Formative Influences from the Soviet Period

Control:

From top down; of all aspects of the ed system

Curriculum & materials

Structure and function of schools

Teacher ed

Centralization:

Of research and development efforts

Planning and budgeting

Change and "reform" programs

Uniformity of curricula, teaching approaches, etc.

An issue for large minority populations

Quality vs. mediocrity:

Special schools, big universities, advanced curricula – some of best in world

Rural schools, average kids, voc-tech tracks – some of worst in the world

Special efforts to work with retarded (but no integration)

Ideology:

As a major component of all social sciences, arts (to some extent sciences)

Conformity as required for movement up the system

Increasing resistance as time went on – plaintive tone by mid-80s

Elements of chaos:

Non-meritocratic system (esp. in later Soviet years) – access as a "consumer benefit"

Differing controls for regular, specialized schools

Sense of de-humanizing aspects coming to dominate in 1970s-1980s

Today:

Many of these aspects continue, in some form

The "look and feel" of many schools remains similar to what was present in 60s-80s