Educational Reform in the Soviet Union: Implications for Developing Countries. Staff Working Paper No. 288.

Overview & Synopsis

Examination of the history and present structure of Soviet education reveals a number of potential lessons for educational planners in developing countries, according to the authors. This report traces the course of Soviet educational reforms from the 1910s to the 1970s in four areas: general (elementary and some secondary) education, vocational training, higher education, and "specialized secondary" (technical) education. The authors note general education's evolution from underfunded, experimental forms after the revolution into a well-financed, centralized system, and they stress the coordination of all levels of Soviet education with economic and manpower planning. Among the characteristics of Soviet education mentioned are its technical or utilitarian emphasis, widespread use of supplementary informal education, willingness to expand without adequate resources, efforts to equalize educational access and facilities, overspecialization at the vocational and higher education levels, and orientation to the urban industrial sector. The authors cite nine implications for developing countries to explore, including the need for general education as a basis for technical and professional training, integration of economic development with education, emphasis on universal primary education, standardization of school facilities and equipment, and the necessity to educate women and national minorities. (RW)