Упражнение 5. Speak about the functions of education.
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HIGHER EDUCATION IN RUSSIA Higher education plays an important part in the life of any country as it
provides the country with highly-qualified specialists for future development
and progress. It trains people to become teachers, engineers, doctors and other
professional workers.
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In all the industrial countries standards of living are steadily changing;
this means that the kind of education, which was good enough thirty years ago,
is not necessarily good for them today. The serious need to find ways and means
of ensuring continuous and thorough adoption of the universities to
contemporary needs in our rapidly changing world is widely recognized. And
this means that styles of teaching, quality of learning materials
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and
organization of the university itself have to be continuously brought up to date
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and improved.
Besides, knowledge and information which comes through the mass
media must also be taken into consideration. This information explosion
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has
affected every field of study, especially, of course, in the natural and applied
sciences and in all other sciences as well. The increase of information requires
new methods and new approaches to students' training and instruction
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.
At present a new system of education is introduced in this country – a
distance education system. This computer system of learning helps working
professionals to continue their education while remaining at their jobs. This
system enables people to get knowledge and a good foundation in the sciences
basic to his or her field of study. Distance learning has developed over years
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from satellite video courses to modern videoconferencing through personal
computers.
The academic year usually lasts 9 months and is divided into two terms
(semesters). The first- and second-year students obtain thorough instructions in
the fundamental sciences of mathematics, physics, chemistry and drawing as
well as computer engineering and a number of others. The curricula are enriched
and broadened
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by instructions in such subjects as foreign languages, history
and economics.
At the third year students get more advanced knowledge and begin to
concentrate on their special interests, so to say, their «major» subject and take
many courses in this subject. Specialized study and courses will help students to
become specialists and prepare them for their future work.
After four years students will get a bachelor's degree. Then the students
may go on with their studies and in a year or two of further study and research
get a master's degree. After graduating from the university they may go on with
their study and research and may get a still higher degree.
About 75 percent of students receive state grants and 15 percent are
sponsored by enterprises. Universities have their own students' hostels and some
of them have large and excellent sport centers.
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Education is a process through which culture is preserved, knowledge and
skills are developed, values are formed, and information is exchanged.