CODEL PELL: PELL/SARBANES MEETING WITH MINISTER OF EDUCATION PROKOFIEV IN MOSCOW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP07-00581R000201490004-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 14, 2012
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: August 30, 1983
• Content Type: CABLE

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/14: CIA-RDP07-00581 R000201490004-3
UNCLASSIFIED
OLL/LD
INCOMING
STAT
STAT
PAGE 001
TOR: 301409Z AUG 83
RR RUEAIIB
ZNR UUUUU ZOC STATE ZZH
STU3515
RR RUEHC
DE RUEHMO #0817 2371623
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 2516232 AUG 83
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHOC 0086
INFO RUFHLG/AMCONSUL LENINGRAD 3535
RUEHIA/USIA WASHDC 4962
BT
UNCLAS MOSCOW 10817
E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PGOV, OREP, SCUL, UR
SUBJECT: CODEL PELL: PELL/SARBANES MEETING WITH MINISTER
OF EDUCATION PROKOFIEV IN MOSCOW
1. IN GREETING HIS GUESTS. MINISTER OF EDUCATION MIKHAIL
PROKOFIEV SPOKE OF THE SMALL SIZE OF HIS MINISTRY,
WHICH SHARED THE FIELD WITH THE MINSTRY OF HIGHER
AND SPECIALIZED EDUCATION AND ALSO WITH THE STATE
COMMLTTEE ON PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION, WHEREAS IN THE
UNITED STATES ALL DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED WITH EDUCATION
ARE COMBINED IN ONE DEPARTMENT--A SITUATION WHICH
PROKOFIEV SEEMED TO ENVY. THOUGH THERE ARE THREE
BUREAUCRACIES IN THE SOVIET UNION, THE MINISTER
CONTINUED, THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION HAS ONLY 300
EMPLOYEES IN MOSCOW.
2. IN ANSWER TO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT ELEMENTARY
EDUCATION, PROKOFIEV SAID THAT THE LENGTH OF SCHOOLING
IS EITHER TEN OR ELEVEN YEARS, DEPENDING ON WHETHER
RUSSIAN IS STUDIED AS A SECOND LANGUAGE. THUS, THERE
IS AN EXTRA YEAR OF STUDY IN THE BALTIC REPUBLICS. AS
AN EXAMPLE. CONTINUING. HE SAID THAT THE BEGINNING
SCHOOL AGE WILL DROP FROM SEVEN TO SIX; STUDENTS WORK
THREE YEARS WITH THE SAME TEACHER BEFORE BEGINNING TO
ATTEND CLASSES WITH DIFFERENT TEACHERS WHO SPECIALIZE;
MATH IS COMPULSORY IN ALL 10 YEARS, AS IS STUDY OF THE
MOTHER TONGUE AND LITERATURE; PHYSICS STUDY BEGINS IN
THE FIFTH GRADE, AND NATURAL SCIENCE IN THE FOURTH;
THE LENGTH OF STUDY OF GENERAL GEOGRAPHY VARIES-FROM
REPUBLIC TO REPUBLIC AND EVEN WITHIN REPUBLICS, BUT
ECONOMIC AND PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY IS STUDIED FOR FOUR
SEQUENTIALLY, BEGINNING WITH ANCIENT; THERE IS INCREASED
OPPORTUNITY BEGINNING WITH THE EIGHTH GRADE TO DRAW FROM
ELECTIVES; A SECOND LANGUAGE (OTHER THAN RUSSIAN WHERE
IT IS NOT THE MOTHER TONGUE) IS TAKEN BEGINNING WITH
THE FOURTH YEAR.
3. IN ANSWER TO FURTHER QUESTIONS ON LANGUAGE STUDY,
PROKOFIEV SAID THAT 70 PERCENT TAKE ENGLISH OR GERMAN,
WHICH ARE NOW STUDIED ABOUT EQUALLY, WHEREAS ONLY A
UNCLASSIFIED
i Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/14 _ CIA-RDP07-00581 R000201490004-3 ~-M
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/14 CIA-RDP07-00581 R000201490004-3
UNCLASSIFIED
OF STUDENTS PER CLASS IS 40. WITH AN AVERAGE OF 29.
CLASSES ARE OF 45 MINUTE DURATION. WITH VARYING BREAKS
BETWEEN. PHYSICAL EDUCATION IS COMPULSORY, SEVERAL
TIMES A WEEK--AT LEAST TWICE--AND A RICH VARIETY OF.
83 2023654 SUR PAGE 002 NC 2023654
TOR: 301409Z AUG 83
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FEW YEARS AGO, GERMAN WAS THE MOST POPULAR LANGUAGE.
FRENCH IS TAKEN BY 20 PERCENT, WITH THE OTHER TEN PER-
CENT TAKING PRIMARILY. ARABIC, TURKISH AND SPANISH,'
WITH SPECIAL BOARDING SCHOOLS OFFERING CHINESE, "A
VERY DIFFICULT LANGUAGE. IN ADDITION TO, AND AT AN
EARLIER DATE THAN. STUDY OF ONE'S MOTHER TONGUE, THERE
IS COMPULSORY STUDY OF RUSSIAN, BEGINNING NO LATER. THAN
IN THE SECOND GRADE--DEPENDING ON THE REPUBLIC--AND
SOMETIMES AS EARLY AS IN KINDERGARTEN. THE LANGUAGE
OF INSTRUCTION AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL ALSO VARIES
CONSIDERABLY FROM REPUBLIC TO REPUBLIC. AT TASHKENT
U., FOR EXAMPLE, SOME COURSES ARE IN RUSSIAN, SOME
IN UZBEK, SOME IN BOTH LANGUAGES.
4. IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION FROM MRS. SARBANES,
MINISTER PROKOFIEV SAID THAT 70 PERCENT OF THE
ELEMENTRY SCHOOL TEACHERS ARE WOMEN. PERFORMANCE IS
EVALUATED BY A COMMISSION CONSISTING OF HALF TEACHERS
AND HALF BUREACRATS. SALARIES ARE BASED ON AN 18-HOUR
WEEK, AND ALL TEACHERS WITH THE SAME LENGTH OF SERVICE
AND THE SAME DESIGNATION OF RESPONSIBILITY GET THE
SAME SALARY. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS RECOGNIZED THAT
SOME SUBJECTS REQUIRE MORE CHECKING OF HOMEWORK AND
VARIOUS PAPERS BY STUDENTS, AND THOSE WHO TEACH THESE
SUBJECTS RECEIVE AN EXTRA AMOUNT. THE MAXIMUM NUMBER
ZIMMERMANN
END OF MESSAGE UNCLASSIFIED
'UNCLASSIFIED
1 1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/03/14_ CIA-RDP07-00581 R000201490004-3