Vladimir Shkolny: “The wild nationalism destroys education!”

Today's education generates tomorrow's policy and prepares the elite which should make the major decisions. The Candidate of Pedagogy, the psychologist, the assistant professor of UNESCO of the faculty of the international relations of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University Vladimir Aleksandrovich Shkolny told to our portal what about this business in the Kyrgyz Republic.

- It is possible to see the activity of Russia, the USA and Turkey in educational space in Kyrgyzstan. There are different interests, there are different models and what turns out as a whole? What is your assessment?

- If to be honest, I would estimate an education condition in the republic today at most on 7 points on ten-point system. There are no alternatives to “old stocks” simply – we use the former programs and practices. Someone tries to enter something new, for example, interactive techniques, someone something else, but should tell that as a whole the hand of America is felt obviously here.

I will give to you one simple example – the matter is about curriculum. Only Moldova and Kyrgyzstan didn't refuse it on open spaces of the CIS! Montessori's technique is in the basis here; if in briefly, the pupil has to find knowledge himself and the teacher helps him with it. To put it mildly, it is the strange idea from the point of the psychologist’s view which can't lead to something good.

I understand that Montessori's technique can be used, but only in the senior classes of high school. By no means, it would be extended to elementary school. Whom we will receive in 10 years in that case?! I will not be afraid this word, but complete profanation of education is observed … Already the whole area added this technique to the armoury – prepare the teachers, develop the programs. And then, as far as I understand, there is the desire to transfer all republic on this system! And it is fraught with further disorder of our education system.

- But similar decisions are accepted after all first of all at political level, isn't it?

- Everything is simple: someone received a bribe at this most political level …

- May be the grant?

- Well, let's call it as a grant. As they say, as soon as the grant passed, the active work begins at once. Somehow in one English Internet magazine I have read that corruption level in Kyrgyzstan is estimated at 95 %! Well, what comments are still necessary here?! Here is the answer to your question: the essence is in grandiose bribery. Who will think of the republic benefit if it is concentrated only to a problem of filling of own pockets?

- How the existence of the educational institutions, working on foreign standards, influences an education system?

- I have a friend, the Uzbek, he lives in Osh. Naturally, he sent the son to study to Turkey from the best motives. In five years the son returned and the father nearly cries: “He left as the Uzbek and returned as the Turk!” The essence is simple: the Americans prepare pro-American youth at the university and Turks – pro-Turkish. There is a normal brainwashing in order to receive the set result.

- But the same Turks do an emphasis on business training. Is there a policy here?

- Why not?! The idea of Turkey is quite obvious – they want to head all Islamic world. It turns out the Third caliphate … Turkey lives on German technologies and tries to dictate the policy in all Arab world. And Turkey is interested in Kyrgyzstan first of all as the sales market for technologies of the lowest order, received once from Germany and already out-of-date and unnecessary. All that isn't necessary for them, they direct here that some politicians can proudly proclaim that we ahead of a planet … And then the frank lobbying of Turkish interests begins.

- The influence of China isn't obvious yet?

- At University I lecture the course of history of the East in the Middle Ages. My firm belief consists that, the one who knows the medieval history, is capable to predict succession of events in the present and the future. As to China, the main thing consists in the following: the Chinese assimilate all, but almost never assimilate themselves! The cult of the people and the cult of ancestors which is based on Confucianism, the Buddhism and Daoism, created the unique psychological conglomerate in national consciousness with which anything and anybody can almost cope. If the Chinese marries, for example, the Kirghiz or on Russian women, so you can be sure that the children will be Chinese if not completely outwardly, but on spiritual and psychological parameters exactly: the national quality will be transferred to children by the father both through education and at gene level.

The economic aggression of China in Central Asia as, however, in the whole world is obvious thing and while we don't observe the activity of the Chinese in the ideology sphere, in education. But it is only while …

- History textbooks in many CIS countries already became the talk of the town. Many things are written there. There are frank tales; the distortion of the facts – quite usual thing and some passages of authors simply look like frank nonsense. In my opinion, the history textbooks created in the republic have, to put it mildly, own specifics. Do you agree with it?

- Do you know, when there was this notorious set of textbooks of Mr. Osmonov, I was included into republican methodical council of teachers of history and I remember well how everything occurred. However, speaking about “works” and scientific “delicacy” of this mister “historian” in the field of history of our state sometimes it is difficult not to pass to an offensive language, but I will try nevertheless …

Here is the example. The former president Kurmanbek Bakiyev somehow, appearing on television, told that once took the textbook of history 5th class in hands, looked it through and … understood nothing! Think over: the president of the country speaks about the school textbook! And the teachers and parents simply cry over these textbooks.

Here is simple example. We have one of national symbols – Burana tower. All know about it, almost all saw it in nature. And the authors tell us in the educational package that it, appears, a beacon! Where is that sea for which this “beacon” was constructed?! Of course, I understand that the camels are called as “desert ships”, but it is necessary to have really the unrestrained imagination to invent that or, there is the simpler variant – the full illiteracy of authors of such modern theories.

- Russia is characterized there as the power which only thought how to turn this edge into the colony …

- Yes, generally there is such approach. And they write about the events of 1916 exactly in this way. Somehow the mythology leaves into the forefront. Certainly, it is necessary to know about Manas, but it seems to me that it is important for the country to know about the real heroes who have left an appreciable trace in its history. It is impossible to forget that the Kyrgyz Republic is not the mononational state. The nation is not only one ethnos, but the conglomerate of the people united by unified state ideology.

And our many homebrew political scientists broadcast on all corners that it is necessary to create the unified Kyrgyz nation. Then I have a question: I’m not the Kyrgyz by nationality, how can I become them?! However, read the preamble to our constitution. It is directly said that all should be directed on the benefit of the Kyrgyz people. It turns out, that we have people a priori both the highest, and the second grade in the republic?!

These are all basic things and consequently it is necessary to answer if people ask. Certainly, it will be more difficult, than to compose such textbooks.

- Are there alternative textbooks?

- No. Osmonov's textbook is the unique which is confirmed by our Academy of Education. The state has neither money for other textbooks edition nor desire to publish them. But the people, capable such textbooks to create, will be.

- Is it true that shortly there will be a new subject “study of Manas” at high schools in Kyrgyzstan?

- The study of Manas will be taught, as it is supposed, from 5 to 11 classes. Probably, such subject will appear in higher education institutions. Especially it is sad that our children will study it in the conditions of total book deficiency in the republic. As a rule, the books re all imported; own publish very few. Go to a bookshop and look how many local authors are on shelf? You will look for long time… And those books that carry from Russia, cost quite expensive. That is, this “subject” will be taught “with the help of fingers” by low-competent teachers.

- Can Russia somehow affect a situation with textbooks? Should it undertake any efforts in this plan?

- There are the Russian textbooks and somewhere even teaches on them. For example, in Bishkek at 17th school receive besides the local also the Russian certificate. The world history textbooks are all from Russia. And the strange things can be met not only in history textbooks of Kyrgyzstan, but also in the Russian textbooks.

- Is it possible to affect “contents” of future textbooks somehow?

- To affect … Not only possible, but also should! What does it mean? It means to put to the place of all homebrew ultra-nationalists and not to allow the wild nationalists to material writing on which the future generations of citizens of the state will be brought up.

And periodically renewing debate that it is necessary to deprive the Russian language of the “official” status fixed in the constitution?! After all it everything was approved on the referendum, it is the people who approved such Constitution! But, seemingly, that our some local politicians simply have nothing to be engaged more … And the scarcity of an outlook together with low IQ disturbs someone …

Our youth preferably wants to study in the Russian higher education institutions despite all this. If 200 people per year enter the Russian higher education institutions, be sure that 150 from them are on the Kyrgyz. And many remain then to live and work in Russia. The big problem is connected with it: the Kyrgyz who have been brought up in respect not only to the Kyrgyz, but also to the Russian culture, perfectly speaking the Russian language, in a word, the elite go to Russia. And who replaces it? Those who arrived from the province have lower education level and the level of development. And it affects then everything – from economy to culture.

There is simple example from my own practice. When I selected the psychologists for work in Osh after bloody events of June of 2010 year, it was necessary to see rather large number of applicants. And, in the course of selection, I had refuse many of them as these people considering and calling themselves as the professional psychologists and even having the relevant documents on education, showed very low professional standard and inability to work in field conditions. And this example isn't individual.

Most sad in a case with education in our state is that the tendency to its recourse is observed more and more obviously …