Teacher Training in Russia

A certified teacher is the one who has earned credentials from a reliable source, such as a higher education institution, a private source, or the government. The teacher qualification provides a teacher, an authorization to teach in pre-schools, primary or secondary education schools, colleges, universities or other institutions.

Training of Teachers in Russia

Russian schools have two levels when it comes to training of teachers:

•  Non-university level higher education
• University level higher education

Pre-school, Primary School and Lower Secondary school teachers are primarily trained at the non-university level, and teachers for lower-secondary and upper-secondary schools are trained at the university level.

Training of Pre-Primary and Primary/Elementary School Teachers in Russia

Non-university level educational institutions, such as technikums (technical) and colleges prepare teachers for pre-primary and primary schools. The course lasts for two to four-and-a-half years.

University level education institutions train teachers for primary and secondary schools. The duration of the course is five years.

Training of Secondary School Teachers

Teacher training is carried out in teacher training university-level institutions. The duration of the program is five years.

Training of Higher Education Teachers

A Post-graduate training is a must for higher education teachers. A Kandidat Nauk degree is mandatory for admittance to higher education teacher training course.

Teacher Training Institutions in Russia

Professional Institutions and Colleges at Non-University Level

Professional teacher training at the non-university level takes place at professional institutions (uchilishe) or colleges. These institutions mainly train teachers for preschools and primary schools and lasts for about 4 years. Students entering after year 11 follow a basic 3-year program, while students entering after year 9 follow a 4-year program. It is also possible to qualify as a lower secondary teacher, which is for years 5 to 9 classes.

Teacher Training Institutes and Universities at University Level

Teacher training institutes and universities train teachers for the lower (years 5-9) and upper secondary levels (years 10-11). A Specialist degree is needed to teach at upper secondary level.

Degrees

University-level teacher training leads to the same following degrees:

•  Bakalavr
•  Specialist
•  Magistr
•  Kandidat Nauk
•  Doktor Nauk

Students who have obtained a Bakalavr degree may continue their studies on a Specialist program that lasts one year or Magistr program that lasts for 2 years.

Curriculum

Teacher training course of studies is divided into:

• foundation studies/core course within the arts, social sciences and natural sciences; subject specialisation;
• studies in biology and medicine;
• studies in education and psychology
• introduction to the teaching profession, i.e. in-service teacher training.
  

All academic positions are filled through competition. The staffing procedure for all teaching positions is the same. Vacancies are advertised in newspapers, or applicants can browse the web and look for the current vacancies in various Russian schools.