Transcript of the meeting's beginning: 

Vladimir Putin: Mr Fursenko, the school year has ended with proms, but this is a good time to start thinking about preparations for the next school year, which begins on September 1. How is your ministry preparing for it, together with the regional authorities?

Andrei Fursenko: Mr Putin, we started preparations for the next school year the day after the proms. Today groups of ministry officials went to different regions to see how they are working in accordance with your instructions.

I have recently visited Chechnya, which had quite a few problems, to inspect preparations for the new school year. I can assure you that they are working hard. In all, I have visited about a dozen schools, and can tell you that they are overhauling schools all over the republic. Several news schools will be completed in time for the new school year. Most importantly, they started preparations for the new school year immediately after finishing the previous one. As a result, they have done a lot. It should be said that everyone is involved, including teachers and parents. All repairs are being done by local residents. The President of the republic told me that not a single teacher or school principal would go on holiday until their schools are ready for the new school year.

Vladimir Putin: This may be right for the principals, but the teachers must have a rest. It is good that local construction companies are involved in the effort. Chechnya has always had good construction workers, ever since the Soviet period. All of this concerns municipal and regional authorities, but what is the ministry doing?

Andrei Fursenko: First, we are coordinating the effort. Besides, our key task is to fundamentally improve the quality of tuition. We have put together a large body of information about the examination results all over the country.  We plan to hold traditional meetings with teachers on ways to improve tuition in all Russian regions in August. We hope that our officials, my colleagues, will attend a considerable part of them, especially since we have accumulated enough statistical data, and we now have pinpointed the trouble spots.

We have discussed this issue in Chechnya. I think we are ready to hold similar discussions across Russia, especially since new standards of education are being applied in general schools. We are completing public debates on the issue and are considering several variants. We will discuss them with colleagues in the regions to see what else we can do, and what should be changed to raise the quality of education.

Vladimir Putin: Good. Mr Fursenko, I would also like to ask you about the programme of training research and teaching staff. Can you report on progress?

Andrei Fursenko: I have prepared documents on this issue because you said during one of the last meetings of the Government Presidium that the programme was not progressing fast enough. Let me tell you about our achievements in this sphere.

We have launched the programme only this year, but it has quickly become very popular. Its main objective is to encourage young scientists, with a focus on natural sciences and engineering. The programme also highlights assistance to training professionals for the defence sector.

In addition - and this is very important - the programme aims at encouraging young people's creative projects.  You set that task during a meeting with designers, when you mentioned establishing student design bureaus. We are now implementing this project within the framework of the programme.

As much as 25 million roubles has been allocated for this purpose in 2009, and 75 million roubles has been approved for the elaboration and implementation of research and design projects at general schools. These competitions are extremely popular. For example, we have organised a competition for supporting groups of young scientists and are receiving up to 16 bids for each contract.

And one more sphere you mentioned is the effort to attract compatriots to research and educational projects in Russia. We have launched a separate competition in this sphere.

Vladimir Putin: Are you referring to the people who are now working abroad?

Andrei Fursenko: Yes, I am talking about the scientists who have settled abroad and attained considerable heights there. We have launched a competition whose main goal is to attract them back home for a certain period to work with young people and to teach them. We have received applications from approximately 35 countries, including the United States, Germany, France, New Zealand and Australia. The bid portfolio has not yet been closed, but we already have more than three applications per place.

We have received applications for participation in projects in almost all of the outlined spheres. We hope that the lag created by changes in the budget will be closed this year. Most importantly, we have created the foundations for next year, because the bulk of the contracts is signed for three years. As a result, young people, who are actively discussing the project in the Internet, have started reviewing their plans for going abroad. At least, this is true of some of them.

Vladimir Putin: Good.