Russian Federation

According to Article 43 of the Constitution adopted in 1993, every Russian citizen is entitled to a free education. This right incorporates free provision of preschool, general primary, general secondary, and professional secondary education in state or municipal institutions, as well as access to free higher education on a competitive basis. Article 44 indicates that the church is separated from the state and education has a secular character.

The Law on Education, as well as numerous statutes and regulations of the Russian Federation, its autonomous republics, and other administrative units, give substance to these constitutional provisions. The Law on Education of the Russian Federation was adopted in 1992, upon the break up of the Soviet Union. After much argument, its amended version was approved in 1996. Corresponding laws have subsequently been enacted in the autonomous republics.

According to Article 2 of the Russian Federation Law, the main principles of Russian education include: its humanistic character, with priority given to humane values, human life, health, and free personality development; unity of the federal educational establishment, and protection of national cultures within a multicultural state; accessibility of education and its ability to adapt to different levels of student development and preparation; secularity; freedom and pluralism of education; and democratic character of administration and autonomy of educational institutions. The state educational standards established by the law include the federal, as well as national and regional components. Central (federal) organs generate the federal component, which specifies the mandatory minimum of the program content, maximum study load, and requirements for graduates. The state educational standard of basic general education is approved by the Russian Federation Supreme Soviet (Duma).

The law further outlines the legal framework of the educational system on a national scale, requirements to the academic process and its content, and defines the main goals of education. According to Article 8, the system of education in Russia included successive curricula and educational standards, a network of educational institutions of different types, and a system of administrative organs. Organizationally and legally educational institutions could be state, municipal, and non-state (private or affiliated with social and religious organizations). Articles 28 to 32 established the distribution of responsibilities between the federal, republic, regional, municipal administrative organs, and the educational institution itself. A newly organized institution had to receive a license from the state. Accreditation carried out by the federal organs defined the status of an educational institution, whereas attestation controlled the content, level, quality of student preparation, and their correspondence to the state standards. The law also regulated the economic and social aspects in the sphere of education and the international activities of institutions.