RUSSIAN TEACHER IN THE REFORMED SOCIETY: REGIONAL OUTLOOK

Galina Leonidova

Maxim Golovchin

Vladimir A. Ilyin

The specific feature of modern social development is modernization of all the spheres and fields of human life and activities. In the process of adaptation to social reality the value patterns and attitudes to some specific social groups (such as teachers and doctors etc.) change. The article presents the results of sociological study conducted in order to analyze social well-being among the social and professional group of regular school teachers of Vologda oblast. The study is based on a two-stage (2011 and 2015) questionnaire survey conducted among the teachers according to representative sampling. The questionnaire combines the authors’ studies and experience of our colleagues (particularly the research team of Institute of Social and Economic Studies of Population of RAS). Analysis of the survey data reveals two types of changes in the socio-economic status of teachers brought by the educational reforms: 1) positive changes; 2) changes that have lead to aggravation of the existing problems and escalated the features of the crisis society in the social image of teachers. The second type changes lead to termination of the support to the government’s reforms previously shown by the teachers. This particularly affects young specialists who lack opportunities for improvement of the material position because of insufficient work experience. The decisive role is frequently played by managements of educational organizations that do not support youth’s creative initiatives. The existing practice of teachers training also creates some obstacles for solving personnel problem in the system of education. Thus, school administrations show little willingness to employ bachelor graduates. The introduction of the Bologna system of higher education also leads to the decrease in admission of students of some certain specialties, which are important for the development of human resources in the strategically important fields: biotechnologies, genetic engineering, mineral and inorganic crystal technologies, etc. The demographic situation in the region also potentially threatens the education development. Reaching the school age by the small cohorts born in 2012 will make the issue of significant inflow of teachers to regular schools more urgent over the medium term. In conclusion the authors discussers some opportunities for realization of the civil society potential in solving the problem aspects in the field of education and especially teaching.