Education: The Contribution of the Government, Society, and the Individual

Abstract

we analyzed the educational ideas presented in the monograph by E. P. Velikhov, V. B. Betelin, and A. G. Kushnirenko and examined Prof. Vladimir Betelin’s contribution to the development of Russian computer science, computer engineering, and the system for training scientific and engineering personnel. Drawing on the monograph, historical sources, and our personal recollections, we studied the evolution of school and engineering education in Russia in the context of the country’s scientific and technological development. We also examined the historical experience of Soviet educational reforms and their role in shaping a mass system for training engineers, scientists, and teachers. Particular attention was paid to the introduction of computer science into the school curriculum in the 1980s and its significance for the development of computer science education in Russia. We examined the relationship between government policy, the scientific community, and educational institutions in developing the human resources required for advances in cybernetics, computer engineering, and high-technology industries. We analyzed the emergence and development of mathematical clubs, specialized physics-and-mathematics schools, academic competitions, and school computer science as key components of the system for preparing future engineers, programmers, and researchers. We also considered V. B. Betelin’s views on the role of education in the country’s scientific and technological development and in training specialists for computer engineering, computer science, and high-technology industries.