Meeting on the issue of modernization of education system in the Republic of Tatarstan

On March 23, Tatarstan Prime Minister Ildar Khalikov held a meeting on modernising the comprehensive education management system.

Opening the meeting, he reminded in February this year at the meeting of the Security Council Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov named three problems which need to be solved to improve the quality of education in the republic. They are ineffective methodological services, ineffective remuneration system and a great number of low-competence schools. All these factors jeopardized both socio-economic progress and current achievements in economic growth versus other Russian regions, Khalikov noted.

“Rustam Minnikhanov has given an errand to the Tatarstan government to focus on these issues, as well as on bringing up the younger people as patriots. The Minister of Education of the republic was requested to prepare a set of measures aimed at modernizing the education system, which includes new qualification requirements to education management authorities, proposals on building a personnel reserve and education strategy project,” Khalikov added.

“This includes unequal access to quality education in Tatarstan. A large gap remains between the ten best and ten worst schools, based on unified state exam results. Municipal methodological services, however, are unable to fully support the low-performance schools because of lack of qualified staff,” the Minister commented. The job is unpopular among experienced teachers, as an average monthly teacher salary is nearly 30 per cent higher than that of a methodologist, he added.

The ineffective remuneration system failed to properly stimulate managers and teachers.

“The main problems hindering progress of Tatarstan education system are lack of a unified education quality management system in Tatarstan municipalities, ineffective staff appointment for top positions, low salaries at methodological services and lack of impetus to improving the quality of education in the present-day system,” he stressed.