Russia celebrates Knowledge Day

More than 22 million Russian pupils and students are marking Knowledge Day. This year about 5 million students will study in universities, 2.8 million students will study in colleges and technical schools. A total of 14.1 million pupils will go to school today. 1.6 million children will start their education this year.

There are 43.2 thousand public and 751 private schools in Russia nowadays. 77% of them are working in one shift, but there are also those where the educational process is conducted in two or even three shifts.

Since September 1st, every school will receive electronic textbooks in addition to traditional paper ones. They correspond to the printed versions but contain multimedia elements.

There are about 3.3 thousand colleges and technical schools in Russia. This year, the number of budget places in vocational education programs has increased by 41% - from 512 to 722 thousand. There are 950 high schools in the country and around 1300 branches. The number of university students now is about 5.2 million, the number of teachers is about 300 thousand.

The country's leaders will traditionally visit schools and universities today. Thus, Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to the educational center Sirius for gifted children in Sochi. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will visit an educational institute in Ryazan, the chairman of the State Duma Sergei Naryshkin will visit Kingisepp School in the Leningrad region, the speaker of the Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko, will visit a school in Shchelkovo. Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich will meet with students of Moscow school №1240, and Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets will visit Moscow lyceé №1535.

Yesterday the first special mathematical school was opened in the Chechen capital. The ceremony was attended by the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, State Duma deputy, Adam Delimkhanov, the speaker of the republic's parliament, Magomed Daudov, the head of administration of the head of the Chechen government, Islam Kadyrov, and other officials.

A new school was named after the scientist, the founder and first president of the Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Physical and Chemical Sciences Khamzat Ibragimov.

The head of Dagestan, Ramazan Abdullatipov, congratulated students and pupils. According to the acting head of North Ossetia, Tamerlan Aguzarov, all the educational institutions of the republic were on course and fully prepared for the new academic year.