Number of schools in Russia down 45% over 25 years, rural areas hit hardest
Since 2000, Russia has closed nearly half of its schools, with state schools in rural areas suffering the biggest losses, according to a report by the Higher School of Economics. Many remaining schools also lack basic facilities and face a teacher shortage.
The Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge at Russia's Higher School of Economics has published a report titled "Education in Figures," covering key indicators of the country's education system over the past 25 years. According to the data, the number of operating primary and secondary schools in Russia has fallen by 45% since 2000 — nearly halving.
At the start of the 21st century, Russia had almost 70,000 schools; this school year fewer than 38,000 remain. State schools in rural areas have been hit hardest, losing 25,000 schools, or 55%, over the 25-year period. Even in cities, where residents from remote regions and villages are relocating, the number of schools has also dropped — by roughly a quarter, from 20,700 in 2000 to under 17,000 now.
The number of students declined by less over the same period, from 20.5 million in 2000 to 17.7 million last year, a 14% drop.
Reasons for closures and infrastructure problems
Russian media cite budget savings, population outflow from small villages, and staff shortages as the main reasons behind the closure of mostly rural and small schools. Despite the closures, the technical condition of the schools that remain often falls short of basic standards.
The project "Yesli byt tochnym," citing Ministry of Education data, previously reported that as of two years ago, more than a third — in some cases more than half — of schools in certain regions lacked basic amenities. In Tyva, 68% of schools had no central heating and half had no sewage system; in Dagestan and Yakutia, more than 40% of schools operated without sewage. About a quarter of all Russian schools need major repairs, and roughly 500 are in such disrepair they have been declared unsafe.
Teacher shortage
Ministry of Education data show that due to a shortage of teachers, more than 40,000 students are currently teaching classes in Russian schools and colleges — not only those from teacher-training universities. Since last summer, Russia has allowed university students from their fourth year onward to work as teachers regardless of their field of study, a right previously reserved for education majors. The newspaper Vedomosti notes that Moscow barely feels the teacher shortage since starting salaries there are around 180,000 rubles (about 1,800 euros), but the situation varies elsewhere, as teacher pay depends heavily on individual regions' resources, leaving a significant gap between areas. In addition, Russian schools critically lack young teachers — according to consulting firm SBS, nearly half of all teachers are over 50.
