Look in the book — see the stars
Dmitry Evstifeev
Vladimir Menshikov/”Khudozhnik RSFSR”Fragment of the poster “there is no God!” V. Menshikov, 1975
Students are not eager to add to the list of subjects studied astronomy. This is evidenced by data survey, conducted by the order of “Газеты.Ru”. It is noteworthy that the older the student, the more selecting additional items he prefers to study astronomy than the basics of religious cultures.
The news of the return of the lessons of astronomy in the school curriculum has pleased the scientific community, however, the students appeared to feel mixed emotions about.
“Газета.Ru” asked for a website Znanija.com and the company Brainly to conduct a survey among students to understand their relationship to the new object. Altogether, more than 7,500 students from different cities of Russia: about 1000 elementary school students, about 5500 of the middle classes and more than 1000 students.
First the students had to answer the question if they would be willing in principle to study astronomy in school.
As a result, the majority of students reacted to the idea without enthusiasm: 40% of students said “no”.
Another 35% said that they are for a new subject, and 25% were undecided. Obviously, the group found it difficult to answer a lot of guys who don’t quite know what will take place in the lessons of astronomy.
The following question was asked to find out what is your passion in schoolchildren: the spiritual and the Humanities or natural Sciences. So, it was proposed to compare astronomy and the other for the new modern schools of the subject foundations of religious cultures.
The result
most students see in the sky the first star: 39% were in favor of astronomy, and only 13% over the basics of religious cultures.
Another 34% of students said that they are not interested in neither one nor the other.
Finally, 14% are open to experimentation and has indicated that they are interested in both subjects.
Interestingly, the survey revealed the following trend:
the older the students, the more they prefer astronomy.
So, in elementary school astronomy, and the basics of religious cultures is almost equally interesting to students: 25% and 24%. But in the middle tier balance changes 38% vs 12%, and in high school astronomy and completely destroys “rival”: 48% versus 8%.
In General, according to the survey, the students would prefer other additional items for their program. So, the majority — 30% passed the test — would like to study a second foreign language. Another 28% of respondents would like to study in the school of business entrepreneurship, and 20% would have chosen for themselves the environment.
Recall
yesterday the Minister of education and science of Russia Olga Vasilyeva promised to return in the school curriculum the lessons of astronomy.
“I think it’s necessary. If you remember, we had an hour. I think this hour should be returned”, — said Olga Vasilyeva. According to Vasilieva, she does not know, at the expense of the subject of astronomy will return to the schedule of the schools.
“I don’t know yet how it will be, but what will happen for sure, 100%”, — she added.
Astronomy ceased to be a school subject in 2008, since its elements are geography and physics. This was due to the fact that none of that existed at the time textbooks of astronomy was not approved for use in schools.
Earlier, representatives of the scientific community in an interview with “Газетой.Ru” he shared his joy at the initiative of the Ministry of education.
“I appreciate that, yet the promise of the Minister, because until recently this is the present we could not dream, — said the scientific Director of Moscow planetarium Faina Rublev. — The Moscow planetarium in the spring, took the initiative to collect signatures for the return of astronomy in the school curriculum in the framework of the “Tell astronomy Yes.” We appealed to the planetariums of other cities, we have supported MSU, Roscosmos, and we gathered more than 25 thousand signatures, and now hold the all-Russian quiz on astronomy.
It’s just a gift! If the Minister said so, we can build on it, this is a very good sign.”
According to Ruble in 2011, according to VTSIOM, 30% of Russians did not know the Solar system and is a “disaster”.
“They did not know that the Earth revolves around the Sun — outraged Rublev. Is valid in the XXI century in a country which launched the first satellites? It’s a disaster, the level of astronomical literacy fell below nowhere.”
