The Year of Teacher started in Bashkortostan

Starting from January 1, teachers may celebrate their professional holiday every day. 2010 is declared the Year of Teacher in Russia. According to the Order of the RF President Dmitry Medvedev, it will be held to develop creative and professional potential of teachers and enhance social prestige of this profession. It is quite natural that the formal opening ceremony was held this very year in the teacher's training centre, the Akmulla Bashkir State Teacher's Training University.

Ildus Ilishev, the RB deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Culture and National Policy, Zinnat Allayarov, the RB Minister of Education, chancellors of universities, heads of education departments of municipal regions and cities of Bashkortostan, representatives of pedagogic community took part in the opening ceremony.

"The profession of a teacher is one of the most popular professions in the world," Zinnat Allayarov said in his speech of welcome. "Labour of teachers finds its reflection on lives of thousands of people and the whole countries. The personality of a teacher and his versatile activity are involved in every sphere."

It needs to mention that according to the rating of the Higher School of Economics, the educational system of our republic finds its place among top 10 systems of the regions of our country. About 4500 educational institutions work currently in Bashkortostan, over 870 thousand people are educated in them, the number of teachers comes to 190 thousand.

According to Zinnat Allayarov, the system of education in the Republic has been developing aggressively owing to incredible contribution of teachers.

"The number of participants of different academic competitions is growing year after year," he said. "Our talented young people find their places in the top best participants of competitions held within the framework of the trade national project. And the teachers themselves are the prize-winners of these contests."

The Minister said that the role and importance of education has been recognized on the top state level. The fact that 2010 has been declared the Year of Teacher is another demonstration of it.

In the course of the Year, we will not only summarize work undertaken but also set key priorities of the further development of school, the Minister said.

The 10th Congress of Teachers of the Republic of Bashkortostan is scheduled for 2010. Zinnat Allayarov expresses the hope that such high-level meeting of the experts at this trade will become an important indicator of the enhancement of the social status of this profession and teaching skill.

Rail Asadullin, the chancellor of the Akmulla Bashkir State Teacher's Training University, said in his welcoming speech that the theme year is a display of attention and public recognition of the profession of a teacher.

The teachers themselves confess that they look to the Year of Teacher for new social programs, grants, increase of salary, more attention from national authorities and, of course, bright students.