- We have the Constitution of Tatarstan, there is a law on educational standards, a law on state languages - Russian and Tatar. In this regard, we have no violations. All our actions are coordinated with the Ministry of Education Russian Federation. We, the ministry, are only performers. We comply with the law. We have an education program, and we will continue to act within its framework. We are doing a lot in terms of languages; we have adopted the concept of teaching the Tatar language specifically for children who are Russian-speaking, and for Tatar children who are not fluent in Tatar language , - the minister noted.
According to him, the position of the ministry is this: every parent will not mind if his child masters the Russian, Tatar and English languages perfectly.
Earlier, the minister stated that the words of the Russian President, spoken at the Council on Interethnic Relations on July 20 in Yoshkar-Ola and dedicated to the priority of studying the Russian language in schools, do not apply to language policy in Tatarstan.
In his speech in the capital Mari El, Putin ordered all regional heads to closely monitor that no one was forced to study non-native languages.
- I would like to remind you, dear friends, that the Russian language for us is the state language, the language of interethnic communication, and nothing can replace it. He is the natural spiritual framework of our entire multinational country. Everyone should know it... The languages of the peoples of Russia are also an integral part of the original culture of the peoples of Russia. Learning these languages is a constitutionally guaranteed right, a voluntary right. Forcing a person to learn a language that is not his native language is just as unacceptable as reducing the level of teaching Russian. I draw special attention to this from the heads of regions of the Russian Federation- said Vladimir Putin.
About those days Engel Fattakhov the position of Minister of Education of the Republic of Tatarstan is numbered, they began to talk in November. The reason for the rumors was about the study of the Tatar language, which reached the Russian government. Fortunately, this issue has been put to rest. Probably, for many, Engel Fattakhov will be remembered as the person under whom the “language conflict” broke out, but under him a number of important innovations were made.
The fight against extortions
In 2012, Engel Fattakhov replaced Albert Gilmutdinov as Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Tatarstan. According to human rights activists, one of the reasons was numerous cases of school exactions. Having sat in the chair of the Minister of Education of the Republic of Tatarstan, Engel Fattakhov announced his desire to fight extortion. So, in 2014, he prohibited collecting money from parents for any needs: renovation of classrooms and schools, purchase of workbooks, etc. However, parents of schoolchildren continue to complain about extortion. As it turned out, some educational institutions have come up with the idea of collecting funds from both parents and teachers.
Learning foreign languages
Engel Fattakhov paid special attention to foreign languages. According to him, testing in different classes showed that students do not know English well. In September 2014, Engel Fattakhov foreign language compulsory subject for all first graders. In addition, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tatarstan has developed a map for improving training. Thus, in 2018, all 10th grades will be tested in English with a “speaking” section. Thus, according to him, the republic is preparing to introduce mandatory Unified State Exam in foreign language.
Before the start of the school year in 2015, the Minister of Education of the Republic of Tatarstan announced that in September six schools in the republic will begin Chinese. The experiment involves a lyceum in the Bugulminsky district, a school in Sabinsky, Tatar gymnasium No. 1, gymnasium No. 6, schools No. 18, 35 of Kazan.
Testing in 4th grade
A regional program for assessing the quality of education has been developed in Tatarstan. In addition to the Unified State Exam for 11th grade graduates and the Unified State Exam for 9th grade students, testing for children completing 4th grade began in Tatarstan in 2015. As Engel Fattakhov noted, it was introduced in order to regularly test students’ knowledge and avoid the perception of the Unified State Exam as a psychological barrier.
Reduction of 10th and 11th grades
In 2015, Engel Fattakhov said that in order to improve USE scores, strong children with good academic performance should be admitted into the 10th grade, and C and D students should be sent to colleges and technical schools.The schools did so, but parents were dissatisfied with the new methodology. Therefore, after inspections by the prosecutor’s office of the Republic of Tatarstan, a number of educational institutions either opened 10th grades or provided places for students in existing ones.
Let us note that the problem of senior classes remains. In 2017, parents of schoolchildren again contacted the supervisory agency with a request to help transfer their children to 10th grade.
Astronomy lessons
Since September 2017, astronomy has been taught in Kazan schools. The subject is studied by students in the 10th and 11th grades. Schools were provided with appropriate textbooks, and teachers were retrained. It should be noted that the return of astronomy to schools is a nationwide trend.
Introduction of professional standards for teachers
In 2016, Engel Fattakhov said that the republic places special emphasis on providing quality education to all schoolchildren of the Republic of Tajikistan, regardless of their place of residence: city center, remote microdistrict, village. In this regard, he conducted two Unified State Examinations for teachers, with which the teachers were extremely dissatisfied.
In addition, he will distribute 10 thousand laptops to teachers, update working equipment and financially motivate teachers.
The promised week, during which Olga Vasilyeva must concede to Tatarstan, is expiring, the Minister of Education is waiting, and the department itself is switching attention to other issues
Today in Kazan a council under the President of the Republic of Tatarstan on issues of education and science was held. It was dedicated, oddly enough, not to the problem of studying the Tatar language, but to the reform of the Academy of Sciences. Seven Kazan research institutes were merged into one organization - the Federal Research Center, based on the Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The leadership of FANO admonished: “there will be funds if there is a result.” The meeting still attracted the attention of journalists from all media: both local and federal. They were interested, of course, not in the reform of the Russian Academy of Sciences, but in the fate of the Tatar language. We received an answer, but not quite the one we expected. Details are in the material of Realnoe Vremya.
Engel Fattakhov did not comment on the issue of the Tatar language
The Council under the President of Tatarstan on Education and Science has never attracted the attention of so many journalists. And the Kazan Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where the event took place, clearly did not count on a large number of press. There weren’t enough chairs for everyone; the correspondents were forced to stand for an hour and a half.
The attention of the media, including federal ones, flattered the scientists, but the journalists did not gather for the sake of science. Everyone expected to hear news about the fate of the Tatar language from top officials - Rustam Minnikhanov and Engel Fattakhov. But, despite the relevance of the topic, not a word was said about it at the meeting.
At the end of the event, journalists tried to literally encircle Engel Fattakhov. Whether the Minister of Education hesitated and did not have time to leave the hall with the mass of officials, or whether he stayed on purpose is unclear. He did not give a specific answer to reporters.
“Please comment on the information disseminated today that the federal center will not change its position regarding the voluntary nature of learning the Tatar language,” asked the Realnoe Vremya correspondent.
No, not yet. We’re waiting for now,” answered Engel Fattakhov.
Until what date are you waiting? - the Realnoe Vremya correspondent clarified.
“I don’t know,” the minister answered and walked towards the exit from the hall.
Will there be an answer this week? - the Realnoe Vremya journalist asked again.
I don't know yet. We wait.
Literally one question, Engel Navapovich... - the journalists did not let up.
We wait. We are waiting, waiting for an answer from Moscow,” Fattakhov repeated, quickly walking away from the journalists who were pursuing him until he disappeared into his office.
The answer should have been sent by Olga Vasilyeva. Photo by Alexander Korolkov (rg.ru)
Letter from Olga Vasilyeva to Engel Fattakhov: two days left
The answer, let us remind you, should have been sent by Olga Vasilyeva. At a meeting of the State Council of Tatarstan on November 8, Engel Fattakhov reported in a report to parliamentarians that at a meeting with the Moscow boss, he offered her some kind of compromise option, and stated that preliminary consent had been received and “next week we are expecting a corresponding letter from the ministry.” The discussion was about a special curriculum for Tatarstan, which would provide two hours a week for everyone to study Tatar as the state language, and 2-3 hours within the “Native Language” subject for those who choose it as their native language.
A week after the loud statements, the Tatar language in schools continues to be studied voluntarily as part of the “Native Language” subject. As Fattakhov stated at the time, about 70% of parents chose Tatar as their “native language”.
The silence of the Tatarstan authorities, who never made public Vasilyeva’s response, gave rise to the assumption that there will be no answer after all - the Russian Ministry of Education does not intend to give in to Tatarstan and change the Federal State Educational Standards. As RBC reported today, citing a federal official, the Kremlin will not change its position on the study of the Tatar language in schools - it should be studied on a voluntary basis.
Chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan Farid Mukhametshin did not provide any clarity today. According to him, Putin’s order is now being carried out, and native languages are being studied on a voluntary basis. “This is the rule for all national republics, there will be no exceptions for anyone. Representatives of all nations living in our republic voluntarily study their native languages of their choice - 2-3 hours a week. This applies to Russians, Tatars, Chuvash, Mari, etc. And the statement of Dmitry Peskov, who confirmed this: “Yes, indeed,” is quite logical and does not contain any sensation.”
The topic of the council concerned the reorganization of the Russian Academy of Sciences: seven Kazan research institutes were merged into one organization called the Federal Research Center
They asked for a billion, but they will receive 100 million: Kazan research institutes reported on the merger
The topic of the council, which today faded against the background of the language problem, concerned the reorganization of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Seven Kazan research institutes merged into one organization called the Federal Research Center - the Arbuzov Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry, the Kazan Institute of Physics and Technology named after Zavoisky, the Kazan Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, the Institute of Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering and Research Center energy problems. The Tatar Research Institute will be added to them Agriculture and Tatar Research Institute of Agrochemistry and Soil Science. Plus, the clinic of the KSC RAS became part of the Federal Research Center. They promised to allocate more than 100 million rubles for the development of the new scientific center.
The calculation is made per researcher, for this center it is more than 100 million in the first year for development, and we will look further,” commented Irina Chugueva, head of the department for coordinating the activities of scientific centers of the Directorate for Coordination and Support of the Activities of Organizations in the Field of Science of the FANO of Russia.
The Kazan Federal Research Center was headed by Oleg Sinyashin, Chairman of the KSC RAS, Director of the Arbuzov Institute of Physical Chemistry. Rustam Minnikhanov was offered to head the board of trustees.
The center has serious potential, unique support from the regional leadership, and we are ready to look for funds, but it will be ineffective if there is no development. There will be no penetration into education if there is no interest in these ideas from production, and this is our big task. I have no doubt that the indicators can be improved in the very near future, and we will be able to compare the Kazan scientific center not only with republican institutions, but also with the best centers in Russia and the world,” Mikhail Kotyukov, head of FANO, set the task.
The Kazan Federal Research Center was headed by Oleg Sinyashin. Photo kpfu.ru
Let us remind you that earlier Realnoe Vremya published detailed material about the creation of the Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The Arbuzov Institute of Physical Chemistry expected to receive about 1 billion rubles from the merger for several years for the re-equipment of instruments. Representatives of other institutes were more restrained in their wishes, having talked with colleagues from other regions who experienced a merger, they came to the conclusion that funding could be significantly less: “Well, not zero, probably, but it could be very small,” he commented Acting Zavoisky Institute Alexey Kalachev.
Daria Turtseva
Where are the minister and the prosecutor?
Before the long-awaited session, at which the most pressing issue of recent months was supposed to be discussed, in addition to the main topic, several more intrigues had accumulated. Unexpectedly for everyone, Tatarstan prosecutor Ildus Nafikov went on vacation yesterday, just before the meeting.
The question “Has the Minister of Education arrived yet?” became the most popular among journalists this morning. Engel Fattakhov still did not appear on the sidelines of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan, which gave rise to suspicions whether one of his deputies would take the rap before the parliament? It soon became clear that Fattakhov was already in the hall, he just entered not from the main entrance, but by roundabout routes.
There was also the prosecutor of the republic, who specially arrived for the session, but did not utter a word during the entire session. But his counterpart finally broke the vow of silence. Over the past few months, Engel Fattakhov has diligently avoided public speaking. Today he spoke about the state of affairs, speaking for the first time on the topic of the language crisis in Tatarstan.
– For 10 days, a joint inspection of the republic’s schools was carried out by the Prosecutor General’s Office and Rosobrnadzor. This order from the Russian President was published on August 28, just before the start of the school year. The president's order touches on two issues: the state of learning and teaching the Russian language, voluntary study of the native and state languages of the republics of the Russian Federation.
Tatar–almost foreign, although state-owned
There are no problems with teaching the Russian language in the republic, the Minister of Education said. In 2017, according to the results of the Unified State Exam, the results of Tatarstan graduates are higher than in most regions of Russia. The difference with Moscow is only 7 hundredths of a point. We should expect that it will be even better, because as part of the execution of the president’s instructions, the volumes of Russian language study were brought to those recommended in the sample programs.
– Starting from the second quarter of this academic year, parents of students in the republic are given the opportunity to choose their native Russian language for their children to study. Schoolchildren of the republic, whose parents chose Russian, and we have 30% of them, will study 2 independent subjects as part of the school schedule - Russian as a state language, Russian as a native language, - the minister explained. – Total number of classes in Russian language and literature in school schedule can reach 11 hours per week or 2 lessons per day. At the same time, today there are no exemplary programs or textbooks for Russian as a native language. Selection educational materials we lead ourselves. These will be combinations of courses in rhetoric, world fiction, culture and in-depth study of the Russian language and literature.
However, what was expected from the minister was not a report on the successes of Tatarstan education. Everyone is interested in the question of how the Tatar language will be taught in schools and whether it will be taught at all.
– Today, consultations with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation continue. For the transition phase, we proposed the following. Develop curriculum options for primary and basic general education, in which a mandatory part of the curriculum within academic area“Native language and native literature” it will be possible to choose and study the native language - Russian, Tatar, Chuvash, Mari, Udmurt, Mordovian, etc. for 2-3 hours. At the same time, the state Tatar language will be studied for 2 hours by all students. IN high school It is proposed to organize the study of Tatar as the state language on a voluntary basis. In the current situation, we believe that this approach could become a compromise solution that would allow us to bring the volume of studying the Russian language to those recommended by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, ensure the choice of the native language at the request of parents within the approximate area of “native language and native literature,” and preserve the opportunity to study Tatar language as the state language, to ensure the voluntariness of studying the state Tatar language at senior levels,” said Fattakhov. – During a regular meeting with the Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Olga Vasilyeva yesterday, she confirmed her readiness to agree on this compromise solution. We expect to receive the corresponding letter next week. Further, we consider it necessary to organize joint work to amend the federal educational standards with the mandatory participation of regional representatives in this work.
– In the 90s there was a transition to universal teaching of the Tatar language. This required attracting personnel, including through retraining of non-core specialists. At the same time, programs and textbooks were developed. By the beginning of the 90s, there was practically no experience in teaching the Tatar language in foreign-language audiences. There are two main problems in teaching the Tatar language. The first is insufficient methodological training for teachers to work in foreign language classrooms. We do not fully realize that we are entering a classroom of children for whom Tatar is almost a foreign language, although it is the state language. The second is that programs and textbooks are aimed at studying the structure of the language, and not at communication technologies,” the minister concluded.
“Not a single Tatar teacher will be fired during the school year”
The new curriculum entails an increase in the workload for Russian language teachers. The total need for them is about 220 people. The same number of Tatar language teachers may be laid off. In total there are about one and a half thousand of them in the republic. The minister said that even if they study load will be reduced, the salary will remain the same for two months. The fate of the teachers was clarified by the President of the Republic.
– We have prepared a version that takes into account all the norms of federal legislation and the laws of the republic. It has been previously agreed upon with specialists from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. This document has been submitted. Yesterday our minister met with Olga Yuryevna (Olga Vasilyeva, Minister of Education of Russia. – Ed.), there is confirmation. We have decided that not a single teacher will be fired. We will take all necessary measures to ensure a sufficient number of Russian language teachers; for this we have a reserve. And at the same time, not a single Tatar language teacher will be fired during the school year. We already have a road map for each school. People should be calm, schools should be calm. There will be no illegal or unlawful steps on our part. We are waiting for a new federal standard, where official language Republic will be taught two hours a week. I also negotiated with the administration, there is an understanding, I really hope that we should resolve this issue in the near future. We must clearly comply with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tatarstan, laws and regulations issued by the Russian Ministry of Education. This path must be taken. Today I would not like to discuss once again the importance and seriousness of this task. Let our colleagues work with the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, and after that we will report to parliament on the work done,” suggested Rustam Minnikhanov.
After this statement by the President, Farid Mukhametshin proposed abandoning the debate and postponing the discussion of the burning issue to the next session. They promised to announce its date later.
“We are, as always, in the vanguard”
After the meeting, journalists lined up around the chairman of the committee on culture, science, education and national issues of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan, Razil Valeev, who were interested in what to do with schools where meetings had already been held and parents had chosen educational plans, will it be necessary to revise the already selected programs, will the Tatar language appear in the first grades?
– It all depends on what decision will be made in Moscow, in the Ministry of Education of our republic and the President of the Russian Federation. I think that if the consistency of positions was reflected in the conversation between the ministers, then changes should be made to the Federal State Educational Standards of the Russian Federation, said Razil Valeev.
– Will this apply only to Tatarstan or to all republics? – asked the MK-Povolzhye correspondent.
- For all republics.
– So, in fact, Tatarstan opens the way for the study of national languages in all republics?
- Yes, you can think so. On October 24, I spoke about this at a meeting in Makhachkala, and there all the national republics supported Tatarstan’s proposals. They act too, not just us. For example, Yakutia is very active in this area, Chuvashia. But we are, as always, in the vanguard.
Tatarstan intends to declare itself to the world as a “separate state”... in the field of education. To this end, in the new academic year he will take part for the first time in the international comparative study of the quality of education PISA. “The results of our republic will be compared with the results of such countries as Korea, Finland, Singapore, and the USA,” the head of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tatarstan, Engel Fattakhov, outlined the goal at the republican August teachers’ council, which was held yesterday in Muslyumovo.
The current teachers' council was devoted to the topic “Ethnocultural and educational potential of the education system of the Republic of Tatarstan,” which sounded especially relevant in light of Vladimir Putin’s recent statement that it is unacceptable to force citizens to learn a non-native language and reduce the hours of teaching Russian. However, the Minister of Education of Tatarstan, saying that the president did not mean our republic.
Engel Fattakhov began his speech at yesterday's plenary session with achievements. He recalled: the Unified State Examination graduates this year are higher than last year, and in the Russian language, Tatarstan graduates with their average score of 72.5 surpassed those from St. Petersburg, Saratov, Udmurt... And they are breathing down the necks of Moscow graduates, who scored an average of 72.6 points.
In terms of the number of Olympiad winners, Tatarstan remains third after Moscow and St. Petersburg. For the second year in a row, our school principals are among the top three in the rankings. All-Russian competition.
The minister then moved on to the problems. One of them is a large gap in Unified State Exam results between leading and outsider schools. In particular, in the Russian language, a whole gulf lies between the worst and the best in the Zelenodolsk district, Kirovsky and Moskovsky districts of Kazan. The same situation is with mathematics.
- Even in small schools they could not properly prepare children for exams. So, in one of the schools in the Alekseevsky district there was only one graduate - and he passed mathematics with 27 points. IN rural school Alkeevsky district - only two students, and also an average score of 27! - the minister was indignant.
Fattakhov emphasized that in improving educational process important role play different assessments of the quality of education.
“In 2018, the republic will for the first time take part in the international comparative study of the quality of education PISA, which allows Tatarstan to be positioned as a separate state... The results of our republic will be compared with the results of such countries as Korea, Finland, Singapore, and the USA,” the head of the Ministry of Education solemnly announced.
The hall of the Muslyumovsky Palace of Culture reacted to the news with deathly silence. How else to react to the words about the separateness of Tatarstan, when the agreement between Tatarstan and the federal center has been given a long life and is now on the political agenda.
The minister also did not ignore the pressing issue of studying two state languages in Tatarstan - Russian and Tatar. According to Fattakhov, a lot of work is being done to improve their teaching. But he focused exclusively on Tatar.
- The concept of teaching the Tatar language and literature was approved. This is a strategic document that sets the vector of development. The development and testing of new generation textbooks has begun, Fattakhov said.
Then he warmly addressed the heads of cities and districts:
- I ask you to keep issues of national education under personal control... Reports on the high enrollment of children in education native language in the absence of real training - self-deception. The effectiveness of Tatar schools, especially in cities, requires your attention. For the second year in a row, we are giving children the opportunity to take exams after grade 9 in eight subjects in the Tatar language. Considering that only 50% of children continue their studies in 10th grade, this is a good opportunity to complete basic education in their native language. At the same time, in such native Tatar regions as Atninsky, Sabinsky, Apastovsky, Kaybitsky, this year not a single student passed the OGE in Tatar.
Let us note that, according to the Ministry of Education and Science, more than a thousand children submitted applications to take the OGE in the Tatar language in the last academic year in the republic, but in the end only 393 students from 25 municipalities decided to take the exams in their native language.
This year we assigned responsibility for issues of national education to the deputy heads of district education departments. I think that in major cities separate employees should be allocated whose responsibilities will include the task of preserving and developing native languages. Eat good example in Kazan: they retained such positions in the city education department and in district administrations,” the minister praised the capital. And he cited the example of Kazan Tatar Gymnasium No. 2, which enrolled as many as five Tatar first grade students this year.
Engel Fattakhov also asked the heads of municipalities to pay close attention to national education in kindergartens, since preschool age languages are best learned. In general, 54% of Tatar children are educated in their native language today in Tatarstan. According to the minister, this is not enough. And now he has already reprimanded Kazan:
- We studied the activities of 40 kindergartens with the Tatar language of education in Kazan. It turned out that only 24 teachers speak the Tatar language. Only a third of children continue their education in national schools. Based on the results of the inspection, organizational measures were adopted. In the new academic year, similar monitoring will be carried out throughout the republic.
Complaining about the low performance in teaching in native languages, Engel Fattakhov proposed to Rustam Minnikhanov, who was present at the teachers’ council, to revive the Research Institute of National Education at the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan.
- The existing scientific potential will be used. This will not require financial investments,” the minister addressed the president.
At the end of his 40-minute speech, Fattakhov emphasized that in matters of national education, Tatarstan actively interacts with federal ministry and finds support in many ways.
“Meanwhile, a number of unresolved issues remain...” Fattakhov noted. - We have not yet found support for holding All-Russian verification work for 4th grade in native languages. The issue of writing dissertations in the native language has not been resolved; today this is impossible to do even in Tatar philology. The new educational standards in the new edition are alarming. There are a number of provisions that require improvement taking into account national and regional characteristics.
Photos from the websites of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tatarstan
