You will know that I had the opportunity to travel to Russia, with a group of nine other headteachers from England, and a writer with the Times Educational Supplement, to see how the schools in Omsk (Siberia) meet the needs of gifted and talented students.

So on Saturday 13 March, I set off for Heathrow and met up with our party. After a potential major problem where all the tickets were made out for Sunday rather than Saturday (and our connecting flight was from Moscow to Omsk for Saturday), a huge sigh of relief came when British Airways managed to move us all on to the Saturday flight and our visas were valid for the change.

We eventually arrived in Omsk, at 7pm Russian time (Omsk is six hours ahead of us) and when we stepped out of the plane, it was like being flash frozen! It was –25 C!

There was nothing but snow and a completely flat landscape stretching into the distance. We arrived in the dark, and after collecting our cases from what felt like an old concrete shed with a conveyor belt, and having them checked, we were off to our hotel to settle in. Our Russian hosts met us from the airport and it was obvious from the start they were (unlike the weather) warm and friendly. We knew this was going to be an experience we wouldn’t forget.

 

It was fascinating to see the apartments that the vast majority of Russians lived in – row after row. We were told that most contained three rooms and a kitchen, and almost everyone lived in such an apartment – including the teachers, head teacher and lecturers at the university.

The hotel was on the bank of the frozen river. If your vision of Russia is one of shortages and queues then those days disappeared long ago. Transport works well, even in snow and very hard ice unlike in our own country. Food is of an exceptional quality and people live well. Department stores are now present and all the amenities of western life can be found – and much more besides. We visited the concert hall and heard a marvellous jazz orchestra – but the highlight for me was the dancing provided by the children (aged about 10-16) in the interval. Nothing other than stunning and of a very high quality – all trained in an after school ‘club’. I will mention additional education in a moment.

The Russians were warm, friendly and could not have looked after us better. The days of the Cold War and suspicion have long gone.

 

There were three main aspects of schools that were different to our system. Firstly they were all-through primary-secondary schools, where students started at about seven years old and went through to 17 years old. This bred a wonderful culture where there was almost total support for the younger students. We were told that no child had trouble reading and writing by the time they were around 10 years old. This was a stark contrast to our system – we must have something to learn from them.

Secondly, the schools operated a shift system where students were in school for either the first or second shift. The first shift operated from about 8am and went through to 1pm and the second shift went from 2pm through to around 7pm.

The third huge difference was the presence of additional schools, which were fully staffed and operated alongside the main schools. They offered a completely alternative curriculum (an additional curriculum) and there were specialist additional schools – for drama, art and sport. There were also general ones such as the Children’s Creativity Centre which catered for a huge range of activities such as model making; astronomy; swimming; art; cross country skiing (no hills!); dance and so on. Children attended on a completely voluntary basis when they were on the main school shift. This meant that the vast majority of students were occupied from 8am through to 7pm. Then, there was homework to do! On asking students it seems that about 70% used this extra provision and it was clear that the students really enjoyed school and the additional activities they could access.

Another aspect of the additional schooling was the opportunity to attend the University for Additional Support for their examinations. We saw a class of about 25 students, during the second shift (they had attended school for the first shift), doing biology theory at the university. This was because they had found this subject difficult at their school. The students were from a mix of schools and had enrolled on this course to try to ensure that they could pass their exams with a high mark. It was important to the students who wanted to do medicine, or become teachers. This was incredibly impressive and not one student had dropped out since they started in the Autumn.

All of the above was free to students and parents and if there was a charge for a particular activity, it was very small indeed.

 

In this short article it is only possible to give a flavour of what we saw and experienced. What was particularly impressive was the manner in which all students were completely engaged with their education and how important they felt this was. There was almost total parental support, with many parents running additional education classes in arts, crafts, fundraising and so on. They do not have league tables, but are accountable to their communities through the quality of the provision they provide. They are uncompromising on good behaviour and high standards. Parents and students value education and value teachers tremendously, even though teachers’ salaries are low (around £40 per month, which is less that the national average wage).

Children hold up number fans to answer questions – making sure that every child is active in the lesson and not hiding. You will also see how smart the students are. They had very little, and there were no school uniforms, but every child, at every age, was exceptionally well dressed and presented. They stood to answer questions in class and were used to coming to the blackboard to answer questions and explain their thoughts to their classmates. The ‘pointing stick’ was everywhere! There were few computers, but they did exist and students were very familiar with all the applications we are familiar with – Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc. However, there was a focus on basics, and both literacy and numeracy levels were very high. What was particularly encouraging was that the very highest standards were comparable with the very highest standards at Twynham. Our able students were of a similar standard and in some cases were ahead of the Russian children. Also, the attitudes and ‘feel’ of the schools was similar to Twynham where good relationships were evident. I found this very heartening indeed.

Lastly, I will conclude with my visit to the Military Academy at Omsk. The young men there were very impressive (but not more impressive than our own students.) What made me think was that here I was, in the military academy, which trains young officers. Ten or fifteen years ago this would have been unthinkable. I am from a generation that grew up with the Soviet threat and the Cold War. Here I was, speaking with these people and they were our genuine friends. The world is getting smaller and we can all learn from one another. We have similar hopes, dreams and fears. We all want security and the best for our children. Together, in the widest sense, we can make a better world. This is why I feel that the International Dimension of the School is so important. We will be looking to establish some links with the schools for the benefit of our own students as well as the Russians. Watch this space!

For further information contact: Janet Waters, subject leader for gifted and talented