Starting September 1, homework for first graders in Russia will be cancelled. Moscow evening found out what other innovations await students.
Every summer, parents of schoolchildren have the same set of questions: what has changed, how many lessons there are now, whether homework has been canceled, whether a unified schedule will be introduced. This is especially true for those who teach children in first grade.
Therefore, there are “methodological recommendations for organizing home study of students in general education institutions.” It is developed by the Institute of Educational Development Strategy on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Education. According to the document, homework was allowed in the first grade, but it must be presented gradually, and it must not take more than an hour to complete. They decided to eliminate this same 60 minutes to complete all homework for first graders.
There are those who breathed a sigh of relief. For example, parents who do not want to delve into sticks and hooks during the free hours of the school walls.
“First graders have to get used to the new system for them, homework will only create an unnecessary burden,” one of the mothers, Ekaterina Zadontseva, shared her opinion in “Moscow Evening.” Her daughter will cross the school threshold for the first time in the new school year.
Some teachers do not completely agree with this position. In a conversation at a parent conference that preceded the enrollment of children in first grade, one teacher pointed out that it was important to give children a gradual load, and homework should be possible.
“Otherwise children from second grade onwards will not want to learn anything at home.” “It is necessary to accustom oneself to certain obligations,” said Ekaterina, a primary school teacher (who asked that her last name not be used).Virtual machine»).
The teacher also noted that homework will remain a recommendation in first grade. This does not mean that parents are now prohibited from reading with their child at home, repeating letters, or practicing counting.
Another change concerns the adaptation period. In September and October, schools will be able to reduce the number of hours in a number of subjects: Russian language, literary reading, mathematics, ecology, fine arts, music, work, and technology. At the same time, the content of the subjects should not be reduced: the idea is that the first months of school should be lighter, not poor in program. The Ministry of Education does not specifically recommend reducing physical education, because movement remains a natural need for younger schoolchildren.
“As a rule, we are talking about three lessons during the adaptation period,” Ekaterina explained. — Children who will not go to after-school care will be picked up by their parents at 11:15.
Some parents immediately ask the question of what the first grader will do after school. Some will take the child to sports activities, others will invite a nanny or relatives to spend time with the first grader.
Some parents run the house and are determined for three hours to fly by – and they’ll have to pick up their son or daughter.
“Our day is already set, and the future school load is just one of the activities the eldest child does,” says Victoria Eze, mother of two. — We go to concerts, performances, exhibitions, festivals, performances and classes in the library. My son is about to start school, and I would love for him to get all the necessary knowledge in the lessons. Despite the heated debate between teachers and parents, experts still urge not to turn homework into a battlefield. It is better to praise children for their efforts and diligence, encourage success, and ask in detail how the day went.
Direct speech
Ekaterina Balashova, teacher, psychologist, speech defect therapist, teacher:
— The first year of school is a difficult period for adapting to a new social role, daily routine and school rules. The child learns to sit at the desk, listen to the teacher and interact with his peers. In the first grade, the task of parents is not “to force them to do their homework,” but to instill interest in learning through joint play and reading, trips to museums, exhibitions, playgrounds and sports fields.
What can students expect?
- A number of changes are planned for schoolchildren from 1 September. Among them is a reduction in foreign language hours for students in grades 5-7. The total amount of study for English, Spanish, Chinese, French and German is to be reduced to 408 hours;
- The number of history lessons will be increased. Schools will no longer be able to freely change the sequence of subjects taught within the same class. The content and lesson layout are modeled on history textbooks;
- Introduction of a new subject “Spiritual and moral culture of the peoples of Russia”, as well as an increase in the share of initial military training in the “Fundamentals of Security and Defense of the Motherland” (BSD) block. The program will include drone study and training camps;
- The Behavior Assessment entry from 1st to 11th grade is another column in the school diary. The extent of adherence to discipline, social interaction, personal qualities of the student and his educational activity will be evaluated;
- Other school innovations include abolishing compulsory certification after ninth grade and reducing the list of subjects in the main state exam for those who do not intend to attend university. OGE becomes compulsory only for those who want to go to the 10th grade and then enter university;
- The opportunity to study Arabic will be provided starting September 1. The subject will be offered as a second foreign elective;
- Finally: Introduction to “Artificial Intelligence” as part of an in-depth course in computer science.