New people for new ideas
The new Minister of education will be an employee of the presidential administration Olga Vasilyeva: its candidate for Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has proposed to President Vladimir Putin. Vasiliev has a good track record,” said Medvedev: it was started as a teacher, then worked in system of Academy of Sciences. In addition, she worked in the government and the presidential administration. “I think she is able to implement these new tasks”, — concluded Medvedev.
In the presidential administration Vasilyeva-Deputy head of the Department of public works (head of the Department Pavel Zenkovich, oversees the work of the office of the first Deputy head of the presidential administration Vyacheslav Volodin), to the presidential administration Vasilyeva worked in the Department of culture of the government. Her research specialization is the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in the twentieth century. In Ranepa Vasilyev — head of the Department of Church-state relations.
According to scientific theological portal Bogoslovy Vasiliev defended the candidate dissertation on the theme “the Soviet state and the Patriotic activity of the Russian Orthodox Church during the great Patriotic war”, and the doctor — topic “the Russian Orthodox Church in Soviet state policies in 1943-1948.”. From 1989 to 2008, according to Bogoslovy Vasilyeva has co-authored more than 90 articles on theological topics.
She Vasilyev said that, becoming Ministers, will take care of the teachers. “For me the priority is the teacher. Because the teacher is a Ministry, a teacher is a mission, the teacher is our future. Today’s children, tomorrow people,” — said Vasilyev. The second priority is to rethink the whole experience, including the experience of the last 10 years, to take the best and move forward,” said Vasiliev.
Vasilyeva, said the source in the Kremlin, familiar with the first Deputy head of the presidential administration Vyacheslav Volodin — with his participation, she came first in a government office, and then he invited her to work in the presidential administration. Vasilyev “man among them, she has experience both at school and at University, and in science,” emphasizes the Kremlin chinalink.
In the management Vasiliev, Zenkovich was in charge of including the issues related to the implementation of public projects in education. She continued, “I always lectured on conservatism in the “United Russia”, including on intra-party workshops that were organized by political block of the Kremlin.”
The interlocutor in the Kremlin calls Vasilyev professional person, she worked at the school, until recently was the head of the scientific Department. Another source in the Kremlin, said that Vasilyeva in the President’s administration worked out the concept of teaching history and Russian language in schools.
Vasiliev also actively participated to the organization of youth projects and cooperation with religious organizations, says a source close to the Ministry of education. In particular, Vasiliev organized a youth forum “Tavrida” in the Crimea, which this year will participate Vladimir Putin. The interviewee said that Vasilyeva “intelligent historian” and “strong patriot.”
Vasilyev will be more restrained in the reforms of education, said the first Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee on education Oleg Smolin (CPRF). “I am well acquainted with Olga Jurevna, we worked together in the Commission on Affairs of disabled under the President. I high opinion. Vasiliev will use the position of the Minister in order to preserve the best in our education system,” says Smolin. “Vasilyev knows the lives of the Russian school, she has experience with wounds. And experience in the management of the presidential administration assumes the existence of competence for building a dialogue with different spheres”, — said the Deputy Burmatov.
Resignation for the elections
Livanov message about his resignation met in Kostroma, where he held meetings with the teachers. On Saturday, August 20, the Minister together with the Prime Minister had to be present at the all-Russian pedagogical Assembly in the Ranepa. Events involving Livanov was scheduled for the next week.
Putin took the Prime Minister’s proposal on the replacement of the Minister of education in the Crimea, at the meeting with Medvedev at the airport Belbek. The government intensified work on priority projects, including in education, praised Medvedev work Livanov. “In order to bring to life the ideas that were formulated, requires new approaches and new powers, and in some cases new people”, — said the Prime Minister (quoted by RIA news).
The resignation of Livanov — it was a foregone conclusion question, he managed to quarrel with the whole pedagogical community, says a longtime critic of the Minister, the United Russia Deputy Vladimir burmatov. Livanov was the most unpopular Minister in the Russian government: according to the April opinion poll, his work was appreciated by 2.7 points out of five, it was the lowest grade of Ministers. Livanov criticized for the exam, the decline of universities, the Association of schools.
The work of the Ministry was criticized by the auditor of the accounting chamber during report Livanov in the state Duma in January of this year. The tendency to increase the number of schools with three shifts and the number of students in them has a negative impact on the performance of children, especially in rural areas, were described in the report of the auditor Alexander Filipenko. He noted that wage growth in the main growing due to the increasing workload of educators. In addition, the auditor pointed out the inefficient spending of almost 1 billion roubles, and also on the risks of possible failure of the decree about increase of competitiveness of universities. The latest scandal to Livanov has inflamed after in the beginning of August, the media reported about the Ministry’s plans to cut 40% of the budget. After that, the leadership of “United Russia” held a meeting with Livanov, where he explained that no such plans. Back in February of an unpopular Minister was removed from the highest Council of “United Russia”.
Putin and Medvedev appreciated Livanov as a professional, he did a lot during his tenure as Minister, in particular, before him stood one of the most important tasks the elimination of inefficient higher education institutions and enterprises education institutions, objects close to the Kremlin source . “Could be the claim to the form and a directness of decisions, but there were no complaints in fact of the ongoing transformation,” he says. At a meeting in Medvedev at the airport, Putin paid tribute to Dmitry Livanov, calling him a “man of character”.
The decision to replace Livanov is linked to the upcoming elections, the source continues . Livanov sacked as well before the election, as provoked protests in connection with the monetization of the Minister of health Mikhail Zurabov in 2007, draws a parallel President of the Center for political technologies Igor Bunin. “Rating Livanov was bad and all looking for a scapegoat, although he was just doing the task of the authorities for the modernization of education”, — says the analyst. According to him, the rating of “United Russia” directly to the resignation of the Minister will not be affected. “There is a guaranteed loyal to the government 40% who will vote for her, and the rest will fight for 5-7%. Some of these people can influence the care unpopular Minister” — the expert concludes.
Now the former education Minister will take the post of President’s special representative on trade and economic relations with Ukraine, on his appointment was announced Putin. Trade and economic relations is an important part of the work for the Russian Ambassador, which is now “sagged” (the Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Zurabov, resigned, the new Ambassador is still not appointed). In the absence of the Ambassador and of increasing pressure on the Russian Kiev on business this relationship will become even more complicated, says one close to the Kremlin source . So the purpose spacepainting on trade and economic relations is a logical step, he says.
Gift for teachers
In early August, a scandal about remarks of the Prime Minister on the work of teachers. Lecturer, Dagestan state University, Haji Kurbanov on the forum “Territory meanings-on-Klyaz’ma” asked Medvedev why young teachers “got 10-15 thousand [rubles per month], while the power structures, the police officers get a 50 [thousand] and above.” Medvedev responded by saying that the job of a teacher is a calling, “and if you want to earn money, there are lots of wonderful places where you can do faster and better, the same business.”
Then on the website Change.org there appeared a petition to send the Prime Minister to resign, for the first day who collected 160 thousand signatures. At the same time the deputies from “United Russia” met with the Minister of education Dmitry Livanov, who said that the salary of teachers has reached 100% of the regional average and that their average wages are growing on average by 6-7% per year. The Chairman of the Duma Committee on education Vyacheslav Nikonov after the meeting with the Minister announced a teachers ‘ forum with the participation of Medvedev before the beginning of the school year. In the Kremlin the scandal the statements of Medvedev called “custom campaign”.
