HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000400600002-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 19, 2009
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: July 14, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/06/19: CIA-RDP82-00047R000400600002-8
CLASSIFICATION S E C R E T t
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY]
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY USSR
SUBJECT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF IN
Higher Education in the USSR
1511 50055157 1057015$ IN100Y?71IN 011101111{ TNl 00710501 011151[
01 711[ 551711 0167I5, ^1 tM15 TNf 51551511 0771T1.5 t{, 11.71050 717
1:111 01 TN1 U.S. CODls 01 S(YN)C(. ITS 700111511{1011 01 Ia0e.
1011011 01 170 CON 1157$ $0 11 1f .1177 07 x5 Y51YTN0011/0 (1110011 II
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DATE DISTR. /4'
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NO. OF PAGES 3 25X1
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. The government of the USSR pays the greater part of its attention to
the number and quality of specialists turned out by its educational
system. It is possible that in the immigrant press there appear oc-
casional reproaches to the Soviet Government in this connection. These
are purely propaganda. ;However, it is necessary to look at these re-
proaches very critically., even though in the early years of the Soviet
power there were some absurdities in the training of specialists; be-
ginning from 1932-1933 the government began to turn its attention ex-
clusively to this phase of education and, in particular, to the higher
levels of special education. From this period until 1939, in the USSR
great possibilities were presented to the majority of the population
for higher education. The basic requirement for entrance into insti-
tutions of higher education was that the candidate for entrance have an
adequate general education. In several of the institutions of higher
education as, for example, those of the I"7erchant Fleet, candidates
for entrance were also required to be politically reliable.
2. From the autumn of 1939, there began to be restrictions for the en-
trance into institutions of higher learning. The first such restric-
tion was presented by the changing of the military draft law. This
change was made during the fourth irregular session of the Supreme
Soviet of the USSR held on 1 Sep 39. The change in the military
draft law boils down to the following: All citizens of the USSR who
have concluded middle school or corresponding educational institutions
and who will reach their 18th birthday during the year of conscription
into the Army (from l January to 31 December) and who are fit for mili-
tary service must serve in the Armed Forces. All students studying
CLASSIFICATION S E C R E T
State
rI r
Approved For Release 2009/06/19: CIA-RDP82-00047R000400600002-8
 Approved For Release 2009/06/19: CIA-RDP82-00047R000400600002-8
SECR3T
2
in the middle schools or corresponding educational institutions who
shall reach their 17th birthday before I January are obliged to appear
in the rayon??Mili.tary Commissariat nearest their place of residence, and
register for the draft. Thus, by means of this law, the government greatly
cut down on the opportunities for young people to enter institutions of
higher learning. Children usually enter the middle school at the age
of eight years. In order to receive the right to take the entrance ex-
amination for an institution of higher learning, it is necessary to have
a certificate of completion of the middle school (ten year) or of a corres-
ponding educational institution. Most students finish middle school when
they reach their 18th year which, under the new draft law, means that they
are eligible for military service. Obviously, they could not enter an
institution of higher learning. They first had to serve their term of
conscription. After military service there are very, very few people who
go to institutions of higher learning. In connection with this
it is necessary to point out the following facts. On. 1 Sep 38,
the first course of the Marine Engineering Faculty of the Le Insti-
tute for Water-Transport Engineers
tine the lnsti,tuteas :had ot up this
her higher 1e#cational, institutIors,, received
the normal .quota o1 s.tud nts for entrar a into the,,-first iaourse ,,,. In about
the: middl
f
S
t
b
e
e; o
,
,ep
em
er, aft
r ?the.issting of the afore.merztioned draft,
YJ.jQ.0, A L#ne IIrsti courses `pnere ;remained only women,' derly men, and
individuals who Mere deferred from the draft,. for physi .al a fec.ts. Women
did& tenter the Marine Engineering and, Navigational acuities of the Lenin-
grad lnsjitute,, and tie physical regd'irementa ,for ,entrance were very strict.
Therefore,, after the new draft law came out,, there were about 10 or 12
over-age men left in the, first courses of these two faculties in the In-
stitute* Very many students from the different courses of the Institutes
were taken into the Army as "volunteers" in the end of 1939, when the
war began with Finland.
3. The'1o11owing very serious restriction on the right to receive a higher
education was made by the government in 1910? On 2 Oct 10, the Presidium
of the Supreme Soviet.of the R issued a law "on governmental lAbor.,
reeervee.," Among other thingthe, law made the foil' owing changae#
(a) The abolition of scholarships to students in institutions of
higher learning. Scholarships were to be given only to those
students who had exceptional grades in all subjects. Later on,.
in order to receive, a. scholarship,: the student had to have :at
least two-thirds excellent grades in major subjects, and one-.
third good grades in minor subjects, The reason for. the lowering
of'.these standards was. the mass.migration of students. out of the
Institutes,; after' the law . of 2 ;Oct 40 was issued.
(b) The introduction of tuition fees for studying in higher edwtional
institutions and in the 8t4, ,9th,.,and 10th classes of the middle
school, The cost was set as follows:
(1