THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN

The state policy of the Republic of Tatarstan in the sphere of education is aimed at the realization of the rights of citizens for receiving high-quality education, strengthening and development of the national school, creation of conditions for the development of two-language education, harmonization of relations among nations and preservation of life and health of children and adolescents.

The Ministry of Education of Tatarstan is guided in its activity by the laws of the republic УOn EducationФ and УOn Languages of Peoples of the Republic of TatarstanФ.

The Ministry of Education has worked out a package of documents the provision of which is now carried out, such as the Programme of Development of Education in the Republic of Tatarstan for 1998-2001, a comprehensive programme УChildren of TatarstanФ as well as the programmes of computerization of education and development of primary professional education and the Basic Curriculum of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The educational system of the republic, being a component part of the united federal educational space, has at the same time its own specific regional and national features the basic of which are: Ч coordination of the federal and republican strategy of the development of education, all-round support for the Tatars living outside Tatarstan; Ч working out of republican educational standards coordinated with the federal ones; Ч creation of a united methodological field of educational activity.

Today the state system of education in the republic incorporates over five thousand educational establishments. These establishments are attended by over 800,000 schoolchildren and students; their teaching personnel is about 85,000.

In Tatarstan there are 1,220 schools where education is conducted in the Tatar language and 437 mixed schools. There are also Russian, Chuvash, Mari, Udmurt and Mordovian schools.

The President of the Republic of Tatarstan M. Shaimiyev and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Tatarstan consider concern for the health and well-being of children the priority task.

The programme УEducation and Health of Schoolchildren in Republic of TatarstanФ has been worked out and is now actively realized. Its basic strategic aim is the improvement of the health of schoolchildren and the propaganda of the healthy way of life.