Russia 2019 (36) KUZINO - It's A School Day

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Back on the bus we learned about some of the trade products of the area. Poultry and grains (rye, wheat, and barley) are big Russian exports. We had a rare cowherd sighting and learned cows are grown mostly indoors on private "farms." 

Lace (below), linen, and embroidery are also local products, as makers can work all winter on these wares. Some large sewing projects may take as long as seven years to complete and there are over 100 embroidery stitch types.
Here's a darling handicraft store.
As we rode along we saw some of the local homes.
 

And we saw the ever-present statue of Lenin in the heart of town. Lenin, Lenin everywhere!

Next we visited a children's school in Kuzino. It was a rare opportunity to glimpse Russia's educational system at work. In this school, 800 students in grades 1-7 attend and there are 51 teachers. The building (inside and out) reminded me of my old elementary school in rural Missouri (cement brick, windows, and aqua). Kids get to school by foot, bike, bus, or car.

Our guide was 7th grader Milana who was 14-years old. She was quite professional and grown-up for her age. She may have a great tour guide career ahead of her, which in Russia is a distinguished and hard-earned job.

At the entrance to the school, she proudly pointed out bulletin boards filled with certificates and trophy cases displaying school and student achievements. She mentioned they have a a big English and math proficiency competition each year. Awards are in the form of medals.

There was also a bulletin board dedicated to famous people from this region, such as cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin born in nearby Rybinsk. In 2018, he was assigned commandership of Soyuz MS-10. (FYI-This spaceflight, headed to the International Space Station, was aborted shortly after take-off due to failure of launch-vehicle boosters.)

Here are the teacher offices. There is a library with books and newspapers. There is also a medical staff, including a psychologist. We didn't see any lockers though. In a separate building, there is an area dedicated to dance and music.

We did not go inside but this is the entrance to the cafeteria. There was a line of sinks for kids to wash their hands before entering. Lunch might be an entree, soup, compote, pie, and tea. 

In a classroom we sat at student desks. That was a challenge for a few with weak knees or big butts. Milana's English was perfection for the main part of her presentation. When it came to questions, she did well, but had to get a little help from her accompanying teacher.

Milana explained everything about her school. They attend M-F from 8a-2p from September to May. At the end of May they participate in major testing to see where their strengths might lead them. Those tests were being conducted at this time and several of our guides with kids throughout our trip said the pressure was on for their own children to do well. Schools have central air, wi-fi, and computers to share.

Average classroom size is 25 students. Classes are Russian, math, literature, grammar, and more. They have the option to learn German, French, or English (most choose English). They do not teach sex education or hygiene classes. (This question really flustered Milana!). They have about 1-hour of homework each night.

Students have an option to attend an extra curricular class. Milana chose dance which includes classical Russian folk-dance and a little ballet. There are sports teams of volleyball, football, and basketball, and sewing and hobby groups.

Next we moved down the hall to the auditorium where we experienced a traditional Russian music and dance concert. Gina and Diane performed.

Last Milana told us about the nearby crafts made by the students, including artwork and handwork. We were able to purchase these and the money would go to the students. 

Various rag dolls have meaning (such as mother with baby in a cradle) and serve as protection for that purpose. Another with a coin in her pocket is for good luck. If dolls had one braid, that meant a single gal. Those with two braids were for married gals or grandmothers. All these were big purchases by the cruisers.

 

Milana had done a fabulous job and we gave her a big applause. After that class was dismissed.