30/7 Tass 79
NOVO-OGARYOVO, July 30 (Itar-Tass) — The crisis in the system of Russian educational establishments in the sphere of culture has been overcome, Russian Minister of Culture Alexander Avdeyev said on Saturday.
“The crisis involved all the three levels of educational establishments – children’s schools of arts, secondary musical and ballet schools, and higher educational establishments,” Avdeyev said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. This year, thanks to the efforts of the State Duma lawmakers and our colleagues from the Ministry of Education and Science, we have passed three laws, and all the problems have been settled at the legislative level.”
Now, all children’s music schools (more than 5,000 across the country) have a special status of pre-vocational education establishments, he said and added that unified school certificates were adopted.
In the mean time, the minister admitted that some social issues remain unsolved, such the wages of teachers. “Their wages depend on how many lessons they give. In an ordinary secondary school teaches averagely have 18 hours of teaching a week, while in children’s schools of arts teachers have to give more lessons but have inferior wages of 4,000 to 6,500 roubles a month,” the minister said and suggested their wages should be raised to those of general secondary school teachers.
“We have drafted all the documents needed and now the Ministry of Education is negotiating the issue with trade unions. We hope the Ministry of Finance will give the money,” he said.
According to the minister, “everything has been put order” in the system of secondary vocational schools: such schools provide their leavers with two graduation certificates, i.e. of general secondary education and of professional training. Moreover, he said, post-graduate department have been restored at higher education arts schools.
“There are some drawbacks but the main thing is that we have soothed public opinion,” the said in conclusion.