Probably, if September 19, our students do not have written an open letter to the President of the Russian Federation and senior officials, and we have continued behind the scenes to solve the problem of the school, not trying to get out into the public information space.
In late August, we learned that in school, “Intellectual” reduced funding to 5 times, and that we are advised to unite with any school receiving more funding than we do. Then we started a separate search tools and tried to obtain additional financing. Then he wrote a letter to our children. Since then, events have developed rapidly.
September 23, it was announced a preliminary vote on the merger with respect to the school, which was attended by about 400 people. Being allowed to vote for children in lower grades and graduates. That is no legal force, it did not matter. In the end, only 70 people voted for the union.
24 September principal Yuri Tihorsky handed in Western Education Department letter in which he asks to begin the process of reorganization of the school “Intellectual” and combining it with the school №1588. However, there is one paragraph that parental and educational community agree with this, but this is not true. On the same day the school was going to the Governing Council, which has decided to appeal against the letter of the Director and to consider different options for reorganization, slowly, consistently.
25 September head of the Moscow Department of Education Isaak Kalina signed a decree that begins the process to reorganize and consolidation of schools.
26 September we spent with colleagues in the school union meeting and prepared a formal appeal made against an unlawful order and outlining some steps to protect the school. We will challenge the application for reorganization, to check its legitimacy, as well as going to a rally in defense of schools for children with special educational needs on Oct. 11 on Pushkin Square.
The new rules
In the entire history of the school, “Intellectual” reflected from two major problems with education reform, in our case they were merged into one. This is, firstly, the problem of normative per capita financing of schools and the introduction of a new remuneration system (NSLP, a pilot project for the introduction of NSLP started in 2011 and ended on December 1, 2013) and, secondly, the association of schools in large complexes.
When the per capita financing (“money follows the pupil”), a school for 289 children, such as ours, can not survive, like all schools for children with special educational needs. The new law forces make great school systems, only if they are cost-effective.
But talk about the economic benefits in relation to education can not be! Education – it’s not a service, not a commodity, it is a social good.
In Moscow, the final introduction of per capita financing and NSLP is associated with a pilot project in which schools engage in during 2011-2013 . School took on a serious commitment to “optimize” and the introduction of NSLP, and for this received increased funding. In this case, the general public, it was announced that now all Moscow schools finally financed good (about 107 000 per student). The fact that this funding is given only entered into the pilot tried not to mention.
What did you do during these years, such schools as the “Intellectual”? Work continues and, as before the reform, received increased funding. After all, it is clear that if the school curriculum is more serious or additional education, finally, if it is a full-time school or boarding school, then it should be funded by other regulations. But on September 1, these schools suddenly lost subsidies. So, the school budget “Intellectual” declined by 4.5 times: we received 63 000 rubles per student. It was found in the middle of this fiscal year, and we were right in a difficult situation.
And the beginning of the financial pressure, the meaning of which, as soon as you team up, just have the money.
But the pilot project was announced as an experiment. Now it turns out that children are being punished for what the school did not participate in the experiment.
We are not even asking the increased funding, but do not understand why the city can not pay us as much as all the other schools.
Why we are against an immediate association?
I’m not saying that in itself the idea of unification is always bad. But it must be preceded by serious work, it should be a gradual process and, above all, a voluntary association. Thus, when combined school under the auspices of the famous 57 schools, all went well, because the director 57 school knew about everything in advance, consider the possibility of the school, teachers are ready for it, calculate the risks.
In our case, as in the case of other schools, for example, №1189, it’s not even a marriage of convenience, but a real compulsion. On the other hand, many teachers and parents believe that schools like ours, the union is not desirable. And this applies to all schools for children with special educational needs.
We believe that we have a special contingent, with our children to work in small study groups (10-12 people).
In addition, the merger will affect not only the system of teaching. For example, at our school runs a large psychiatric services: because all children are different, not always socially adapted, able to communicate. I’m not sure it would be possible to keep such a psychological service in the fusion. The same thing can happen with the library.
In large schools, even at the confluence of two good schools increase the quality of education can not be. In a good school the main thing – the atmosphere, individual children’s relationships with teachers and the director. In the school complex, as a rule, does not work. Exceptions, of course, there are – if schools are united by the good agreement. And, as shown, in the schools, too, have united segregation occurs – there are strong classes A and B, C and D are weak, they are less extra classes.
And the most “powerful” students – usually from “strong “schools. Actually, it was at their expense improved performance of large school complexes.
The idea of the current educational reform – a very primitive notion of equality – equality does not lead to, because for true equality must take account of the needs of children. If we combine (as has already been done once three years ago) and sports a correctional school, it will not be equal, and violation of the right of students to receive an education.
Experiments to form
The fact that the pilot project in 2011 became applicable in most schools in Moscow in 2014 – does not surprise me. This is the fate of all the experiments that are conducted in the field of education. After the exam, too, was an experiment, and then it was announced that the experiment is successfully completed, although no comparative studies have been filed, and no one did not hold.
Our union “Teacher” back in 2011 set the main requirement – freeze any experiments and begin to conduct and organize, as it should be: in order to have a control group, verification, independent experts.
Maybe with time the Ministry of Education will recognize that it is poor design, and then a year or two will divide the school. As it was in the Soviet era collective farms.
But while the majority simply accepts the conditions imposed, why it is so little information about the schools that have the same problems as in “intellectual” or №1189 or nearby Chemical Lyceum. School №1189 behaves actively, they saw the letter of our children and also wrote a letter, began to collect signatures against the merger. Why remaining silent? Because they are afraid of the school. Thus, in our union called the teacher of one of the correctional school, thought, write a letter, too, but it never did. Everybody is trying to sit quietly and peacefully, everyone is afraid to say an extra word. But not out of fear of losing their jobs, people are afraid that the school will be closed and the children sent to regular schools.
Hope for the future
Now we are preparing the order the Ministry of Education to support schools for gifted children, which, we hope. But the big question is when it will be adopted and what funding will receive similar schools – federal or state. If there is a regional, it can not solve our problems, because that’s what the Department of Education of the City of Moscow will decide if he needed such schools.
Moscow Education Act has not been adopted, not even published its draft . We hope that the new members of the Moscow City Duma pass a law that would address the needs of such schools as the “Intellectual».
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