On July 19, 1920, the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for the Elimination of Illiteracy was established. The population of Soviet Russia between the ages of 8 and 50 was obliged to learn how to write and read. The large-scale program was successfully carried out. We want to remember the wars against illiteracy from Yaroslav the Wise to the present day.
Literacy. Beginnings
The beginning of the spread of literacy in Russia dates back to the late 10th and early 11th centuries. Under Vladimir Svyatoslavovich and Yaroslav, they “took children” away from “deliberate people” and taught them to read and write and the dogmas of faith. It is interesting that Vladimir himself was illiterate, while Yaroslav “read books himself”. Around 1030, Yaroslav ordered in Novgorod to collect 300 children from the elders and priests and teach them to read and write. The purpose of the school was to prepare worthy ministers of the church. In fact, it was the first educational institution. By 1080, the news of the school for women founded by Princess Anna belongs. In the XII century, the Smolensk prince Roman Rostislavovich spent all his funds on the creation of schools. Thus, it can be argued that by the 12th century, literacy was widespread not only among church ministers, but also among secular people, mainly princes. However, one should not overestimate the limits of literacy at that time, the same Dmitry Donskoy was illiterate. The state of education was so bad that at the end of the 15th century. I had to put the illiterate as priests.
Illiterate top and bottom
At the Stoglav Cathedral (1551), it was decided to establish schools with priests, deacons and clerks in the houses of the school for teaching "literacy, book writing and church singing and reading in cash"; but the decision of the council was not carried out. The clergy were too poor and ignorant for that. Schools existed only in large centers. So, in 1553, mention is made of the opening of schools at the new dioceses in Kazan and Kargopol. Under Boris Godunov, it was planned to establish secular schools in Russia, but the ensuing unrest prevented this. At the end of the XVI century. of the 22 boyars who signed the letter of electing Godunov to the throne, four did not know the letter; out of 22 stewards, 8 were illiterate. The nobles and boyar children knew even less literacy. In one act of the XVI century. out of 115 princes and boyar children, only 47 people could sign their names. Needless to saythat among the "common people" literacy in pre-Petrine time was zero.
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Peter I
The first to seriously pay attention to the spread of literacy was Peter I. In 1714, he established digital, or arithmetic schools, in which literacy, calculus and the foundations of geometry were taught. Pupils studied for free and paid only to leave school. Nobles and officials were supposed to send their children 10-15 years old to arithmetic schools; later this order was extended to persons of other classes. From 1714 to 1722, 1389 students were in all digital schools, of whom only 93 completed the course. By the end of the reign of Peter I, there were about 110 lower schools in Russia. The main goal of Peter the Great was to train enlightened personnel for the civil service. After the death of the emperor, the activities of educational institutions opened by him practically did not develop. Under Catherine I and Peter II, only a few schools were opened to teach the children of priests. Anna Ioannovna established several garrison schools, while the activities of digital schools completely ceased. Empress Elizabeth tried to actively introduce educational institutions and even threatened with fines for failure to comply with regulations, but many of her orders remained only on paper. However, the desire for education grew among the people. Home education was already developed at that time among the Pomors, on the banks of the Volga, in Novorossiya.however, many of her orders remained only on paper. However, the desire for education grew among the people. Home education was already developed at that time among the Pomors, on the banks of the Volga, in Novorossiya.however, many of her orders remained only on paper. However, the desire for education grew among the people. Home education was already developed at that time among the Pomors, on the banks of the Volga, in Novorossiya.
Reforms of Catherine the Great
Catherine II made a significant contribution to the cause of education. During the years of her reign, schools began to open, the programs of which included such subjects as reading, writing, arithmetic, drawing and catechism for "children of the Greco-Russian confession." The big problem, however, was the lack of teachers, lack of funds and good textbooks. In 1782, a commission was established, which was entrusted with the development of curricula, plans for the establishment of educational institutions, the opening of schools and the training of capable teachers. According to the developed curriculum, all public schools were divided into 3 categories: small (2 grades), middle (3 grades), and main (4 grades and 5 years of study). In small schools it was supposed to teach the Law of God, reading, writing, the basics of grammar, drawing, arithmetic and read the book "On the Positions of Man and Citizen."In the third grade of secondary schools, catechism, sacred history, Christian morality, explanation of the Gospel, arithmetic, grammar, general and Russian history, and brief geography were taught. In the main schools, geometry, architecture, mechanics, physics, natural history and the German language were added to the listed subjects. Catherine also ordered the teaching of various languages in localities (for example, Greek in Novorossiysk, Kiev and Azov provinces, Chinese in Irkutsk), but in fact these languages were never taught in public schools.mechanics, physics, natural history and the German language. Catherine also ordered the teaching of various languages in localities (for example, Greek in Novorossiysk, Kiev and Azov provinces, Chinese in Irkutsk), but in fact these languages were never taught in public schools.mechanics, physics, natural history and the German language. Catherine also ordered the teaching of various languages in localities (for example, Greek in Novorossiysk, Kiev and Azov provinces, Chinese in Irkutsk), but in fact these languages were never taught in public schools.
Freedom to the peasants, letters - to them
In the 19th century, the development of education reached a radically new level. Despite significant obstacles, schools were opened and new educational programs were introduced. A big problem for studying literacy statistics was still the bureaucratic nature of counting, far from the true state of affairs. Many schools existed only on paper, control over the execution of decrees of the Ministry of Public Education was carried out very badly. The spread of literacy begins to make progress only after the liberation of the peasants, with the development of the participation of the zemstvo in public education. Emperor Alexander II, who liberated the peasantry from serf slavery, gave the people's school the necessary ground for development and created in Russia a completely new organization of the entire work of public education. The shortage of teaching materials remained serious. All textbooks were subject to strict censorship, the shortage of manuals was very acute, which slowed down the process of introducing literacy among the population.
Educational program - to be
By the end of the 19th century, the literacy of the population of the Russian Empire was very low for a country that had long taken the path of industrial development. By 1917, a significant part of the country's population remained illiterate (especially in Central Asia). On June 19, 1920, the Council of People's Commissars adopted a decree establishing the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for the Elimination of Illiteracy (VChK educational program), whose resolutions were binding. It was formed to fulfill the 1919 decree on the elimination of illiteracy and from 1920-1930 supervised the education of the illiterate and semi-literate. People's Commissar of Education Anatoly Lunacharsky was in charge of the affairs of this commission. The largest social contingent, in which it was necessary to fight illiteracy, were the so-called homeless children - children who have lost not only relatives,but also a place of residence during the First World War and the Civil War. In the RSFSR in 1921 there were 4.5 million of them], and in the USSR as a whole in 1922 - up to 7 million. Work with street children was reflected in the work of the author of the "Pedagogical Poem" Anton Makarenko.
Each settlement with the number of illiterates over 15 had to have a literacy school (literacy center). The term of study at such a school was 3-4 months. The training program included reading, writing, counting. Adults could also study at the health centers. At the same time, their working hours were reduced while maintaining wages.
The task of eliminating illiteracy was not easy. By 1926, the USSR was ranked 19th among European countries in terms of literacy, behind countries such as Portugal and Turkey. Nevertheless, with the help of the same cultural trips, when large masses of the population were trained with the help of the public, the fight against illiteracy achieved significant success. By 1940, the situation was no longer catastrophic. Literacy was approaching 100%.
If we talk about today, then, unfortunately, the question of literacy is still open. Distortion of language norms is widespread on the Internet, but, oddly enough, this makes many people more attentive to their native language.
