Russian Education underway towards the market: conceptual grounds and administrative objectives

Abstract

The scientific and technological progress substantiates significant economic and social changes, and imposes specific requirements on the sphere of education, first and foremost, with regards to preparation of modern specialists. Actualization of such requirements is mediated by the state educational policy and corresponding administrative decisions and measures. The article examines the problems of Russian higher education in the context of proliferation of the ideas and practices of new public management (NPM). The theoretical framework of this research is comprised of the theory of human capital in its historical context and critical perspective. Special attention is given to the problem of adaptation of the sphere of education to the market economy and its values – competition, individualism, and social inequality. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that the theory of human capital is used for criticizing the methods and results of NPM in educational sphere. It is revealed that the effectiveness of education and its contribution to the economy remains low. The currently implemented model of public administration model in accordance with the concept of NPM has an ambiguous effect. On the one hand, the pursuit of making education open, modern, and economically justified; while on the other hand, the impact of noneconomic factors is neglected. The conclusion is made on the importance of the quality of administrative impact aimed at not only the output of education, but primarily, the development of human capital.