Saratov Minister Sees Benefits in Fewer Schoolchildren

The problem of teacher shortages in schools in Saratov Oblast is planned to be solved within the next two to three years. This was stated today at a meeting of the regional government by the Minister of Education, Alexander Pazhitnev.

The main tool, according to the minister, is increasing the enrollment of students under targeted contracts. University graduates who studied under such contracts will be required to work for a certain period in a specific school. This will allow directing young specialists precisely to those educational institutions where the staffing shortage is most acute.

Pazhitnev noted that the situation is eased by a slight decrease in the total number of students in the region, which allows for a more rational distribution of workload among teachers and creates an opportunity to address the staffing issue.

Separate attention at the meeting was given to after-school groups. The Governor of Saratov Oblast, Roman Busargin, emphasized their high demand among parents and instructed to continue developing this area.

«In the case of new schools, such an opportunity should be permanent,» stated the head of the region.

According to data as of today, 989 after-school groups are already operating in 520 schools in the oblast, attended by over 21,000 children.