Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Chernyshenko and Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Sergey Kravtsov held an All-Russian meeting with the heads of executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation responsible for state administration in the field of education.
The event summarized the results of the 2024/25 academic year and outlined key objectives for the education system in the new 2025/26 academic year.
Dmitry Chernyshenko thanked educators for implementing key initiatives and events of the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland, declared by President Vladimir Putin. He also expressed gratitude to veterans of the Great Patriotic War and participants of the special military operation who continue to defend Russia’s sovereignty today.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that, since last year, under the instruction of President Vladimir Putin, work has begun on the Education Development Strategy for the period up to 2036. This strategy consolidates best practices and innovative approaches, sets clear benchmarks for the future, ensures systematic implementation of tasks, and guarantees continuity and sustainable development.
"All our achievements have been made possible thanks to the President’s strategic vision and support... At Vladimir Putin’s initiative, the national project 'Education' was launched and concluded in 2024. As a result, schools, colleges, and universities across the country gained new opportunities for development. The groundwork laid has become the foundation for further progress under the new national project 'Youth and Children,'" added Dmitry Chernyshenko.
Questions and suggestions regarding the Strategy can be submitted via the chatbot on the MAX platform until October 1.
Special attention must be paid to safety measures in preparation for the new academic year.
On September 1, over 18 million students, including about 1.5 million first-graders, will attend 40,000 schools across the country. In 28 regions, 43 new schools will officially open.
Last academic year, an important step was taken toward creating a comfortable and accessible educational environment for students with disabilities.
One of the priority tasks for the new academic year is the development of science education. The trends in Unified State Exam subject choices in these disciplines show positive dynamics.
This year, pedagogical universities graduated 40,000 specialists. Russia has over 1 million teachers. Approximately 30,000 job openings are posted on the "Work in Russia" platform. In the new academic year, the goal is to make teachers’ salaries fairer and more transparent, as well as to optimize staffing schedules. Additionally, legislative changes came into effect on August 11: students of pedagogical universities are now permitted to teach in schools and colleges after their third year.
The Deputy Prime Minister thanked the participants for organizing the college admissions campaign.
*"Since 2019, the number of students enrolling in colleges has increased by 200,000 per year. This is significant growth. The number of 9th-grade graduates seeking secondary vocational education has risen by 15%. The admissions campaign is still ongoing, but applicants have already submitted over 3.3 million applications—890,000 more than last year. This is largely due to the successful implementation of the federal project 'Professionalism' under the national project 'Youth and Children,'"* he stated.
The "Professionalism" programs received 930,000 applications—1.7 times more than last year. Interest in technical specialties among school students is growing. A total of 506 clusters have been established in 86 regions, including 13 clusters opened this year in new regions and border areas. Around 2,500 enterprises serve as industrial partners, and investments in colleges have exceeded 8.5 billion rubles.
"Raising patriotic, socially responsible citizens based on traditional values is one of the national goals set by our President Vladimir Putin. Educational institutions have introduced positions for advisors to directors on upbringing and interaction with children’s public associations. Such advisors now work in over 28,000 schools and around 3,000 colleges nationwide. Their performance should be assessed based on tangible changes in the educational environment. Through systematic efforts in upbringing, we collectively foster civic responsibility, values, and social skills in the younger generation, who will live in and govern our country," emphasized Dmitry Chernyshenko.
He also reminded attendees that the President of Russia has tasked the introduction of advisor positions for directors on upbringing in all schools across the country.
In conclusion, the Deputy Prime Minister stressed that upbringing efforts must continue to be based on traditional spiritual and moral values and focus on achieving specific, measurable results in the educational environment.
"Today, we are holding an All-Russian meeting of regional education ministers, with representatives from all 89 regions of our country in attendance. We face new important tasks — we ask you to give them the utmost attention. First of all, I would like to thank you, dear colleagues, for your work. Tomorrow, we will hold the All-Russian Pedagogical Congress. The first such congress took place in 1925, and 100 years later, we are reviving this tradition. At the congress, we will discuss the Education Development Strategy," said Sergey Kravtsov, Minister of Education of the Russian Federation.
Over 1,200 participants will attend the pedagogical congress, including distinguished teachers, school principals, and winners of professional competitions held by the Russian Ministry of Education. Attendees will discuss the Education Development Strategy for the next decade, which is being developed under the instruction of the President of Russia.
"In our work, we relied on the decisions of the strategic session led by Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin. Discussions on the Strategy were held in all pedagogical universities and all regions, resulting in a vast array of data that was extensively used in its development and will be utilized in the Comprehensive Plan for the Strategy’s implementation. Our work does not end here, as discussion remains crucial for us," noted Sergey Kravtsov.
The head of the Russian Ministry of Education highlighted key achievements of the past academic year in general education policy, upbringing, secondary vocational education, infrastructure, personnel reserves, and management.
Significant progress has been made in developing educational infrastructure in recent years. Since 2019, 1,688 kindergartens for children under three have been opened, over 20,000 places in private preschool institutions have been created, and 1,644 schools accommodating more than 1 million students have been built. In 2024, this work continued: 293 schools were completed, and 847 educational buildings underwent major renovations. This year, plans include the opening of 80 new schools and the renovation of 1,279 buildings to provide comfortable learning conditions for children.
The Ministry, together with Rosmolodezh and the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, is systematically working on upbringing, where formalism is unacceptable, emphasized the head of the Russian Ministry of Education.
Sergey Kravtsov also presented interim results of the summer recreation campaign: over two sessions, organized forms of recreation and wellness activities reached 4.5 million children.
The head of the Russian Ministry of Education outlined tasks for the upcoming academic year. These include the implementation of Order No. 704 of the Ministry of Education, aimed at establishing a unified educational space. The order introduces standardized lesson planning for certain subjects, regulates the number of assessments, and sets requirements for student workload.
Vladimir Kiriyenko, CEO of VK, spoke about the development of the national messenger MAX. He noted that after four years of collaboration with the Russian Ministry of Education, education has become a systematic focus for the company, with effective services created for students and teachers.
For more details, read the news on the official website of the Russian Ministry of Education.