 5 Moscow schools, a superb library, 154 functioning labs. I'll have to manage all these assets, which is an awesome challenge, to be sure. My first step was inviting the rectors and principals of the academy's institutes and heads of the laboratories, who are amazingly creative people. I heard many wishes from them and took note of these. Now I understand what needs to be done in essence, but I still do not know how it will all work out in the end, because each of the academy's institutes has a different clout. Plans are plenty, I must say. I even employed a press secretary and an aide. Surely, I've just taken new office and closer to summer I may tell you in more detail about each line of work to be carried out by the academy."
Lyudmila Verbitskaya also responded to a question about the teaching quality at Russian institutions of higher learning: "More than 3,000 universities and colleges operate in Russia; thus we have the Russian Union of Rectors helmed by Viktor Sadovnichy. But we also have the Association of Leading Russian Universities which includes the total of 31 tertiary institutions. We are not ashamed of the education given there because the students of these universities indeed get the highest qualification. But there are only 31 top-level universities in Russia, whereas all universities should strive to be leaders in their field of knowledge."
Lyudmila Verbitskaya spoke about her own teaching activity at the university and expressed her opinion about the unified state exam: "For many applicants the USE is an opportunity to enter leading educational institutions, such as SPbSU, regardless of which region they come from. My students’ eyes glimmer and I see their great passion for learning. Every year ever more stunning young people come to our university – they are the new generation of Russia. Therefore I'm delighted to be their teacher. Of course, I'll have less time for teaching in view of my new position; nevertheless I remain president of St. Petersburg State University and one day a week I still teach at the philology department, where I am the dean. Arriving early Thursday from Moscow to Saint Petersburg, I first go to the university. Therefore I am not ready to permanently move to Moscow; for me pedagogical work is tremendously important. But two-three days a week I stay in Moscow, actually sharing my time between the two capital cities."
In response to the burning question of how to instill patriotism and love for the Russian language in modern schoolchildren, Verbitskaya said: "It's impossible to orchestrate patriotic guidance. It takes years to instill and much depends on the family and certainly on the teachers. Modern kids grow in the era of computer technologies and they are different, so a different approach to them and different textbooks are needed. But the main problem is that it is now very difficult to find good teachers and children may not love Russian and not be patriots of their Motherland only because of bad teachers."
Journalists asked about the special program developed by St. Petersburg administration for immigrants and titled "Let's speak correctly". In different districts of the city and in metro posters were hung up and pedestals were set up with famous Russian phrases. Moscow journalists wished similar programs of teaching literary Russian be introduced for immigrants living in Moscow as well. Lyudmila Verbitskaya answered that she would be delighted to discuss the given question if she were approached by respective Moscow organizations: "We have a special commission which addresses all aspects of the immigrant's life and in the nearest future it will launch new programs. Incidentally, starting in 2015 all immigrants will be obliged to pass an exam in spoken Russian, which will include the fundamentals of Russian law and history of Russia. Now this document is being developed."
In the end all those present wished Lyudmila Verbitskaya success in her new office of president of the Russian Academy of Education.
Source: Stolichnoe Obrazovanie
