Anxious about the fate of education ... (from speeches at the parliamentary hearings on the conception of the reform of education)

In the middle of the current school year, the Committee on Science and Educ ation of the State Duma of the Russian Federation held parliamentary hearin gs at Moscow State University concerning the most pressing problems of educ ation. The principal topic of discussion was the government's proposed conception of education reform. This discussion was participated in by more than 600 p eople-teachers and scientists, the rectors of colleges and universities and principals of schools, deputies to the State Duma and members of the gover nment. Sometimes the opinions expressed were polar opposites. But everyone concurr ed in one thing: attitudes toward the system of education, toward its found ations and content, by no means represent just a narrowly professional, dep artmentally parochial issue. It is a very serious state issue. More than th at, it is a fundamental issue of our time, one that will decide the future of the country. How do the participants in the hearings view education in Russia and the co nception of education reform? We present excerpts from the most well-argued speeches, which not only reso nated with keen concern over the actual situation in education but also ref lected people's civic position.