BUREAUCRATISM AS AN INDICATOR OF SYSTEMIC CONTRADICTIONS IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

Abstract

Introduction. The problem of a sharp increase in paperwork done by experts of an education system, educators and teachers has been repeatedly brought up by the pedagogical community. The teachers have to draw up endless reports, plans, schedules, references; as a consequence, teachers have less time and energy to perform direct professional duties – training and education of younger generation. Nevertheless, continuous appeals of “masses” and recurrent promises of “heads” to reduce the unreasonable bureaucratic reporting have not led even to the minimum positive changes. The aim of the publication is the identification and discussion of the causes of bureaucratism in education; comparison of the tendencies of development of the world pedagogical system with the processes of development of the Russian system of education. Methodology and methods of research. The methodological framework is based on the holistic approach, the complex systems theory, and the synergetics foundations. The study is made up of the comparative, structural and functional analysis of educational systems with the methods of modeling and forecasting application. Results and scientific novelty. It is proved that bureaucratism has objective nature; it is an indicator of a crisis situation, which in turn, is a consequence of systemic contradictions not only within the framework of the existing education system but also in the whole pedagogical system as an ideal foundation of the education institutions functioning. Having reflected own practice and analysed pedagogical publications, the author has systematized the crises of education according to the singled out levels of the contradictions which differ with degree of “globality”. The groups of contradictions of each of the levels that determine the depth of the crisis are formulated and described: contradictions between the existing global pedagogical system and the social, technical, natural world surrounding it; internal disagreement of elements of the system; particular and local discrepancies which are most often pointed out as the crisis reasons, but actually they are not. The latter involve insufficient financing, lack of teaching hours, low motivation of graduates of pedagogical universities for work within the specialty, etc. The mechanisms, dialectic character of the highlighted contradictions, and reaction of the governing structures to each of them are shown. The advantages and disadvantages of the “liberal” and “statist” approaches to the solution of problems of education are considered. The conclusion is drawn that global social, economic, technological changes and outlined trends in labour market reflect the demand for reorganization of the educational sphere which has less need of an integrated control center. Practical significance. Identification of the facts of the crisis aggravation and accompanying growth of bureaucratism enables to distinguish the strategic discrepancy between the managerial decisions and the existing trends in the educational system and the society as a whole. It is stated that the only proper strategy is the freedom of education, creation of a favourable environment for it instead of imposing of one’s authoritative and grounded decisions.