During his visit to the Moscow State Pedagogical University, Vladimir Putin met with teachers, students pursuing teaching careers, and pupils in teacher-training classes.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends.
We are meeting just a few days before September 1 – Knowledge Day. This event is, one might say, a holiday that has undoubtedly acquired national significance for us long ago, because it concerns everyone. We all attended school at some point, whether a school, technical school, college, institute, university, or vocational school. Knowledge Day is relevant to everyone: graduates, current students, teachers, and, of course, parents and grandparents. In one way or another, everyone celebrates this day.
And it is a great pleasure that our meeting is taking place here, within the walls of the Pedagogical University, one of the oldest, probably the oldest higher education institution of this kind, which is now over 150 years old (the display board said 150, but in fact it is just a little over 150). In other words, this university has its own traditions, and all the new developments emerging in the field of teacher training and education are introduced here; it has a wonderful faculty and, of course, wonderful students – I mean this both literally and figuratively.
I mean quite literally that the prestige of the teaching profession is growing, and this is reflected in the number of applicants per place. How many do you have here? Six or seven applicants per place, right? Nine. And across the country as a whole, the number is certainly increasing. At some universities, the competition is even higher, while the Unified State Examination score required for admission to teacher training programs has also risen. It used to range from 54 to 64 points; now it stands at 70. In other words, this shows that interest in the teaching profession is growing and that its prestige is on the rise.
As you know, I signed an executive order on the status of teachers in July. I cannot say that it is something entirely revolutionary. Still, we wanted – and when I say “we,” I do not mean “we, Nicholas II,” but all of us working together: the Presidential Executive Office, the Ministry, and the Government – to ensure that teachers, who perform a vital function in society, receive not only greater attention but also increased support across the board. We also wanted to revisit some of the generally positive practices that existed in Soviet times. I am thinking, for example, of veteran-of-labour status. Young people – and most of those here are young – naturally do not think about such things. And rightly so: you need to live and work, pursuing our goals today while, of course, keeping future prospects in mind. Nevertheless, these issues are important for the teaching profession as a whole.
These are some of the other measures proposed in the executive order. I am referring to continuous access to various sources of information, ongoing professional development and additional teacher training, as well as a number of other novelties.
In fact, I suggest that we discuss this now. Perhaps this is the main purpose of our meeting: to hear your assessment of the executive order, what else you believe should be added, and how you think its provisions should work in practice.
I would also like to say that, as we constantly emphasise – and I have just spoken about the importance of the teaching profession – no modern technology, however necessary its introduction may be, can ever replace the living word of a teacher, lecturer, or mentor. Why? You probably know this better than I do. When printing first appeared and books became widely available, one might already have said that teachers were no longer necessary: just give a person a book, teach them to read, and that is enough. But it was not. Later came other sources of information, then television and everything that followed. Today, we have the internet, artificial intelligence, and so on. Yet teaching a person, especially a young person, a child, to think independently is a distinct mission of the teacher.
I have just mentioned the internet, artificial intelligence, and so on. What does this mean? It means there is an enormous potential to make use of these information resources, which are available to everyone, including little children. But helping young people navigate this vast information landscape, identify what really matters, and separate the wheat from the chaff – that is the teacher’s job. That is what is important.
We all know very well that, unfortunately, the internet is full of information of dubious quality and a great deal of unreliable content. Helping young people make sense of it is a difficult task for teachers. But this is also closely linked to another crucial element: trust in the teacher and the teacher’s authority. Taken together, all of this makes something else possible that is extremely important. Only a teacher who commands respect and authority can fully perform another vital function – the formative one: fostering the best human qualities in children, instilling in them self-respect, respect for others and for their Motherland, and a desire to make their country an even better place.
All these elements are, of course, extremely important for any country, including ours. At the same time, we have remarkable traditions and achievements in education and pedagogy that not every country can boast. We are also working to introduce innovations as widely and effectively as possible.
These are some of the issues we can discuss today. Please, go ahead.
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