| Person of the Year 2002
Alexander Shishlov, Chairman of the Committee for the Education and Science of the State Duma of the RF.
Member of the YABLOKO party Alexander Shishlov headed the State Duma Committee for Education and Science in April 2002. At the time his appointment provoked varying reactions (some people held that this was almost an attack on education), but now we can state for sure: Alexander Vladimirovich is as worthy an advocate of the interests of the sector, as his predecessor Ivan Melnikov.
Even though Shishlov is closer to reformers than the ex-head of the Committee, this has not had an impact on his principled position, which often differs from the opinion of the government. The draft concept of the reform for wages of budget workers developed by the Ministry of Labour and sharply criticized by the Committee is the most recent example of such a stance.
The competitors of Alexander Shishlov in the rating of "Uchitelskaya Gazeta" were Oleg Smolin, Valentina Matviyenko and even… Vladimir Putin.
Event of the Year 2002
The adoption in the first reading of the draft law "On the State Standard for Comprehensive Education"
The past year was rich in significant events for education: the Seventh Congress of Rectors, the launch of the reform of the system governing teachers’ wages and the 200th anniversary of the ministry. However, most experts from "Uchitelskaya Gazeta" shared the opinion that the vote in the State Duma on June 13, 2002, was historic: deputies [from the Duma] unanimously adopted in the first reading the draft law on the state standard for comprehensive education.
At long last! We had been waiting for this to happen for almost ten years, since the adoption of the Russian Constitution. The draft law fixed for the first time an 11-year period of study in secondary schools (which does not prohibit the introduction on an experimental basis of a 12-year period all over the country). It guarantees that both secondary comprehensive and complete secondary education will be free of charge. It determines the notion, aims and goals, status and structure of the state standard of education, as well as the procedure for its development, approval and application. Most importantly it contains a tool for introducing standard financing of educational institutions.
Admittedly the draft law only offers a framework. However, the very fact that it contains standards will provoke heated discussions in the educational community for a long time to come. At least some progress has been made.
See also:
Alexander Shishlov
Reform in Education
Press Release. January 13, 2003. Alexander Shishlov named "politician of the year for education".
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