The fulfilment of the program for the creation of a sufficient number of places in general educational institutions over 10 years will cost 3 trn rubles.
The prime minister of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, announced this in a teleconference in Moscow. He said that 2 trn will be taken from the federal budget. Educational institutions for more than 6.5m pupils will be created all over the country with that money. The program on the construction and updating of schools in Russia is a very large-scale project.
It is necessary to be clear on the number of schools requiring capital repairs in each region, as well as how many schools are to be constructed and updated. This year, the number of first-formers was 145,000 more than it was last year. In 10 years the total number of schoolchildren will grow by 3.5m. That’s why conditions of study are no less important than educational standards. “Today it is impossible to get an education just by sitting in a classroom – computers, the Internet, and well-equipped gyms need to be in schools, to say nothing of hot water supplies and sewage systems”, remarked Dmitry Medvedev. “Each region has its own specific features and they cannot cope with the task by themselves. So we are starting a promotion program for the period until 2025”.
He then charged Vice-Premier Olga Golodets, together with the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare, to explore the issue of the number of pupils in a class, and charged the governors with the task of allotting land for the construction of new schools.
