The Russian school system should have an important role to play in the process of democratisation and the revival and modernisation of the economy in that country. Is it in a position to respond to this task? In this book an analysis is conducted of the attempts to reform the Russian school system in the 1990s, setting the progress made and problems encountered by the schools against the broader context of political, economical and social flux in Russia as a whole.

STEPHEN WEBBER is a lecturer in the Centre for Russian and East European Studies, University of Birmingham. He is the author of a number of publications in the field of Russian education.

List of Tables and Figures Foreword by Anthony Jones Acknowledgements List of Terms and Abbreviations INTRODUCTION Organisation Studying Russia's Schools: Lessons for the Individual and the System PART I: THE AIMS OF THE REFORM What does Russia Need from its Schools? The Development of the Reform Agenda The Programme for Change PART II: PATTERNS OF CHANGE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM The Challenge of Devloution The Culture of the Russian School and the Teaching Profession Signs of Change? Mechanisms of Cohesion and Support Teacher Education: Questions of Quality and Quantity A Progress Report for the Russian School PART III: RUSSIA'S SCHOOL AND ITS SOCIETY The Vulnerability of the School Epilogue Appendices Notes and References Bibliography Index of Names Index of Subjects