Chemistry in School: «Roshimreactiv» Raises Education Issue

On the first day of the «KHIMIA-2025» exhibition, November 10, the «Roshimreactiv» Association held a discussion «Chemistry in School: The Importance of a Practice-Oriented Approach in Education. Provision of Educational Materials.»

The event was attended by: GC «Krismas», a member of the Association; the All-Russian Public Organization of Chemistry Teachers and Educators; the M.V. Lomonosov Institute of Fine Chemical Technologies; the Corporate University for Education Development of the Moscow Region; and the Moscow Polytechnic University. The moderator was Irina Vendilo, General Director of the «Roshimreactiv» Association.

Event partners: «Roshimreactiv» Association, Russian Union of Chemists, All-Russian Public Organization of Chemistry Teachers and Educators, GC «Krismas».

At the beginning of the discussion, Liudmila Semyonovna Levina, Chairperson of the All-Russian Public Organization of Chemistry Teachers and Educators, Editor-in-Chief of the journal «Khimiia v shkole» (Chemistry in School), spoke about the importance and formation of a practice-oriented approach to teaching chemistry.

«Times have come when scientific disciplines are in trend. Everything starts at school, with the teacher. Our task is to improve teachers’ qualifications by any means. We all must work towards this greatest mission. At this turning point, when the ministry is investing very large resources in developing and improving the quality of training for pedagogical staff in teacher training institutes, classical universities should also help us. Those who work on equipment and teaching aids should also interact more closely with schools.»

Aleksei Iurevich Ovchinnikov, Head of the Center for Vocational Education Development at the Corporate University for Education Development of the Moscow Region, delivered a report «School-IVE-University: How to Tell Schoolchildren About Their Prospects and Development Vectors». The colleague commented that students after the 9th grade often need additional training, and in a very accelerated mode. In IVE, the school program lasts only one year. The knowledge that students should receive in grades 10-11 in chemistry, they get in one year. Task number one is to improve the education process through equipment and accelerated courses.

«We all understand perfectly well that the state invests significant funds in modernizing the material and technical base. But if we look at the flagship project ‘Professionalitet,’ which allocates 100 million rubles, only 17 colleges applied to participate. Out of almost four thousand! And colleges need not only laboratories for senior courses but also classrooms for regulating the educational composition. And the second point is employment. Therefore, close interaction with enterprises is an extremely important issue.»

The report «Career Guidance for Schoolchildren and Admission to Chemical Specialties at Universities: How the Situation is Changing» was presented by Guzel Kharrasovna Sharipzianova, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at Moscow Polytechnic University. She talked about the career guidance events for schoolchildren and college students conducted by the educational institution and noted several main problems faced by the education sector in the chemical industry. These were: insufficient interaction «school-university-enterprise»; weak activity of enterprises in organizing staff training on the basis of universities and colleges; changing labor market and employer requirements; low awareness of career prospects in the chemical field.

Mikhail Aleksandrovich Maslov, Director of the Institute of Fine Chemical Technologies, spoke about how the requirements for applicants to chemical specialties at universities are changing and what teachers should pay attention to. And Boris Vladimirovich Smolev, Head of GC «Krismas», answered important questions: how to integrate an environmental component into chemical education? How to attract schoolchildren to the subject? Is it possible to develop and maintain active interest in chemistry as a science and industry?

The concluding stage of the discussion was a practical master class «The Use of Educational and Methodological Kits in Chemical Practical Work for Forming Natural Science Literacy», conducted by Alla Gennadievna Bogacheva, Lead Methodologist at GC «Krismas».

At the end of the meeting, participants agreed to jointly promote quality chemical education not only in educational institutions but also at chemical industry enterprises.