The project-strategy session of vice-rectors for educational activities of teacher training universities was held at the Academy of the Ministry of Education of Russia on October 18-19, 2023, to discuss topical areas of development of higher pedagogical education in Russia.
The key speaker of the event was Pavel Kuzmin, Director of the Department of Training, Professional Development and Social Security of Educators of the Ministry of Education of Russia. He emphasized the growing interest of applicants to teaching profession, which is proved by the results of the university admissions, and the qualitative changes in the system of higher pedagogical education, which have already taken place since the introduction of unified approaches. He also noted that the changes in the system of school education are the basis for training of future teachers.
“The content of training programs is based on the requirements of Federal State Educational Standards of school education and current projects for the development of general and additional education of children. The gap in the volume of subject, methodological and practical training of teachers in different universities has been leveled; unified and transparent requirements to the results of training for each module have been introduced. The updated programs provide immersion in the professional environment from the first year of study,” he said.
Pavel Kuzmin drew attention to the work of educational and pedagogical districts as a new vector of development of interaction among the participants of the education system. He also noted the need to integrate the project “Conversations About Important Things” into the teacher’s training: “The project “Conversations About Important Things” should be a part of training of a future teacher; it is necessary to think over the mechanisms of inclusion and conditions of the project implementation in teacher training universities.”
Acting Rector of the Academy of the Ministry of Education of Russia Maxim Kostenko spoke on the importance of formation of worldview values and development of professional competencies of teachers and managers in education in Russia’s unified educational space.
“The distinctive feature of the teacher’s mission is the maximum role and influence of their personality on the development of the personality of students,” said Maxim Kostenko.
Khozh-Akhmed Khaladov, Vice-Rector of the Academy of the Ministry of Education of Russia, and Inna Golovina, Head of the Department of Cooperation with Teacher Training Universities, presented the results of monitoring the implementation of the “Core of Higher Pedagogical Education” in teacher training universities around the country. As the report states, teacher training institutions are embedded in the overall federal agenda for the development of higher pedagogical education, programs for teacher training are formed according to a unified structure, and each teacher training institution works in close cooperation with its region.
“‘The Core of Higher Pedagogical Education’ is an element of a single continuous system of teacher training. At the same time, universities subordinate to the Ministry of Education of Russia, when designing educational programs, are also guided by the principles of the Core, perceiving it as a kind of convention, an agreement of the professional and pedagogical community on the structure and content of teacher training,” said Khozh-Akhmed Khaladov.
In her speech, Olga Yakimchuk, Head of the Department of Supervision and Control over Organizations Carrying Out Educational Activities of the Federal Service for Supervision in Education and Science (Rosobrnadzor), drew the attention to the importance of compliance with mandatory requirements established by the Federal Law “On Education in the Russian Federation”, as well as the requirements of Federal State Educational Standards.
During the event, vice-rectors of teacher training universities presented their experience in the joint implementation of educational programs, the use of infrastructural opportunities in the educational process, the formation of a unified bank of assessment funds, the organization of practical training of future teachers, interim and final certification in new formats, etc.