Russian Education Minister Sergey Kravtsov has announced that ten schools in every region of Russia will experiment with a new behavior grading system during the current academic year.
Speaking in an interview with news outlet KP.RU, the online platform of daily newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, Kravtsov explained that the rollout is not being rushed following initial testing during the previous school year. Pilot schools evaluated three distinct grading models in the past academic year, from which education officials selected one model deemed the most successful.
The selected evaluation model will now undergo practical testing in ten designated schools within each region across the country. Officials will make a final decision on whether to adopt the conduct marks nationwide after reviewing the outcomes of this experimental phase.
Evaluation model and teacher protection
Kravtsov stated that grades for student behavior will definitely be introduced into the school system. He noted that preliminary results from early testing are already viewed as positive, although the exact format and phrasing of the grades will be refined in the near future.
The minister emphasized that the initiative is not designed solely to penalize students who break discipline with low marks. According to Kravtsov, the system will also serve to reward pupils who earn top grades for good conduct. He added that the primary purpose of the behavior mark is to act as a clear signal for parents while providing additional professional protection for teachers in the classroom.
Background on Russian school governance
Education policy in Russia is overseen centrally by the Ministry of Education, which manages primary and secondary schooling across the country's constituent regions. The Russian school calendar traditionally begins in September, with academic performance evaluated on a five point grading scale. Kravtsov has served as Russia's Minister of Education since January 2020, having previously headed the federal education supervision agency Rosobrnadzor.
The announcement follows earlier comments from Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the State Duma, who recommended that Russian school students choose demanding academic subjects. Volodin, who leads the lower house of the Russian parliament, stressed that the future lives of students depend directly on their diligence and hard work during their school years.
