Russians say that today compulsory school subjects are more useful and important than they were ten years ago. Mathematics, Russian Language and History are the most useful subjects.
MOSCOW, February 28, 2019. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data of a study devoted to the school subjects Russians consider to be the most important in life.
For ten years, the importance of every school subject in the school curriculum has grown. As before, Mathematics is regarded to be the most important subject (an increase from 50% in 2009 to 72% in 2019). This is followed by Russian, with 64% (vs 47% in 2009). Respondents less often mention History (38%), Literature (37%), and Physics (33%). Far fewer respondents cite foreign languages (23%), Chemistry (18%), Geography (14%), Computer Science (12%), English (11%), Physical Education (11%) and Biology (10%).
As ten years ago, 7% of Russians are confident that every subject is important. At the same time, there is an opinion that certain subjects are impractical; they are Religion (6%), Music (5%), Drawing and Physics (4%, each). Others consider Health and Safety, Social Science and Handicrafts useless (3%, each). Least impractical subjects are second foreign language, Algebra, ethnic languages, Geography, Natural Sciences, Computer Science, Regional Study, Literature, Culture, German, History, Technical Drawing, and Psychology (1%, each). However, 62% fail to give any answer.
VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on February 25, 2019. The survey involved 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over. The survey was telephone-based and was carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of landline and mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
Modern school curriculum is very broad. In your opinion, what school subjects will be of use for children in the future? (open-ended question, up to 5 answers, % of total respondents, shown are answers of at least 1% of respondents) | ||
| 2009 | 2019 |
Algebra / Maths | 50 | 72 |
Russian Language / Russian grammar | 47 | 64 |
History / World History / Political Science | 24 | 38 |
Literature / Reading | 16 | 37 |
Physics | 17 | 33 |
Foreign languages | 20 | 23 |
Chemistry | 9 | 18 |
Geography / Geology | 7 | 14 |
Computer Science / Software Engineering | 12 | 12 |
English | 4 | 11 |
Physical Education | 4 | 11 |
Biology | 3 | 10 |
Social Science | 1 | 6 |
Handicrafts / Labor training | 1 | 3 |
Ethnic language / Rhetoric | - | 2 |
Russian History | - | 2 |
Astronomy | - | 2 |
Geometry | 0 | 2 |
Health and Safety + Medicine | 2 | 2 |
Elementary Science / Environment / Natural Sciences | 0 | 2 |
Economy and Finance | 1 | 2 |
Religion | 0 | 1 |
Art | 0 | 1 |
Music / Rhythmic | - | 1 |
Fundamentals of Law / Civic studies | 0 | 1 |
Psychology | 0 | 1 |
Technical Drawing | 0 | 1 |
Every subject is important | 12 | 1 |
Other | 1 | 1 |
Don’t know | 25 | 13 |
In your opinion, what subjects taught in schools today are more likely to be impractical in the future? (open-ended question, up to 5 answers, % of total respondents, shown are answers of at least 1% of respondents) | ||
| 2009 | 2019 |
Every subject is important | 7 | 7 |
Religion / Theology / Orthodox Culture | 1 | 6 |
Music / Rhythmic | 4 | 5 |
Art | 4 | 4 |
Chemistry | 6 | 4 |
Health and Safety / Elementary Military Training | 1 | 3 |
Social Science / Ethics | 1 | 3 |
Handicrafts / Labor training | 1 | 3 |
Physics | 4 | 3 |
Astronomy | 1 | 2 |
Biology / Botanics | 2 | 2 |
Geometry / Trigonometry | 2 | 2 |
Physical Education / Healthy Lifestyle | 2 | 2 |
Second foreign language | - | 1 |
Algebra / Maths | 1 | 1 |
Ethnic languages | - | 1 |
Geography | 1 | 1 |
Natural Science / Environment | 0 | 1 |
Computer Science | 0 | 1 |
Foreign languages | 3 | 1 |
Regional Study / Origins (History of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area; Kuban Studies etc.) | - | 1 |
Literature | 1 | 1 |
Culture (speech, native land, World art, etc. | 0 | 1 |
German | - | 1 |
History | 1 | 1 |
Technical Drawing | 2 | 1 |
Psychology / Family Psychology / Sexology | - | 1 |
Other | 2 | 1 |
Don’t know | 69 | 62 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!