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13Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 2 (2008 1) 215-218
УДК 317
The School in the Socio-Cultural Space of the Modern Village
Anastasya M. Lopatina, Antonida K. Lukina
and Irina R. Peterson*
Siberian Federal University, 79 Svobodny, Krasnoyarsk 660041 Russia 1
Received 10.04.2008, received in revised form 06.05.2008, accepted 15.05.2008
The results of sociological research into the state of education in modern Siberian villages are presented. The essential differences between rural and urban schools are given, and the basic functioning of village schools is presented. The respective influences of the village and its school on each other are examined.
Keywords: educational space; the socio-cultural situation; municipal educational system; educational requirements; education modernization; teacher; socialization; family, requirements, values, educational process.
The considerable part of the population of the Russian Federation lives in agrarian-rural area. The modern Russian village is suffering now from deep crisis: old forms of managing and communal life have collapsed new market forms are developing with difficulties, encounting a big mental resistance.
This can explain a scientific interest to research conditions of education in a modern Siberian village, its influence on village social development and on the society as a whole. To make a deep an extensive study the situation in rural education the public opinion poll the basic subjects of village educational space - heads of village councils, directors and teachers of schools, pupils of the 9 - 11 classes and parents of pupils - has been carried out.
We started carrying out our research with the assumption that it is impossible to consider
an education system separately from everyday life and condition of village in general, as the rural environment represents the most unique living space for an individual. The centre of such a system (as research has shown) is the school. It is necessary to notice, that education of the rural pupil is influenced by a number of factors: overall economic situation in the village and its information-communication status; influence of a family on the pupil, income, social and cultural level of parents and other members of the family; regional educational infrastructure, as well as teaching personnel, methods of teaching and material facilities to provide an educational process at school; potential of social environment and interaction of the school with all elements of social sphere of village. [See 4.]
* Corresponding author E-mail address: antonidal@g-service.ru
1 © Siberian Federal University. All rights reserved
1. The characteristics of a rural family influencing education development
The research has shown, that the rural family essentially differs from the urban family: the percentage of divorces here is much lower, though it is high enough (25 %); the third of families have more than three children, that is also above the all-Russia level. The rate of unemployment is higher, especially among women, and the share of low-qualified work is essentially higher.
More than half of working men have low-qualified jobs - mechanics, drivers, tractor operators, watchmen and etc, which essentially influence the income of rural families and possibilities of getting a high quality education by children. An average level of education of countrymen is much lower, than of townspeople.
The standard of living of rural population is considerably lower, and the cultural-educational environment is worse in comparison with the situation in towns and cities of the Territory.
2. Personal reference points, requirements, the values of pupils influencing educational process
Grades of rural pupils are lower, than with their urban peers- many of them study with satisfactory marks. 59 % of the pupils -respondents have already decided on their future occupation. The main criteria for making the choice are: the personal interest, demand for the occupation and career opportunities. Naturally, these requirements do not refer to agricultural occupations.
Pupils of the 9 - 11 classes express the need for better satisfaction of their welfare requirements. So, 39 % of the responded pupils consider development of sports facilities at schools insufficient. There is no employment for senior pupils during summer; there is no place to have leisure activities.
Senior pupils reflect on their future, mentioning not only the choice of the way of living, but also showing how they understand what is necessary for this purpose, and what «the success in life» means for them in general, what are the characteristics of this «the success in life» and what it can provide them with. The majority of teenagers marked diligence, professionalism and sociability (besides, children marked qualities which depend exclusively on the person, his work on himself, his persistence and ability to reach the desirable purpose).
3. The organization of school life
The organization of school life is becoming much better. Practically all village schools have sewerage systems, gyms, various extra curriculum programs are conducted, some schools have recreation centers and enough educational offices. It is very pleasant, that 76 % of the schools which took part in the survey, have access to Internet and all necessary equipment for training (in most cases, thanks to All-Russia presidential programs).
At the same time, pupils expressed their wish to improve their schools' facilities: to have larger school buildings, better sport equipment and dining facilities; Besides, they would like to have a swimming pool. One more wish refers to the teachers: they should pay more attention to discipline of schoolchildren at lessons.
Rural pupils have opportunities take part in social activities: in 2/3 of schools there are sports teamsin which 38 % of senior pupils participate. 56 % of pupils have mentioned the availability of pupils' self-management, where 33 % of the respondents participate. Obligatory work practice and governor team is available in 51 % of schools, 37 % of pupils are ready to participate in them. Some schools have school forestry, reacreation camps and industrial groups.
At present the system of profile training has not yet introduced in all rural schools. The
reason is lack of teaching staff, experts in certain subjects, insufficient equipment, and small number of pupils in some villages (it is difficult to divide a class of 15 pupils into two or three profiles) and etc.
The attitude of pupils to studying according to agricultural profile is various. 50 % of pupils agree, that it is useful and necessary; however, 27 % of children can't answer the given question because this profile is not trained in their schools and they have no idea about it.
4. Interaction of the school with welfare sphere of the village
Despite all problems of the rural school, it remains an area of stability in the village and has the largest pool of well educated people. The teachers have not lost their authority among countrymen even in the heaviest social circumstances. And if managers, tutors, teachers of rural schools could find common language and co-ordinate their actions with local authorities, enterprises, people working in art, medicine and social protection, it is possible to considerably raise an educational level of children and adults, and also to essentially lessen the social intensity in the village. [1, p.9-16.]
It is obvious, that the village school has more social functions and larger influence in social life, than the urban school which is often a place to try out various innovative programs. However, the coordination between the village schools with other subjects of welfare is not enough. Only a quarter of the interrogated school directors actively cooperates with local administration, 5 % of them have relations with ecology service and military commissariat, only 2,5 % of them work with the local department of culture and the employment agency, and nobody - with the agricultural and health care structures etc. Only the fifth part of the interrogated directors have noticed, that their relations with a village club are based on close
cooperation though have twice more noticed, that their club works actively; only the fifth part have highly appreciated their village club cooperation with families. The majority of schools support contacts with their graduates, veterans of war and work, preschool educational institutions. And only the fifth part of schools works closely with local qualified workers, experts in farming and agriculture. It is clear that such a situation does not promote the formation of working morals and acquisition of working skills by schoolchildren.
Two thirds of the respondents have noticed that school sports facilities are open for all village population, schools are organizers of sports and cultural events in the village, schoolchildren are active participants of sports teams, amateur art performances. Two thirds of the interrogated have mentioned school sports activities, almost 50% have marked that pupils are engaged in villages development, more than a third - that pupils are involved in patriotic, ethnographic work, historical studies of their region. The work of village clubs with a family only by 17 % of the interrogated heads of administrations estimated as "well", while 25 % gave "bad"mark.
A very important parameter of the socially-educational environment is it self-building, or the contribution of subjects to creating the environment which can provide real opportunities for children, teachers, and inhabitants to participate in creation of all its components -education, activity and subject, social or temporal one. It is necessary to note good opportunities for countrymen and schoolchildren to influence on village life conditions - most of schools have pupils' associations, schoolchildren contribute to their village development and achievements, the organization of their own leisure. It helps to develop rural schoolchildren, form their responsibility and initiative.
The paper is sponsored by the Russian humanitarian scientific fund. Grant 07-06-00143&
References
1. A. Andrejko, We will strengthen the rural school - we will revive the village, The interview to the director of Federal author's school (Kotkozero, Olonetsky area, Kareliya), Changes, 4 (2003),
2. E.V. Bondarevskaya, P.P. "Pivnenko, Semantic reference points and strategic directions of the rural school's development", Pedagogics, 5 (2002).
3. A. Gin, "Seven contradictions of the new education", National education, 8 (2004).
4. I. Kolesnichenko, A. Sidenko, "The state policy is realized in regions", National education, 8 (2004), 37-43.
