Official website of the President of Russia

Документ   /

Dmitry Chernyshenko delivered a report on the development of educational infrastructure; Sergei Kravtsov spoke about the results of this year’s school examinations; Valery Falkov addressed admissions period at universities and colleges. At the end of the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister updated the President on the situation in the tourism industry in the summer season.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon.

The final school exam period is over, and graduations have wrapped up. Now, we are shifting to the next stage: admissions to specialised educational institutions, including secondary and higher education programmes.

School teachers are heading off on vacation, but life – and preparations for the next academic season – goes on. That includes getting facilities and amenities ready.

Mr Chernyshenko, please.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko: Mr President,

I will say just a few words about education and science. In a broader context, education includes training and mentoring.

In response to your instructions, 1,634 schools have been built across Russia [since 2019, when the Education national project was launched], providing over a million places, which is 8,800 more than planned. Undeniably, in addition to infrastructure, it is essential to support our teachers, because unfortunately, in certain regions, their salaries are still below the level you have indicated. We are working on it.

Nonetheless, we have fulfilled your instructions to join the top ten countries in terms of education quality. Russia’s current rating is 8.3, although it will be challenging to maintain it, given the strong competition. Russian students show good results at international Olympiads in natural sciences, which is a very encouraging sign. The number of medals they have won, including gold ones, has increased from 19 to 31.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

Dmitry Chernyshenko: Their victories naturally make us proud.

Interestingly, we are observing the effect of synchronising exam assignments with respective curricula. I will ask Mr Kravtsov to briefly discuss the overall results of the national final exams – OGE in year 9, and EGE in year 11.

We really do have some thought-provoking new statistics there. We are seeing an increase in students who want to take the EGE [National Final School Exam] in natural sciences. Mr Kravtsov will deliver his report now.

Vladimir Putin: Go ahead, please, Mr Kravtsov.

Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov: Mr President,

Allow me to begin by thanking the teachers for the past academic year.

Indeed, this academic year saw some positive outcomes, and the OGE and EGE examination periods were uneventful. We have seen no serious incidents. As you instructed us, we focused on safety issues, and fortunately, there were no major security incidents. We will continue to pay close attention to these issues.

As per your instructions, we worked closely with Mr Falkov on the teaching of natural sciences. We know that all subjects are important, but we understand that technological leadership depends on mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology.

This year, ten percent more graduates have opted to study physics, which is 9,000 more than last year. The number of those who have chosen mathematics has increased from about 280,000 last year to over 300,000 this year. In other words, we are witnessing increased interest among graduates [in natural sciences], and we see that we have reversed the trend towards the humanities. The current focus is on natural sciences and engineering.

The situation is similar with the Basic State Exam (OGE) in the 9^th form. We see that schoolchildren are interested in studying at colleges, where the admissions campaign is currently underway. To date, they have received 200,000 more applications than last year. Many young people are choosing trade programmes.

Vladimir Putin: These professions have become interesting.

Sergei Kravtsov: Mr President, there are 40 applicants per place in some professions. Colleges have actively joined in the implementation of the defence order, supporting our defence enterprises’ efforts for the front and our victory.

We are preparing for the next academic year by reviewing the situation at schools and assessing personnel to ensure we are as ready as possible.

Vladimir Putin: Excuse me, please. What I said about the material and technical situation at schools earlier – I see now that the [summer] season is very active indeed.

Sergei Kravtsov: Schools are being renovated as per your instruction. We have stepped up this work by 50 percent, as you directed us to do. Over 4,000 schools have undergone renovations. Over 1,500 schools are renovated and supplied with new equipment every year. We plan to open as many schools that are currently undergoing renovation as possible by September 1. This is the task we have set for the regions.

In accordance with another of your instructions, we have launched a renovation programme for kindergartens this year, for the first time ever, because we have created enough places for all children. Six or seven years ago, we could accommodate 85 percent of children; the current figure has closely approached 100 percent.

Vladimir Putin: I can see that from the slides. Is it really 100 percent?

Sergei Kravtsov: It is approximately 99 percent. When we see more parents moving to the Krasnodar Territory, for example, we move our priority renovation projects for kindergartens there.

As per your instructions, we are building 100 new kindergartens to prevent the waiting lists.

Vladimir Putin: This is good.

Dmitry Chernyshenko: As Mr Kravtsov mentioned, 62 percent of ninth-graders chose colleges. Perhaps today this is one of the most effective Professionalitet measures. In line with your instructions, all 95 clusters that we will have will be expanded to cover all regions.

As for the higher education system, the admissions campaign started in all 89 regions on June 20. It includes over 1,200 universities, their branches and almost 4,000 colleges. The statistics are noteworthy, and Mr Falkov will elaborate on that. Just four years ago, we launched the Online University Enrolment super service through the Gosuslugi public services website.

Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov: Mr President,

We are following your instructions regarding budget-funded places and the accessibility of higher education. However, we are focusing not only on accessibility, but also on the quality, particularly in the regions. This year, we have allocated an unprecedented number of budget-funded places: 619,000, ensuring strong support for school and college graduates. Notably, 73 percent of these places have been directed to regional universities.

In terms of application numbers, the situation also looks very positive: as of now, we have received 4,967,000 applications. What is especially encouraging, as Mr Chernyshenko noted, is the growing use of the Online University Enrolment super service. Last year, 44 percent of applicants used the platform during the admissions campaign period; this year, that figure has already reached 75 percent. This convenient remote interaction with universities is also contributing to increased enrolment in regional institutions.

I would also like to highlight that, in line with your instruction, we have expanded the special admissions quota for participants in the special military operation and their family members. We are grateful to our universities which are approaching each of these cases individually, providing support, including through additional scholarships; they are not only allocating places but are offering other forms of assistance to these students.

The application period will close on July 25, and the main wave of enrolment will take place in the first half of August. Based on the results of this year’s National Final School Exam, we anticipate an overall improvement in the quality of admitted students.

Vladimir Putin: You mentioned the introduction of a new higher education model. How is the pilot implementation progressing?

Valery Falkov: Yes, thank you, Mr President.

You instructed us to implement this major, important project and provided us with the opportunity to pilot it.

During your 2023 Address to the Federal Assembly, you stated that the transition to the new system must be smooth, with everything thoroughly considered and worked out down to the smallest detail.

We have carried out this work. Today, over 12,000 students are studying under this system, with six universities already fully admitting students for three years now. St Petersburg Mining University leads in this regard, offering 81 programmes, while the Moscow Aviation Institute ranks second.

Vladimir Putin: What is innovative about it?

Valery Falkov: The innovation lies in completely redesigned curricula, primarily in engineering and technical fields, with enhanced fundamental components.

Secondly, we have increased practical orientation, including the volume of hands-on training and alignment with the labour market. In particular, mentorship programmes are being actively developed. The cost of such programmes has also increased, meaning the standard tuition costs are now higher. We see employers responding very positively. Therefore, we now plan to expand this programme so that upon completion of the pilot phase, the entire higher education system can transition, so to speak, onto new tracks.

Even universities not currently participating in this pilot project show strong interest in joining. We will request your permission to allow additional leading Russian universities to join this pilot project this year.

Vladimir Putin: Very well.

Mr Chernyshenko, this topic is clear. It is now almost mid-July, and the tourist season is in full swing. How is this work organised?

Dmitry Chernyshenko: You are absolutely right. Domestic tourism is developing dynamically. While last year saw 90 million trips, we now observe steady growth towards approximately 98 million. The target you set for us is 140 million by 2030.

Naturally, as with education, infrastructure remains paramount for tourism. This has been implemented under your instruction through the Tourism and Hospitality national project, with various support measures. The Ministry of Economic Development serves as the operator.

The most popular measure is subsidised interest rates and accessible loans. The current portfolio comprises 415 projects, around 80,000 rooms, with total investment projects worth about two trillion rubles. This indicates business confidence in creating hotel accommodations now.

Clearly, tourism is a complex product, with logistics being its core component. Sometimes, this component grows faster than inflation. We are closely monitoring this. As per Prime Minister Mishustin’s directive, our Coordination Centre maintains constant monitoring. If we detect a 20-percent deviation from agreed thresholds, mechanisms are triggered, and we involve the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) and the Ministry of Transport, or address, on a case-by-case basis, hotels which artificially inflate prices.

I would also like to highlight some remarkable statistics. As Lomonosov rightly said, “Russia’s growth will come from Siberia.” Remarkably, this trend has held steady over the years. This year, we anticipate an eight percent growth on last year. As of early summer, average nationwide growth was around six percent, while Siberia saw a 14 percent surge meaning the Siberia-bound tourist flow is growing. I think tourism has a bright future.

Critically, our new regions are also contributing to tourism infrastructure development. A major investment project that is part of the Five Seas and Lake Baikal federal project is underway in Zaporozhye. It aims to create large-scale infrastructure, including year-round seaside resorts capable of accommodating up to ten million vacationers by 2030. We have previously briefed you on this separately.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Chernyshenko, you mentioned progress in student, academic, and educational tourism some time ago.

Dmitry Chernyshenko: Absolutely. This is a rapidly growing niche. On the one hand, it optimises infrastructure use where dormitories freed up during summer breaks host students from other regions, fostering peer-to-peer exchanges.

On the other hand, it integrates with industrial tourism, allowing visits to various facilities like hydroelectric plants that are highly engaging tour destinations within our major industrial complexes. Young people find this interesting. These experiences are complemented by educational programmes and patriotic initiatives led by Rosmolodezh (Federal Agency for Youth Affairs). They create youth camps and pursue all kinds of volunteer activities. So, it works as well.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

<…>