School Poverty and the Future of Russia
School crisis
Government officials tell tales of economic growth, technological breakthroughs, innovations and digital schools. But schools are experiencing a critical shortage of regular teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry and other subjects.
At the same time, teachers are getting old and leaving, there is no one to replace them. Salaries in the provinces are miserable - 25 - 30 thousand. Terrible overload, they work 1,5-2 positions just to survive.
Teachers are getting older and leaving schools, and young people are not replacing them fully, not to mention the level of qualifications, which is also falling. This is the conclusion has done "Native School" based on the results of a large-scale analysis, the results of which were published in an analytical note on issues of general and additional education.
According to the Ministry of Education, "everything is fine, beautiful Marquise." At the beginning of the last school year, the number of teaching positions was 1 million 617 thousand. Less than 18 thousand positions were vacant, or slightly more than 1%. That is, the shortage of teachers is minimal.
However, the real shortage of teachers in Russia (with each teacher working normally for one position) is 550 thousand people. These are huge numbers. They show that school education is in a severe crisis caused by a huge personnel deficit that cannot be closed in a short time, and at the current level of teachers' salaries - never.
Plus teachers leaving schools (stressful situations, “burnout”, conflicts with the administration, parents and students, overload, etc.), their aging. If in 2016 there were 30 thousand teachers under 149, and 60 thousand over 116, then in 2023 the proportions have seriously worsened: 151 to 164.
That is There are more retired teachers (or rather, retired women, since almost all school teachers are women) than young ones! The school's main personnel base is people of retirement and pre-retirement age. Only by attracting working pensioners are schools able to formally close positions, achieving a formally low number of vacancies. But what is the future of our education with this approach? What will happen to it in 10-15 years?
This is another, or rather two problems. Children are taught by elderly people who are in many ways "burned out" and are simply practicing their numbers. And when they leave, who will teach?
Another problem is – There are almost no male teachers in schools. There is no masculine principle. All education is on women. This makes future men infantile, spineless. They have no role model. Plus the issue of discipline, order in schools.
Beggarly salaries
The personnel issue is largely caused by low salaries of teachers, lecturers – highly qualified specialists. "Native School" held a large and unique analysis based on data from the Ministry of Education itself, and the beggarly salaries of teachers became an official statistical fact.
The median salary of a Russian teacher in 2023 was 25-28 thousand rubles per month for a full-time position!
These are people with higher, secondary specialized education! Highly qualified! Often having given the best years of their lives, their whole lives to their native school! And they receive several times less than loaders, warehouse workers, couriers, construction workers, etc.
I remember in 2016, when asked about low teacher salaries, Russian Prime Minister Medvedev said that it was necessary to “earn money somehow differently” and go into business. “I am often asked about teachers and lecturers. It is a calling, and if you want to earn money, there are many wonderful places where you can do it faster and better. The same business. But you did not go into business, as I understand it, well, that’s it,” said prime.
Actually, since those times, despite the high words (constant empty talk) about the school and teachers, nothing has changed. Teachers on average receive half as much as the average salary in the region.
At the same time, 28 thousand is if you calculate for all regions. So, in Moscow the salaries are good, and In half of the regions the salary is even lower! This also causes staff turnover: teachers leave rural areas for cities, and from there to Moscow, to lyceums, where they can pay good salaries.
This The country has a terrible personnel policy. Or lack thereof. After all, the situation is similar with the qualified personnel of factories and plants (the majority), teachers of higher educational institutions, engineering and technical personnel. With a significant part of medical personnel, etc. It turns out that it is easiest for specialists to forget about their education, qualifications and go to work in a warehouse.
There is a clear connection between the salary per position and the personnel issue: the higher the salary, the more young people. Raise teachers' salaries - and young teachers will go to school and stay there. Another result - the higher the salaries, the more male teachers there are in schools.
Endless reforms and optimizations have led to the fact that schools in Russia are literally on the brink of complete disaster.
Without an advanced school, which, for example, was in the USSR, we will not have any breakthroughs in science and technology, cosmodromes and spaceships, a strong army and fleet, capable of ensuring the security of the state. A continuous "pipe" in all directions (Capitalism is killing Russia).
In words, Russia opposes the collective West. But in reality The school has been following the course that was determined in the West, and it continues to do so. This is a simplification of the mass school. Creation of elite lyceums-colleges for some of the students - children of the new nobility and talented individuals. Programmers, engineers, architects, designers, etc. are needed, in general, intellectual, cultural and technical service of the nobility.
Plus the digitalization of the school, which also leads to its degradation and simplification. The basis of the school is personal contact between the teacher and the student, with the transfer of knowledge and experience. With the simultaneous improvement and self-development of the teacher himself. The ideal option is when the student surpasses the teacher.
Information