Education in Russia

Text 1

EDUCATION IN RUSSIA

Every citizen of our country has the right to education. This right is guaranteed by the Constitution. It is not only a right but a duty too. Every boy or girl must get secondary education. They go to school at the a|e of six or seven and must stay there until they are 14— 17 years old. At school pupils study academic subjects such as Russian, Literature, Mathematics, History, Biology, a foreign language and others.

After finishing 9 forms of a secondary school young people can continue their education in the 10th and the 11th form. They can also go to a vocational or technical school, where they study academic subjects and redeive a profession. A college gives general knowledge in academic subjects and a profound knowledge in one or several subjects.

After finishing a secondary, vocational, technical school ora college, young people can start working or enter a university. Universities train specialists in different fields. A course at a university usually takes 5 years. Many universities have evening and extramural departments.

They give their students an opportunity without leaving their jobs! Universities usually have graduate courses which give candidate or doctoral degrees. ^

Education in Russia is free at most schools. There are some private primary and secondary schools where pupils have to pay for their studies. Students of universities get scholarships. At many universities there are also departments where students have to pay for their education.

Text 2

THE DAY OF KNOWLEDGE

All the people in Russia have the right to education. Our country need qualified specialists, well-trained workers and, on the whole, people of high intellectual potential. Certainly, school is responsible for the level of education of the young generation. Nowadays some changes have been introduced to school. It has become open and democratic. There are computers and other technical equipment in many Russian schools. All this helps raise the general level of education. The greatest role in this process is played by the teacher pupils interested in his subject and in getting knowledge in general. A teacher must be competent, intelligent, kind and clever; he must love and understand children.

On the Day of Knowledge pupils go on excursions to plants and factories, to the universities, libraries and many other different places to see practical use of knowledge in our country. They come to understand the necessity to study well, to get practical experience of work and to get deep knowledge in different fields of science..

VOCABULARY NOTES

citizen n гражданин, e.g. We are citizens of Russia, right to education n право на образование, e.g. Citizens of our country have the right to education.

duty n обязанность, e.g. Students have not only rights but duties too.

get secondary education получить среднее образование, e.g. Pupils of our country must get secondary education.

academic subject n общеобразовательный предмет, e.g. Literature, Mathematics, Russian and others are academic subjects.

finish ... forms окончить... классов, e.g. I finished 10 forms a few years ago.

continue one’s education продолжить образование, e.g. After finishing a school pupils can continue their education where they dream.

vocational school n училище, ПТУ, e.g. At vocational schools students study academic subjects.

technical school n техникум, e.g. At technical schools students study not only academic but special subjects too.

receive a profession получить профессию, e.g. You can receive a profession both at vocational and technical schools.

general knowledge общие знания, e.g. A college gives general knowledge in academic subjects.

profound knowledge углубленные знания, e.g. At a technical school you can get a profound knowledge in several subjects.

enter и поступать, e.g. She wants to enter the Pedagogical University.

train a specialist (in smth) подготовить специалиста (в определенной области), e.g. Universities train specialists in different fields.

evening department n вечернее отделение, e.g. My brother studies at an evening department.

extramural department n заочное отделение, e.g. It’s very difficult to work and study at an extramural department at the same time.

opportunity n возможность, e.g. Each student has an opportunity to study and work if he wants.

without leaving one’s job одновременно работая, e.g. Each student has an opportunity to study without leaving his job.

graduate courses n аспирантура, e.g. After graduating from the University you may study at graduate courses.

candidate or doctoral degree n степень кандидата или доктора наук,

1. g. Graduate courses can give you candidate and then doctoral degrees.

get a scholarship получать стипендию, e.g. Most students get scholarships.

Day of Knowledge n День знаний, e.g. The Day of Knowledge is celebrated on the 1 st of September.

proclaim и провозглашать, объявлять, e.g. The Day of Knowledge was proclaimed in Russia in 1984.

well-trained adj хорошо обученный, e.g. Not all students become well-trained teachers.

generation n поколение, e.g. Young generation is fond of computers.

get knowledge получать знания, e.g. At school, children get knowledge in many subjects.

go (went, gone) on excursions ходить на экскурсии, e.g. Children often go on excursions to different interesting places.

necessity n необходимость, неизбежность, e.g. Pupils understand the necessity to study well.

experience n опыт, e.g. It’s very important for each student to get practical experience of work.

VOCABULARY EXERCISES

1.Pronounce correctly.

receive, guaranteed, continue, general, knowledge, specialist, extramural, opportunity, degree, primary, without, phrase, college, job

2.Read the words paying attention to the pronunciation of the letters and combinations of letters in bold type:

secondary, academic, continue, vocational, technical, courses;

school, scholar, scholarship, scholastic, scheme, schematic.

3.Pronounce correctly and give the Russian equivalents of the following word combinations and expressions:

the right is guaranteed by the Constitution; not only a right but a duty too; pupils study academic subjects; to go to a vocational or technical school; a college gives general knowledge; to train specialists in different fields: education is free; students get scholarships

4.Give the English equivalents of the following words and word combinations:

право на образование; получить среднее образование; продолжить образование; подготовить специалиста; поступить в университет; одновременно работая; аспирантура; присвоить степень кандидата; частная школа; получать стипендию

5.Make sentences using the following word combinations and expressions:

education is free; graduate courses; private schools; to enter the university; to train specialists; without leaving a job; to get a scholarship; an extramural department; secondary schools; a profound knowledge; to receive a profession; academic subjects

6.Translate into English using the Vocabulary Notes.

1. Право на образование в России гарантируется конституцией. 2. В средней школе ученики изучают общеобразовательные предметы. 3. После окончания 9 класса средней школы молодые люди могут пойти в техникум или ПТУ. 4. Там они изучают общеобразовательные предметы и получают специальное образование. 5. Молодые люди могут продолжить образование в 10 и 11 классе или колледже и получить углубленные знания по одному или нескольким предметам. 6. Молодые люди, поступившие в университет, учатся там 5 лет. 7. Студенты вечернего и заочного отделений могут получить образование, одновременно работая. 8. Начальное и среднее образование бесплатно в большинстве школ.

COMPREHENSION EXERCISES

1.Read Text 1 and answer the questions using the Vocabulary Notes.

1. What does the phrase “the right to education” mean? 2. Why is education a duty too? 3. What subjects do pupils study at school? 4. What can young people do after finishing the 9th form? 5. What subjects do young people study at technical schools and at colleges? 6. What can pupils do after finishing the 11th form? 7. What departments are there at universities and colleges? 8. Do children and young people have to pay for education in Russia?

2.Complete the sentences.

1. All people in Russia have .... 2. After finishing 9 forms of a secondary school... . 3. Young people can start... . 4. Universities train ... . 5. Graduate courses give ....

3.Look through Text 1 and break it up into several parts. Give a title to each part of the text.