I quite often get questions about the new education standards. Many people are afraid that the changes to the law could mean they have to pay for education. But actually, that’s not the case: there’s no question of anybody having to pay for secondary education. Free secondary general education is guaranteed to citizens of Russia by the country’s constitution, and nobody has taken that guarantee away from them.

Under the existing State Education Standard children receive school education. This Standard is to be replaced by a new Federal State Education Standard that not only preserves the current number of teaching hours, but also provides for additional extramural activities - also free of charge to Russian citizens.

As before, the list of obligatory free subjects for schoolchildren includes Russian language, literature, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, history, social studies, art (visual, music) technology (work), physical training, geography, nature studies, foreign language, native (non-Russian) language and literature, informatics, information and communication technology, and everyday safety.

The only things that can be charged for in schools are extra services such as arts clubs, sports sections, additional academic course etc. The point of the new law in terms of the general education system is to give schools greater financial independence and the opportunity to manage their resources and funds more flexibly. For parents and the public, this means more transparency in the way funds are used, and parents will also be able to check how and where the money they pay is being spent. The law makes it obligatory for every school to report publicly on its financial activities (funds received both from the government and from other sources).