VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
After sitting in on a lecture on "Culture, Media and Oversight in the Modern World," Prime Minister Vladimir Putin decided to give a short talk of his own in which he differed with some points the teacher had made. In particular, it was incorrect, in his view, to say that the intellectual sphere comprised science and education alone. "The intellectual sphere must have a firm moral foundation. Science and education alone cannot guarantee sustainable development," he said.
Mr Putin then answered numerous questions from the pupils. Replying to a question about whether it was possible to control the media, he said, "You can always control this or that, but a better question is whether the government has the right to interfere." The prime minister told pupils that it is better to focus on promoting understanding and fostering an aversion within people to negative things rather than imposing restrictions.
By the same token, he believes that radical measures should not be used to fight smoking: "There should be some restrictions, of course, but we must not overdo it, because dramatic bans will not solve the problem." As an example, he pointed to the anti-drinking campaign of the 1980s. Vineyards were closed and high-quality alcohol ceased to be produced, but this only led to an increase in home brew. "Smoking is a serious problem for the country; here we need education and propaganda – straightforward and blunt – to show how smoking damages the lungs, causes cancer, and affects offspring," he said. Aside from that, the prime minister believes it makes sense to raise taxes on tobacco producers.
The prime minister was also asked about the university enrolment system. "We must improve the system," said Mr Putin. But he joked that "hundreds and thousands of people are thinking about how to make laws, while millions are thinking about how to evade them. But this is not to say that nothing should be changed. The rules will be improved."
Asked how the authorities intended to combat brain drain, the prime minister responded: "People with good training, valuable experts are, in a sense, commodities. They go where the conditions are best for using their skills and where the best opportunities are."
He took issue with some pupils' claim that Russia has an inferior higher education system: "If we had a poor higher education system, there would be no brain drain. Who would need them, theses brains? The fact that they are going elsewhere means they are high-quality," he said.
The prime minster acknowledged that there were problems both with secondary and higher education in Russia, but said, "The level of Russian education is still competitive." He reminded his audience that good scientists, who are in demand the world over, face no restrictions on their movement; the borders are open, and if a person can find better use for his or her talents elsewhere, he or she has every right to go where they wish. "Europeans also leave for America," he said.
However, according to the prime minister, many countries, including Russia, are developing sets of measures designed to bring experts back home. "We have already begun to address this. I know people who worked for years abroad and now are coming back to Russia," he said. The prime minister believes that the ground must be laid for this, which means, first and foremost, making it easy and comfortable for scientists to carry out their research. Earnings are important, of course, but not the decisive factor in the prime minister's opinion. "It is just as important to be able to buy a flat and to start a family," he said, adding that there were examples of this in Russia, although it is, unfortunately, not widespread.
One pupil raised the issue of relations between parents and children, including adopted children. "The government should impose definite rules that would protect children's interests," he said. He reminded his audience that a number of amendments had been made to the current legislation, including ones regarding the adoption of [Russian children] by foreigners. "The process is rather strict now," he said, citing the example of former German Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder and his wife, who had adopted a boy and a girl from Russia.
Regarding the issue of the Moscow Region transferring some of its territories over to the city of Moscow, he said that Moscow could no longer develop within its present borders. All the city's areas are densely built up and further expansion is not feasible. The congestion causes problems with social services and hinders the development of utility grids. "So, the decision to expand [into the Moscow Region] is a very timely one," he said. He acknowledged, however, that it is still hard to say how and when this expansion will occur.
The issue of teachers' wages was also raised during the visit to the school. "The governor (Boris Gromov, Moscow Region Governor) said wages would be increased next year following the rise in the average wage in the region. Nationally the average wage is 24,000 (roubles per month); in the Moscow Region it stands at 27,000, and it will rise to 33,000 next year," he said.
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After touring the school, the prime minister talked to some Podolsk residents, including students' parents.
