An increase in budget financing for education and science and research, including university research, the creation of new mechanisms in education; active legislative support for modernisation in education will become priority directions for the State Duma Committee for Education and Science.

This statement was made by Alexander Shishlov (the YABLOKO faction) to journalists after his election on April 3, 2002 by the State Duma as Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Education and Science, following recommendations from the YABLOKO faction

Photo: Chairman of the Duma Committee on Education and Science Alexander Shishlov

Shishlov noted that the State Duma will soon consider draft laws on [uniform] state educational standards, amendments to the law "On Education", aimed at creating a clear basis for normative financing of education, transparent certification procedures for schools and those finishing schools, as well as the law on granting teachers of city schools a deferral from army conscription.

He also noted that the Committee would participate in the drafting of a package of federal laws to develop a Presidential Decree on increasing the responsibility of the Russian Federation subjects for financing municipal educational institutions.

Shishlov also said that the Committee should focus on the following:

- change in the system of wages in education and science; creation of a financing system for schools, professional colleges, colleges and universities, aimed at increasing wages and abolishing the practice of wage arrears; - transfer to normative budget financing in education, adoption of federal normative of financing; - change in the admission system to higher education institutions; - increase in public participation in managing education, raising the role of parents and self-governing bodies of the educational institutions; - state support for academics and researchers, including young researchers, tackling the "brain drain"; - increase in grants for socially vulnerable students.

In his previous post as Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Science and Education, Shishlov the following draft laws in under six months:

- On raising the first rank of the Single Tariff Grid for workers in the budget sphere, whereby wages for budgets workers were raised on December 1, 2001, - "On the Provision of Constitutional Rights of tCitizens to Comprehensive Education", - "On the state standard of comprehensive education" and on normative financing of schools, - amendments to the law "On military duty and military service" on granting teachers a deferral from army conscription, - On the abolition of the 25% quota for the admission of students to paid places at economic and law departments of universities.

Working on the draft laws aimed at modernising education, Shishlov opposes a forced transfer of schools to a 12-year cycle.

At present Shishlov is working on the legislative provision for public participation in managing education.

With the active participation of Shishlov the YABLOKO faction managed to increase significantly the proportion of education expenditures in the federal budgets for 2001 and 2002.

Shishlov initiated two parliamentary hearings - on modernisation of education and on the draft law " On the Provision of Constitutional Rights of the Citizens to Comprehensive Education".

Shishlov is a member of the Russian Public Council for the Development of Education (ROSRO).

For more than six years of work in the State Duma Shishlov engaged in the legislative activity in education, state and municipal formation, federative relations, development of a civil society, elections and protection of consumer rights.

In particular he is author of the following draft laws: - "On Protection of the Rights of Consumers of Telephone Network Services", - alternative draft law "On Political Parties", - "On Changes to the Federal Law "On the General Principles for Organising Local Government in the RF, providing for the development of local government in Moscow and St.Petersburg, - other legislative initiatives to update current legislation in education, franchise, proxies of local government, the budget rights of RF subjects, as well as administrative and criminal law.

Short Biography:

Born on July 28, 1955, in Leningrad.

Graduated from the Mathematics and Mechanics (1977) and Legal (1994) faculties of St. Petersburg (Leningrad) State University. Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (1984), member of St. Petersburg Academic Union (1989). Fluent English.

Since 1988 - activist of the democratic movement. Was never a member of the communist party.

In 1977-1990 worked as engineer, junior researcher, senior researcher and laboratory head responsible for control ofcomplex systems.

In 1990 elected deputy of the Leningrad City Council, in 1991- member of the Presidium and in 1992 - member of the Minor Council. Worked in the commissions for issues on local government problems and legislation. 1994-1995- Programme Director of the St. Petersburg Humanitarian and Political Science Centre "Strategia".

Since 1993 - member of YABLOKO. In 1997-2000 - head of St. Petersburg Regional Party of the Centre (St. Petersburg branch of the YABLOKO Association), in 2001 - Secretary on Information Policy of the YABLOKO Association. Since December 2001 - member of the Bureau of the Federal Council of the Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO.

December 1995 and December 1999 - elected to the State Duma of the Russian Federation from Yabloko's federal list. In the State Duma of the second convocation - Deputy Head of the Committee for the Affairs of the Federation and Regional Policies.

Member of the delegation of the Federal Assembly of the RF in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Vice-President of the Liberals, Democrats and Reformers' Group in the PACE. Member of the PACE Commission on Legal Issues and Human Rights.

See also:

Reform in education

Alexander Shishlov (YABLOKO), Chairman of the Duma Committee on Education and Science: "We Shall Broaden Paid Education". Moskovsky Komsomolets. April 8, 2002