Fursenko Andrey Minister of education and science

Russian Federation is confidently following the path of building up a democratic state with market economy. An important role in this process has been played by the system of education that proved to be one essential factor and resource of the social and national development. Having implemented a number of deep transformations in all spheres and at all levels, Russia to-day has joined the world educational community in approaching an extremely important stage of development - a new perception of education quality.

The experience we have lately gained in realization of large-scale projects in the framework of the Program of modernization of education, experimenting with the introduction of uniform nation-wide graduation exams, elaboration of the pilot State Educational Standards, trial profile learning programmes in the senior classes, convinces us that the availability of high-quality education is the hart and key of the problem.

Over the 20-th Century Russian education has more than once provide its efficiency. We are confident that its many achievements are still respected and keep their value. Global processes linked with the free information exchange and requirements of the world labour market present new objectives that can be only solved by joint efforts. This is why we are highly motivated in a wide exchange of experience in the entire spectre of problems relating to the education quality. This, incidentally, also concerns the improvement of the structure and content of education, teaching methods and aids, training and upgrading of teaching staff, elaboration of new generation the textbooks and manuals.

We come from the idea that education shall operate on an advance basis anticipating challenges that may face a maturing human being in a fast-changing world. This is why the educational policy remaining nation-oriented for each and every country, acquires a very distinctive international dimension. Recognizing ourselves to be active participants of this process we take on particular collective responsibility.