Putin's sweeping education reforms aim to reshape Russia's schools by 2028
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reviewed a sweeping education reform plan aimed at strengthening school standards and vocational training. The draft strategy, now awaiting his approval, includes major changes to textbooks, teacher support, and student safety measures.
One key goal is to train over one million highly skilled workers by 2028—with ambitions to surpass that number.
The reforms follow a meeting between Putin and Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov. The minister outlined plans for a unified curriculum across all school subjects, ensuring consistent teaching nationwide.
By 2026, standardised history textbooks will be mandatory in every grade. A year later, the same approach will extend to natural sciences, Russian language, and literature. Officials have not yet confirmed how many regions will adopt these textbooks before the 2027 deadline. Beyond academics, the strategy prioritises character development and online safety. Schools will introduce programmes to build student resilience while shifting to Russia's domestic messaging platform, MAX, to limit exposure to harmful content. Vocational training is also expanding. With 3.9 million students now enrolled in colleges—the highest figure in five decades—the government is pushing for closer ties between schools and employers. Modern production facilities will be built to align training with industry needs. To improve teaching standards, entry to teacher training programmes will become more competitive. A new council will also safeguard educators' professional reputation.
Russia's education system already ranks among the world's top ten for school quality. If approved, these reforms will standardise learning materials, boost vocational training, and tighten online protections for students.
The next phase depends on Putin's final decision, with implementation timelines stretching from 2026 to 2028.
