The final meeting of the Board of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation was held at the Mashuk Knowledge Center in Pyatigorsk. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko and Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov summarized the results of 2025 and outlined strategic guidelines for 2026. This year will be special for the preschool education system: it has been officially declared the Year of Preschool Education.
In his welcoming address, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin emphasized that one of the ministry's key objectives is to create a comfortable and safe environment for all children, "from the very youngest to students." While the ministry's reports previously focused primarily on schools and secondary vocational education, support for early childhood is now prioritized.
Facts and Figures: Infrastructure for Young Children
Dmitry Chernyshenko presented data on the development of educational infrastructure. In 2025, five kindergartens were completed under national projects, and over 1,500 school buildings were overhauled. However, in the new season, the emphasis will be on a large-scale renovation of the preschool system. The 2026 goal is not only to build new crèches and kindergartens but also to support teachers, whose role in shaping a child's personality is recognized as strategically important.
Personnel is everything: the status of teachers is growing
Sergey Kravtsov noted the positive dynamics in teacher education: the competition for university places has reached 12 people per place, and over 80% of graduates are employed. But the main news for our readers is the announced projects "Orlyata-preschoolers" and "Kind Games." These initiatives are designed to combine education, socialization, and play—the primary activity for preschoolers. It is expected that methodological recommendations for these projects will be sent to the regions in the near future.
The Minister also emphasized the need to review approaches to teacher remuneration. Workload monitoring is underway in collaboration with the All-Russian Trade Union of Education, and approaches to salary formation are being standardized. For educators working irregular hours and with high emotional demands, this is one of the most sensitive issues.
Safety and Recreation
An important topic of the meeting was the summer recreation campaign. In 2025, declared the Year of Children's Recreation, camps served nearly 6 million children (including school-based and suburban centers). 6,700 inclusive shifts were organized for children with disabilities. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko instructed the Board members to strengthen safety monitoring at children's camps in 2026 and prevent their conversion, preserving their facilities specifically for preschool and school recreation.
What's the bottom line? The final meeting of the Board sets a clear direction for preschool education workers:
1. Focus on the profession – launch of the "Orlyata-Preschoolers" and "Kind Games" projects.
2. Infrastructure development – construction and renovation of kindergartens continues.
3. Social support – review of the teacher compensation system and status.
2026 becomes the pivot point for the entire early childhood development system. As the Minister of Education noted, without a high-quality preschool system, it is impossible to build a successful school or achieve technological leadership in the country.
Prepared based on materials from the Board of the Ministry of Education
Photo: Press Service of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation