Schools of the Future – General or Specialized?

The general opinion varies on what a good general education is. Some people believe that an educated person must have general knowledge of a lot of things – Maths, Biology, Chemistry, History, Arts and so on. Others argue that it’s better to know a lot about a few things than to know a little about a lot.

Education has become a matter of general interest and people write to newspapers and magazines expressing their views on the problem. Parents want education to prepare their children for life in the future. They are afraid that bad education may spoil a child’s chances in the world of tomorrow. The general impression is that most people speak in favour of specialized education, because nowadays you must know so much in your chosen profession that the earlier in life you start learning it the better chances for success there are.

1. Can you explain what a good general education is? Have you got a general idea about it?

2. Why has education become a matter of general interest?

3. Is there any general opinion on education nowadays?

4. Has the need for more specializes education become a generally accepted view?

5. Has a general knowledge of Physics, Chemistry, Maths helped you in life so far?

6. Can you say you’ve got a good education?

7. Do you consider that general knowledge of the arts (music, literature, painting) is necessary for an engineer, a chemist or an economist? Can they get along without the arts?

8. Are you for or against general (specialized) education? Give your arguments.

XIV. Speak on the topics (See Appendix 1):

1. The system of education in Russia.

2. Advanced teachers and their methods of work.

3. The Day of Knowledge.

4. Why I have decided to be a teacher.

5. School of future. How I see it in 50 years?

Elementary education in russia

Phonetic exercise: transcribe the following words and practice the pronunciation of the following words:

further

introduction

aesthetic

vocational

physical

fundamentals

emphasis

measurement

formulae

hygiene

observation

preservation

encourage

appreciation

gym

psychological

Elementary education

The elementary school provides the basis for all further education. The Russian elementary school has recently changed over from a three-year period of study to a four -year period. The tasks of the elementary school are to teach the child to read, write and do sums, to provide an instruction to nature study and the social sciences, as well as to aesthetic, vocational and physical training (P.T.), to develop the child’s powers of reasoning. The subjects studied in elementary school are: a native language, mathematics, nature study, shop lessons, music and physical training. The entire complex of tasks is resolved in the full range of the curriculum according to the age-determined abilities of the pupils.

The course of language study includes grammar, reading, spelling, speech development, penmanship and the fundamentals of composition. Reading classes teach the child to read aloud, both expressively and quickly, and instill a love for books. The grammar lessons provide the fundamentals of grammatical structure. Much emphasis is placed on the ability to express one’s thoughts logically and well.

Mathematics provides an introduction to numbers and the four rules of arithmetic (from ten to numbers expressed by several figures), measures of time, length, weights, square measurements and simple fractions. Much emphasis is placed on doing problems and sums orally. There are elements of plane geometry and an introduction to algebra (symbols, composing formulae and using formulae in doing problems).

Elementary nature study provides an introduction to plant and animal life, as well as a study of the earth, seas and air. The children learn the geography of their native land, the fundamentals of anatomy and hygiene. Excursions and their own personal observations of nature make up a regular part of the course. Simple experiments are conducted. The preservation of wildlife is taught, and the children take part in planting trees and flowers and caring for them.

Shop lessons teach children arts and crafts. There are outdoor classes on the school garden plot where they lay out the vegetable beds, prepare them for sowing and conduct simple experiments in botany.

Art classes include drawing from life and applied art. The aim is to teach the children to draw and to develop their taste and interest in art. There are also talks on great artists and art treasures. The art classes are tied with the classes in reading and shop.

Music and singing classes aim to develop the child’s ear for music and encourage a sense of music appreciation. The children at schools have their own choirs, orchestras and music clubs.

Physical training is one of the most important elements in a child’s all-round development. In elementary school children exercise with large and small balls, do exercises to improve posture and sense of balance and participate in field and track activities (walking, running, jumping, etc.) Gym classes are held outdoors on the school’s playing grounds, at stadiums or in children’s park.

Elementary education is the stepping-stone to secondary education. In elementary school one teacher conducts all the classes, while several teachers take over beginning with the 5^th grade. Special care is taken to help the children over this psychological barrier.