Jan 13, 2005

The activities of the pedagogical collective of the school in the conditions of the three lingual ed


Polyakov V.
The headmaster of the Secondary school ? 37
Simferopol


The experiment carried out at the pedagogical collective of the school ? 37 of instruction in all three state languages of the Crimea: Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar is unique because until recently there was not anything similar at any school of the Crimea. At the present period at the school there is the complete parallel from 1 to 11 grade with instruction in Russian, 1-10 grades with instruction of all subjects in the Ukrainian language and 1-5 grades with instruction of all subjects in Crimean Tatar language.
Among the difficulties of the first stage we can mention the problem of selection of the staff. Any high school of the Crimea and the south of Ukraine does not train and does not prepare the teachers who could teach special subjects in the state language. Therefore it was necessary to stake on those teachers who are ethnic Ukrainians and who spend their childhood, and youth in «the Ukrainian lingual environment». Another difficulty is the complete absence of textbooks, but eventually this problem is gradually solved. The third difficulty and difficulty not passing is a very large number of "preparations" at the teacher, for example, the geographer who speaks the Ukrainian language instructs the geography in all grades from 6 to 11.
In case of illness or study of the teacher the replacement is not possible. Nevertheless the experiment on the organization of the educational process in the Ukrainian language has fully justified itself. There is no problem with recruitment of grades. In each parallel there are 15-20 pupils (with the minimum allowable amount - eight). The pupils became the prize-winners of the city Olympiads on the Ukrainian language – Glinyanaya Tanya, Govorov Egor - the prize-winner of the republican competition in chemistry.
Unfortunately the experiment with instruction on the Crimean Tatar language appeared less successful.
Already at the formation of the first class we faced with the problem, that parents do not want to send the children to «the national class». Originally we related this fact to the insufficient authority of the future teacher. From the neighbor school the skilled and honored in the microdistrict teacher was specially invited who managed to persuade the teachers and to set up a class of 12 children. The next year with even more difficulties the class was opened, but this time with 8 pupils, and in 2003 academic year there was no persons interested. After one year one of the opened classes disintegrated. And though the pupils of the Crimean Tatar class showed better knowledge of Russian language than the Russian class, and of mathematics better than in Russian and Ukrainian classes, nevertheless the general conclusion was that the experiment gave negative result.
The parents do not want, that their children studied in the national classes. The analysis revealed the following picture. The so-called “new Crimean Tatars” place their children to the elite educational institutions where English represents the basis language. «The middle class Crimean Tatars» try to place their children to gymnasia and Lyceum even if it is related with the high financial and transport expenses. The significant part of poor Crimean Tatars try to place their children to Russian or Ukrainian classes. One can understand them – it is a mimicry – the desire to merge with the environment, developed already on a genetic level.
Unfortunately, during all these five years of this unique experiment it is possible to note the complete indifference on the part of the Ministry of Education of the Crimea and the Committee on the affairs of the deported peoples which did not give a penny to assist the national classes, to what was taking place at the school. The exception was the association "Maarifchi", but its opportunities, as you known are very limited.
It is possible to distinguish the following conclusions of this experiment:
1. The classes with the Ukrainian language of instruction have the big future in the Crimea.
2. There were problems in the classes with Russian language of training - their main problem was – beyond the limit overcrowding - 32-35 pupils in a class. It is remarkable that in order to open the Ukrainian or Crimean Tatar class the applications of the parents of eight pupils are enough, for Russian class 25 is required! Evident discrimination.
3. The opening of the Crimean Tatar classes at a stage of an elementary school would be expedient with the subsequent instruction in Russian classes, but only under the provision of effective stimulation on the part of the Committee on the affairs of the deportees and other public organizations.
4. The experiment at the school 37 was carried out in subjective conditions - the headmaster is the Russian person – indigenous Crimea dweller who speaks Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian languages, what in general is not typical for the Crimea. In another educational institutions the attitude of the administration to the organization of the educational process in Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian languages in the best case is neutrally - indifferent (Study if you wish! Do not study if you don’t want. We won’t have any additional problems…), but in the majority of schools there is a frankly hostile attitude.
But even in such, extremely favorable conditions when the headmaster himself persuades parents, the Crimean Tatar classes showed both their frailty, and non interest of parents, the Committee on the affairs of the deportees, as well as the informal structures which till now were completely indifferent to what was taking place at the school.