A privileged educational institution will be opened In Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum

Irina Mishina

«It remains to introduce serfdom and hussars, » some telegram channels ironically comment on this initiative. «They want to revive class society, » others write.

If you delve into history, a privileged higher education institution for the children of nobles in The Russian Empire operated in Tsarskoye Selo from 1811 to 1843. In Russian history, it is known primarily as the school that brought up Pushkin and praised him. His program was focused primarily on the training of enlightened state officials of the highest ranks. The lyceum accepted children aged 10-14; admission was carried out every three years. Initially, the lyceum was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Education, and in 1822 it was subordinated to the military department.

Now, at a meeting with the president, the rector of RANEPA, and concurrently the head of the ANO «Russia is a country of opportunities», Alexey Komissarov proposed the following:

«We are discussing the possibility of reviving the traditions of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum in St. Petersburg. Of course, you know about the uniqueness of this lyceum, about its history, and it seems to us that it would be very cool to revive this lyceum… In order to prepare young people for public service from a young age, educate them in the spirit of patriotism and give the best education.»

«Komissarov is actively reforming regional platforms, and trains officials in various fields on them. Government representatives highly appreciate this, as far as I know. The new educational institution will be within the RANH and GS, but as a structural unit it will be subordinate to the government. In this particular case, the brand of Tsarskoye Selo is of course important to Komissarov, » says Irina Abankina, professor at the HSE Institute for the Development of Education.

There is, however, a natural question: do we have too many officials? They are prepared in addition to the RANCHI GS in all universities at the faculties of public and municipal administration, at the Moscow Business School in Skolkovo, many officials simply have enough legal education to hold senior positions. Now an educational institution in Tsarskoye Selo will also be added to this long list…

If such an educational institution will work under the name «Lyceum of the President of the Russian Federation», then St. Petersburg will be the only place in Russia, where in one city (Pushkin is administratively part of St. Petersburg), there will be two educational institutions where the word «Presidential» will be in the name. Recall that in St. Petersburg has a Physics and Mathematics Presidential Lyceum No. 239, which is successfully managed by Maxim Yakovlevich Pratusevich.

At the same time, experts note the emergence of a new trend in education. Every major university or academy strives to open its own specialized school, which will be more subordinate to this particular institution of higher education, and not Ministry of Education. For example, the School of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as an option, or the Lyceum of the Higher School of Economics.

«Conservative trends are in fashion now, the idea of a lyceum for future senior government officials fits into this. Lyceums began to open everywhere, and this is a sign that accessible public education, as in the USSR, is coming to an end. A good education becomes the lot of very wealthy people. All lyceum educational institutions are for a narrow circle of children, where gifted people can break through with incredible efforts, but not a fact. This is the state educational policy. And at the same time it is a way into the past. Quality education is becoming less accessible. Elite educational institutions attract the best teachers, taking them away from others and thereby harming universal mass education, » the social Studies teacher and Stories from the Nizhny Novgorod region, member of the interregional trade union of pedagogical workers «Teacher» Dmitry Kazakov.

There are also such comments among users of social networks:

Elena Kostenko: «Will a cloud of elite cars come to the Catherine Park every day for elite students? „It's a sad time…“

Galina Bashina: «Why touch historical sites? This is our history, these are monuments, they must be preserved so that future generations know who Pushkin is! Komissarov has nothing else to do? Or does he want to prove himself in this way? Again, for the rich and the children of the elite?».

… It is not superfluous to recall in this connection the history of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum. The author of his project M. Speransky hoped that graduates of the privileged educational institution — «sovereign's assistants» — would serve the Fatherland during the reign of the reformer Emperor Alexander I. It happened, however, differently… many Decembrists and the most freedom-loving poet of his time, Pushkin, came out of the walls of the lyceum. History develops according to the laws of dialectics, and who knows what the new project will turn out to be?