Astronomy in schools. Work program for the course "Astronomy"

State Corporation "Roskosmos" appealed to the Ministry of Education and Science with a request to return astronomy, as separate subject, in Russian schools. This initiative was supported by Russian planetariums and the Institute space research RAN. And then a miracle happened, the Ministry of Education and Science officially announced that from September 1, 2017, schools will have new item- astronomy.

In the early 1990s, astronomy was no longer taught in Russian schools. And although the Ministry of Education and Science denies the fact of the exclusion of the course of astronomy from compulsory school curriculum(according to the employees of the department, astronomy has become integral part disciplines "Physics" and " The world"), in fact, information about celestial bodies schoolchildren had to look for and study on their own. As a result, the level of astronomical literacy among the population has fallen below nowhere - for example, more than a third of Russians do not know that the Earth revolves around the Sun, and not vice versa.

Such astronomical illiteracy in the 21st century, the century of space discoveries, and in the country that launched the first satellites, is unacceptable. That is why the State Corporation "Roscosmos" appealed to the Ministry of Education and Science with a request to return astronomy, as a separate subject, to Russian schools. This initiative was supported by Russian planetariums and the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. And then a miracle happened, the Ministry of Education and Science officially announced that from September 1, 2017, a new subject will appear in schools - astronomy.

Why did astronomy disappear from school curricula?

Among the reasons that leveled astronomy as a school subject is the apocalypse of the USSR - there was no time for education when the country was falling apart. But this is not the most main factor, which destroyed the possibility of obtaining scientific ideas about the world around. There were other reasons, no less objective.

The history of teaching the subject in Russia as a natural science has more than a hundred years. From the elite science, cosmography (astronomy) became accessible in the early 20s of the last century, and in connection with the education reform of the thirties of the last century, astronomy received the status of a separate school subject, and its study in senior class secondary school until 1991, 35 hours were allotted.

The second half of the year for graduates is a hot time, preparation for exams, so physics teachers, they are also teachers of astronomy, canceled astronomy lessons in favor of preparing for the final exam in physics. And astronomy lessons became half as many - even less than space bodies in the solar system, of which it would be desirable to give students at least a superficial idea.

Studying the structure of deep space with its laws remained a dream, which was fueled by screenwriters and directors of science fiction films about extraterrestrial civilizations, flights to the constellation Big Dog etc. To film scripts about space as pseudoscientific didactic material, horoscopes and astrological forecasts have been added, which have bred in all printed publications and on central TV channels - as if on purpose someone shook off the dust of centuries from the ancient ideas of man about the universe, and replicated them in a country that met its Gagarin from space.

But the study of astronomy, as natural science, in addition to expanding knowledge in the field natural sciences, affects the formation of the worldview of schoolchildren. But since 1991, this niche has been filled with pseudoscientific knowledge, imperceptibly leading new generations into the medieval jungle of ignorance.

The availability of the study of astronomy, which has been provided Soviet system education, reached the highest point of crisis and disappeared along with the state, which was the first to launch a satellite and send a man into space - "... a genius is a friend of paradoxes," as the great Russian poet said. Who benefited from the disappearance of the USSR and the elimination of the subject of astronomy from the compulsory school curriculum is a topic for study in the lessons of history and social science.

Is astronomy necessary in school?

Today Russia in the field of space research and space exploration competes only with the United States. So far, the first satellite, the first cosmonaut, the first man to go to outer space- our superiority, and so far, without Russian launch vehicles, the Americans could look into space only with the help of telescopes. Everything in the world is interconnected. Much on Earth depends on success in the study and exploration of outer space. We can say with absolute certainty: the stronger is the one who is smarter, and the power is in knowledge.

Experts believe that studying astronomy at school necessary. If only because the science of the universe will help students broaden their horizons and satisfy their natural curiosity. Will the students be interested in the new subject? The very knowledge of space, of course, will be of interest to the children, say the workers of planetariums and astro-complexes. But how interesting the course of astronomy at school will be, largely depends on the teachers.

Individual representatives of the authorities also speak about the need to study astronomy at school. For example, Senator Lyudmila Bokova answered our question: “Astronomy used to be a full-fledged subject and was studied in high school. Its necessity is obvious, there is even an Olympiad movement in this subject area. Also, public figures and teachers have repeatedly advocated the return of this discipline. In my opinion, it is not advisable to introduce a separate subject to the detriment of others, but it is possible to prepare an integrated physics program, including topics related to astronomy. This will require additions to physics textbooks."

By the way

Representatives of BRAINLY Sp. z o.o. Together with the site Znanija.com, they took it upon themselves to conduct a "completely disinterested" sociological study on the topic, do schoolchildren in Russia want to study astronomy? It turned out that they almost did not want to! Detailed results of this survey can be found on the specified site, but they are not the point.

Where and why did the company appear in our country, and why is it concerned about the desire or unwillingness of children to study astronomy? Any research requires considerable material costs - and they were not sorry! Children do not like milk and semolina, they are afraid of vaccinations, they dream that the holidays last nine months a year, and academic year- three. It would be possible to conduct a poll on this topic.

Conclusions about this interest in the Russian educational system readers will do it themselves.

Astronomy is back in school. Who will teach and how?

Now about the most important. On the official website of the Ministry of Education and Science Russian Federation published an order dated 06/20/2017 "On the organization of the study subject"Astronomy" with the application of guidelines for the introduction of this discipline as a compulsory course.

AT guidelines it is written that "in order to organize effective (!) Work ..." mandatory, at the level of average general education, the subject is given at least 35 hours (!) "for two years of study." Again, as in Soviet school, the inclusion of astronomy in the number of subjects for the exam is not planned, even on a voluntary basis. True, this time, questions on astronomy are planned to be included in the materials of the state exam in physics. Training and retraining of personnel, the creation of textbooks, material and technical base - in the planning and development stage.

"Orphan" was returned to the temple of knowledge, but again put in a corner. Yes, not everyone will become astrophysicists, because astronomy is a very complex and multicomponent science, and the country needs scientists in this field, and not a huge staff of ordinary technicians. But, perhaps, with a more serious approach to the study subject at school, would it be possible over time to grow qualified teachers of astronomy who would be able to instill interest in science, explain its significance to future generations? Nobody says you don't have to learn the rules traffic if you don't intend to drive.

Yes, the amount of knowledge today is such that it causes reasonable concern about the high psycho-emotional and study load children, and it is not known where to "insert" an additional hour of the old-new object. But astronomy can also be part of geography or natural science, it fits well into the sections of other natural sciences. Science is developing rapidly, and it will be even more difficult to study further.

Good that astronomy back to school. If only not to step on the "old rake"! The past must aspire to the future, and this needs to be thought about, this time - seriously and irrevocably.

Image sources: tvc.ru, sibmama.ru, newsland.com, inruza.ru

I order:

Approve the attached ones, which are included in the federal component of state educational standards for primary general, basic general and secondary (complete) general education, approved by order of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation of March 5, 2004 N 1089, as amended by orders of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation of June 3, 2008 N 164, of August 31, 2009 N 320, of October 19, 2009 N 427, of November 10, 2011 N 2643, of January 24, 2012 N 39 and of January 31, 2012 No. 69 and dated June 23, 2015 No. 609.

Appendix

APPROVED
Ministry of Education
and sciences of the Russian Federation
dated June 7, 2017 N 506

changes,
which are included in the federal component of state educational standards for primary general, basic general and secondary (complete) general education, approved by order of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation of March 5, 2004 N 1089

1. In part II "Secondary (complete) general education":

1.1. In the "General Provisions" section:

a) in paragraph twelve, after the word "Physics," add the word "Astronomy,";

b) the thirteenth paragraph shall be stated in the following wording:

"School subjects Astronomy and Natural Science are presented only on basic level. Optionally educational institution academic subject Natural science can be studied instead of the basic subjects of Physics, Chemistry and Biology.";

c) in the fourteenth paragraph after the words " Physical Culture"Supplement with the word" Astronomy.

1.2. After the section "Standard of secondary (complete) general education in physics" add the section with the following content:

"Standard of secondary (complete) general education in astronomy

A basic level of

The study of astronomy at the basic level of secondary (complete) general education is aimed at achieving the following goals:

awareness of the fundamental role of astronomy in the knowledge of the fundamental laws of nature and the formation of a modern natural-scientific picture of the world;

acquiring knowledge about physical nature celestial bodies and systems, the structure and evolution of the Universe, the spatial and temporal scales of the Universe, the most important astronomical discoveries that determined the development of science and technology;

mastering the ability to explain the apparent position and movement of celestial bodies by the principles of determining location and time according to astronomical objects, skills practical use computer applications for determining the type of starry sky at a particular point for a given time;

development cognitive interests, intellectual and creativity in the process of acquiring knowledge in astronomy using various sources of information and modern information technologies;

use of acquired knowledge and skills to solve practical problems Everyday life;

formation scientific outlook;

the formation of skills in the use of natural science and especially physical and mathematical knowledge for an objective analysis of the structure of the surrounding world on the example of the achievements of modern astrophysics, astronomy and astronautics.

Mandatory minimum content of basic educational programs

Astronomy subject

The role of astronomy in the development of civilization. The evolution of man's views on the universe. Geocentric and heliocentric systems. Features of methods of knowledge in astronomy. Practical use astronomical research. History of development of domestic cosmonautics. First artificial satellite Earth, flight Yu.A. Gagarin. Achievements of modern astronautics.

Fundamentals of practical astronomy

Celestial sphere. Singular points celestial sphere. Celestial coordinates. Star map, constellations, the use of computer applications to display the starry sky. Visible magnitude. diurnal movement luminaries. The relationship between the apparent location of objects in the sky and geographical coordinates observer. Movement of the Earth around the Sun. Apparent movement and phases of the moon. Solar and lunar eclipses. Time and calendar.

Laws of motion of celestial bodies

Structure and scope solar system. Configuration and conditions of visibility of the planets. Methods for determining the distances to the bodies of the solar system and their sizes. Celestial Mechanics. Kepler's laws. Determination of the masses of celestial bodies. Movement of artificial celestial bodies.

solar system

Origin of the solar system. Earth-Moon system. planets terrestrial group. Giant planets. Satellites and rings of planets. Small bodies of the solar system. asteroid hazard.

Astronomical Research Methods

Electromagnetic radiation, cosmic rays and gravitational waves as a source of information about the nature and properties of celestial bodies. Ground and space telescopes, the principle of their operation. Space vehicles. Spectral analysis. Doppler effect. Wien's displacement law. Stefan-Boltzmann law.

Stars

Stars: main physical and chemical characteristics and their mutual relationship. A variety of stellar characteristics and their patterns. Determining the distance to the stars, parallax. Double and multiple stars. extrasolar planets. The problem of the existence of life in the universe. Internal structure and energy sources of stars. Origin chemical elements. Variable and flare stars. Brown dwarfs. The evolution of stars, its stages and final stages.

structure of the sun solar atmosphere. Manifestations solar activity: spots, flashes, prominences. Periodicity of solar activity. The role of magnetic fields on the Sun. Solar-terrestrial connections.

Our Galaxy - Milky Way

Composition and structure of the Galaxy. star clusters. Interstellar gas and dust. Rotation of the Galaxy. Dark matter.

Galaxies. The structure and evolution of the universe

Discovery of other galaxies. Variety of galaxies and their main characteristics. Supermassive black holes and galaxy activity. The concept of cosmology. Redshift. Hubble law. Evolution of the Universe. Big Bang. Relic radiation. Dark energy.

Requirements for the level of training of graduates

As a result of studying astronomy at a basic level, the student should:

know/understand:

meaning of the concepts: geocentric and heliocentric system, apparent magnitude, constellation, planetary oppositions and conjunctions, comet, asteroid, meteor, meteorite, meteoroid, planet, satellite, star, solar system, galaxy, universe, universal and standard time, extrasolar planet (exoplanet), spectral classification of stars, parallax, background radiation, Big Bang, black hole;

meaning physical quantities: parsec, light year, astronomical unit, magnitude;

the meaning of Hubble's physical law;

main stages of space exploration;

hypotheses of the origin of the solar system;

main characteristics and structure of the Sun, solar atmosphere;

dimensions of the Galaxy, position and period of revolution of the Sun relative to the center of the Galaxy;

give examples: the role of astronomy in the development of civilization, the use of research methods in astronomy, various ranges electromagnetic radiation to obtain information about the objects of the Universe, obtain astronomical information using spacecraft and spectral analysis, the influence of solar activity on the Earth;

describe and explain: differences in calendars, conditions for the onset of solar and lunar eclipses, the phases of the moon, the daily movements of the luminaries, the causes of the tides; principle of operation of an optical telescope, the relationship physical and chemical characteristics stars using a color-luminosity diagram, physical causes, determining the balance of stars, the source of energy of stars and the origin of chemical elements, redshift using the Doppler effect;

characterize the features of the methods of cognition of astronomy, the main elements and properties of the planets of the solar system, methods for determining the distances and linear dimensions of celestial bodies, possible ways the evolution of stars of different masses;

find the main constellations of the Northern Hemisphere in the sky, including: Big Dipper, Ursa Minor, Bootes, Cygnus, Cassiopeia, Orion; the most bright stars, including: polar Star, Arcturus, Vega, Chapel, Sirius, Betelgeuse;

use computer applications to determine the position of the Sun, Moon and stars for any date and time of day for a given locality;

use the acquired knowledge and skills in practical activities and daily life for:

understanding the relationship of astronomy with other sciences, which are based on knowledge of astronomy, separating it from pseudoscience;

evaluation of information contained in media reports, the Internet, popular science articles.".

1.3. In the section "Standard of secondary (complete) general education in natural sciences" (basic level):

a) in the third paragraph of the position "Modern natural scientific knowledge about the world" of the subsection "Mandatory minimum content of the main educational programs"words" Evolution of the Universe ( big Bang, recession of galaxies, Evolution of stars and planets, Solar system)" exclude;

b) in the subsection "Requirements for the level of training of graduates" (basic level):

in the position "know/understand" the words "evolution of the universe, big bang, solar system, galaxy," exclude;

in the position "to be able" to exclude the words "recession of galaxies".

2. In subsection "2. Federal component state standard general education in the context of modernization Russian education" section "Explanatory note":

a) in the twentieth paragraph, after the word "Physics," add the word "Astronomy,";

b) add a new paragraph twenty-second of the following content:

"Astronomy - introduced as a separate academic subject, aimed at studying the achievements modern science and techniques, the formation of knowledge bases about methods and results scientific research, the fundamental laws of nature of celestial bodies and the universe as a whole";

c) paragraphs twenty-two - twenty-six should be considered paragraphs twenty-three - twenty-seven, respectively.

Document overview

The standard of secondary (complete) general education in astronomy has been approved. This is due to the introduction of astronomy as a separate academic subject.

The obligatory minimum of the content of the main educational programs and the requirements for the level of training of graduates are determined.

In Russian schools, the subject "astronomy" has actually been outlawed since 2008 - under the pretext that none of the current astronomy textbooks has been allowed and approved for use in schools. And the rule now is - there is no authorized textbook, therefore, this subject cannot be taught. Apparently, officials from the Ministry of Education and Science considered that knowledge of the Universe and cosmic laws is completely unnecessary for our children.

There is no direct ban on studying astronomy in schools, in some schools astronomy is still taught as special courses, but none of the recently written textbooks has the stamp of the Ministry of Education recommending the use of a textbook in educational process. And teachers who can teach astronomy in high school are sorely lacking.

Let me remind you that, paradoxically, the elimination of astronomy as a compulsory subject in Russian schools took place just on the eve of 2009, declared by the UN General Assembly international year astronomy. In words, constantly declaring its desire to become part of the international community, declaring its desire to join the WTO, in reality, Russia ignored the UN resolution. Such inappropriate behavior officials from education caused a strong reaction from many teachers, university professors and the scientific community.

In 2009, Russian astronomers asked the authorities: “to return the teaching of astronomy to schools, to restore astronomical training in pedagogical universities and provide state support for the popularization of this science,” the text of the conference resolution adopted as the basis says. The statement of Russian scientists said: “The elimination of astronomy in high school inevitably creates fertile ground for the widespread dissemination of pseudoscientific ideas about the world, astrology, magic, witchcraft, in conditions where popular science literature inaccessible to the general public due to high prices. We believe that the need for universal astronomical education is due to the importance of the contribution of astronomy to the creation of a scientific picture of the world and the formation of a scientific worldview modern people. Natural science is part of a single universal culture and natural science knowledge should become the property of any educated person. At present, astronomy and space exploration are rapidly developing in the world, but in Russia graduates educational institutions"doomed to astronomical illiteracy"

This initiative was supported by the rector of the Moscow State University Viktor Sadovnichy. “Astronomy must once again be included among the mandatory school subjects"- he said -" and in universities it is necessary to revive the training of teachers of astronomy. A person looking at the sky must have elementary representations about what it is. Astronomy is a culture, it is knowledge that everyone should have man of culture. What are stars, what are planets, what is matter, what is space, why is it infinite.

So why should schools study astronomy?

For millennia, the foundations of astronomical knowledge - the foundations of ideas about the Universe - have been part of the training system for the younger generations. Even in the monastic schools of the Middle Ages, astronomy, along with arithmetic, geometry and music, was part of the "quadrivium" - the highest level of the seven free arts, mandatory for the study of subjects. From here, this scheme was transferred to the first universities that arose in the 12th-13th centuries.

In the gymnasiums of Russia there was compulsory course descriptive astronomy - cosmography. Astronomy as a compulsory subject was included in educational plans Soviet high school. However, there were also attempts in those years to remove astronomy from the secondary school curriculum. Shortly before the start of the Great Patriotic War some "wise men" from the then People's Commissariat of Education tried to remove astronomy from the curricula of secondary schools. Then the leading astronomers of the country turned to Academician A. A. Blagonravov, who was then the President of the Academy of Artillery Sciences (there was such an academy at one time), and he had the right to directly address I. V. Stalin. And one was enough phone call Blagonravov to Stalin - and the issue of restoring astronomy at school was immediately resolved.

Why is it so important to study astronomy in high school? It is necessary for modern educated person due to those important social functions which astronomy performs throughout the history of mankind and in which modern era introduces new facets. The first of these functions is applied. This is the development of methods of orientation in time and space, which is necessary condition production activity of a person, his social being and his daily life. The second function is general cultural: it is the determination of the place and role of man in the structure of the Universe. The astronomical picture of the world for thousands of years has been and is an integral part of the scientific picture of the world as a whole; that part of it that gives a person an idea of ​​the spatio-temporal structure of the world in which he lives and acts. It should also be emphasized here that, for all their close ties with physics, astronomy is independent holistic science with its specific object and method of research.

And in general, what needs to be proved if we were the first to create spaceships, the first to overcome gravity! We were the first to conquer space! We were the first to go into outer space! It is our Proton rockets that put satellites of any countries into orbit! Russia trains cosmonauts of any countries! Astronautics is one of the few areas of science where we still maintain a leading position in the world.

And all this because astronomy, taught in schools, revealed to children a beautiful and mysterious world Universe! It is from former students who fell in love with the starry sky, talented designers and astronauts came out! Scientists international level! And it's a shame that right now, when the rest of the civilized world has become interested in astronomy, we have stopped teaching it at school.

Although, following the logic of our rulers, why should our children know the laws of the universe, have scientific presentation about the world? Enough for them computer games-shooters on the theme of "Star Wars", fantastic films about aliens like "Skyline" and the course of the law of God ... Yes, "Star Factory" ... As a result, now few people from modern youth can answer the simplest questions: who is Tsiolkovsky, how planets differ from stars, and why solar eclipses happen...

In 2009 The world celebrated the 400th anniversary of the observation of the starry sky with the help of telescopes. In 1609 Galileo Galilei directed the telescope he created towards the Moon, the Sun, stars and planets and discovered that there are mountains on the Moon, and spots on the Sun, that Jupiter has satellites, Saturn has rings, and Milky Way is made up of stars. AT this moment astronomy is undergoing another revolution. Today it is one of the most rapidly developing sciences, where discoveries follow one after another. In Russia, since the time of Peter I, astronomy has been compulsory subject in schools and colleges. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was the interest in astronomy that led Friedrich Zander to design an interplanetary jet aircraft. In the 60s. XX century it was impossible to imagine that astronomy would be expelled from the curriculum of secondary education. Then spacecraft, created by our scientists, opened new knowledge about the Moon, Venus, Mars for all mankind. Today, alas, other countries are engaged in fundamental space research: Europe, the USA, Japan, China, India, and in Russia, officials believe that we have had enough space transportation for money and space tourism for money ....

The UN General Assembly in its resolution noted that astronomy is one of the oldest fundamental sciences that it has a most serious influence on the development of other sciences, applied research, culture, philosophy, etc., that astronomy is an absolutely necessary science that should be studied starting from childhood.

And the reduction to nothing of the study of astronomy in Russian schools goes hand in hand with Russia's withdrawal from the field of fundamental sciences and from such areas. high technology like space. In words, the authorities stand up for innovative development Russia, but in fact they are engaged in the destruction fundamental education, removing astronomy from schools and universities and replacing the theory of evolution with delusional myths about the seven days of creation. It is especially significant that this is happening right now, during the years of a grandiose scientific breakthrough in the field of astronomy and space physics of the leading countries of the world...

Will the number of hours allotted for astronomy somehow affect the quality of teaching, why a physicist is not suitable for teaching astronomy, and how thoughtful was the decision to return astronomy lessons to school?

Today, the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Olga Vasilyeva on the return of astronomy to high school. Removed six years ago, the item will appear in the program from September. However, this will take place in a “saving mode”: physics teachers will conduct astronomy, and no additional hours will be allocated for it.

“Let me remind you that starting from this year, a course in astronomy is being introduced into the school curriculum. There is nothing surprising in this, astronomy was read in the course of physics, we have textbooks, they were always on the federal list, physics teachers are ready for the fact that they will teach this course no longer within the framework of the subject "Physics", but within the framework of separate astronomy . There are no hourly changes,” the minister said.

Earlier, the ministry developed amendments to the federal state educational standard(FGOS) of secondary general education, in which, in particular, a proposal was made to introduce a list of requirements for what schoolchildren should learn in astronomy lessons. So, at a basic level, according to the project, students must endure for themselves an understanding of the structure of the solar system, the evolution of stars and the universe, know the basic astronomical terms. On the advanced level students need to understand the relationship physical laws, discovered in terrestrial conditions, and phenomena in the Universe.

the site interviewed astronomers, physics teachers and school leaders and found out what they think about this measure.

Georgy Arabuli, physics teacher at the Second School Lyceum (Moscow):

“When astronomy classes were canceled a few years ago, it was a big tragedy. The Olympic movement remains, but the object seems to be gone. And the children are engaged only in circles, and in the lessons astronomy only surfaced in a few physics lessons - in examples. Because the news of her return is good.

But there are pitfalls here, because a physics teacher must teach. It's like MHC (world artistic culture, - site note) taught by a teacher of literature, who is not perfectly versed in the MHC. Astronomy should be taught by an astronomer, not a physicist. There is an astronomer in my school, there is someone to direct and lead. But in most schools, this will be a big problem.

Yes, and the idea of ​​taking a clock from physics is quite sad. AT Soviet time four lessons a week were allocated for physics, and based on this, the program was built. Now the program has remained the same, but the time has been reduced to two hours a week. There is nowhere to take hours away from physics.”

Oleg Ugolnikov, Senior Researcher, Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Deputy Chairman of the Central Subject-Methodological Commission on Astronomy All-Russian Olympiad schoolchildren:

“Unfortunately, I did not participate in the process of returning astronomy to school. I'm not sure the accepted scheme will be viable. In our opinion, astronomy should have been introduced as a separate course for a year and no later than in grades 7-8. And it is returned as an application to physics in the 11th, in absolutely the same form as in last years Soviet Union. And all the problems will repeat. Teachers will use this hour to extra classes in physics, and the children will completely agree with them, because the problems they face are completely different.”

Evgeny Yamburg, director of Education Center No. 109 (Moscow):

“Personally, I don’t see any threat or danger here, a normal measure. And as for the fact that teachers consider it half-hearted, that not enough hours are allocated for astronomy ... Each subject student is such a tunneller, to use a metaphor. Give me three hundred hours of history! Three hundred hours of physics! I'll tell you more: I have a whole division - children who are being treated, with oncology, with kidneys on hemodialysis. There is a very strict medical protocol, they cannot be overloaded. Nevertheless, they successfully pass the GIA, the Unified State Examination, and enter universities. So, it's not about the number of hours, but about the technology of teaching.

But at the same time, you need to have a basic understanding of astronomy. Otherwise, we have, as according to the data sociological research, almost 60% believe that the Sun revolves around the Earth. But there are general cultural ideas, and there are subtleties that are needed by those who decide to link their fate with this specialty.

Sergey Popov, astrophysicist, popularizer of science, leading researcher at the State Astronomical Institute named after P.K. Sternberg:

“This is too much of a cavalry charge for the question. Such a decisive measure as the introduction of a compulsory subject in school requires serious preparation. In this case, it seems to me, it was not, the decision looks ill-conceived. Therefore, I think that in the vast majority of schools it will be a sham. And one more thing: it is not yet known in which class astronomy will be, it is difficult to comment. But, if it is in the senior class, I remain opposed to such a measure.

Sergey Danilov, teacher of physics and astronomy (St. Petersburg):

“It is still not very clear to me where the hours and teachers will come from. They say they will be retrained. Again the question is who. And one more important question: textbook. Vorontsov-Velyaminov? So even in our time, more than a hundred errors were found in it.

A wonderful spring holiday that bears the name International Women's Day, or, simply and briefly " March 8', noted in many countries of the world.

In Russia, March 8 is an official holiday, an additional day off .

In general, in our country this date has been declared a holiday since the universal establishment Soviet power, and after half a century it also became a day off. In the USSR, the celebration largely had a political context, since historically the event in honor of which the holiday was established was an important day in the struggle of workers for their rights. And also it was on March 8, 1917 (according to the old style, according to the new - February 23, 1917) from the strike of workers of St. Petersburg manufactories, into which the celebration of International Women's Day grew, the February Revolution began.

International Women's Day on March 8 is a memorable date for the UN, and the organization includes 193 states. Memorable dates announced by the General Assembly are designed to encourage UN members to show increased interest in specified events. However, on this moment not all member states of the United Nations have approved the celebration of Women's Day in their territories on the specified date.

Below is a list of countries that celebrate International Women's Day. Countries are grouped into groups: in a number of states, the holiday is an official non-working day (day off) for all citizens, somewhere on March 8, only women have a rest, and there are states where they work on March 8.

In which countries is March 8 a public holiday (for everyone):

* In Russia- March 8 is one of the most beloved holidays, when men congratulate all women without exception.

* In Ukraine- International Women's Day continues to be an additional public holiday, despite regular proposals to remove the event from the list non-working days and replace it, for example, with Shevchenko's Day, which will be celebrated on March 9.
* In Abkhazia.
* in Azerbaijan.
* In Algeria.
* In Angola.
* In Armenia.
* In Afghanistan.
* In Belarus.
* To Burkina Faso.
* in Vietnam.
* In Guinea-Bissau.
* In Georgia.
* In Zambia.
* In Kazakhstan.
* In Cambodia.
* In Kenya.
* In Kyrgyzstan.
* In North Korea.
* In Cuba.
* In Laos.
* In Latvia.
* In Madagascar.
* In Moldova.
* In Mongolia.
* In Nepal.
* In Tajikistan Since 2009, the holiday has been renamed Mother's Day.
* In Turkmenistan.
* In Uganda.
* In Uzbekistan.
* In Eritrea.
* In South Ossetia.

Countries where March 8 is a day off for women only:

There are countries in which only women are released from work on International Women's Day. This rule has been approved:

* In China.
* In Madagascar.

Which countries celebrate March 8, but it's a working day:

In some countries, International Women's Day is widely celebrated, but is a working day. This is:

* Austria.
* Bulgaria.
* Bosnia and Herzegovina.
* Germany- in Berlin since 2019, March 8 is a day off, in the whole country it is a working day.
* Denmark.
* Italy.
* Cameroon.
* Romania.
* Croatia.
* Chile.
* Switzerland.

Which countries do NOT celebrate March 8:

* In Brazil - most of the inhabitants of which have not even heard of the "international" holiday on March 8. The main event of late February - early March for Brazilians and Brazilians is not Women's Day at all, but the world's largest Brazilian festival, also called the carnival in Rio de Janeiro, according to the Guinness Book of Records. In honor of the festival, Brazilians rest for several days in a row, from Friday to noon on the Catholic Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent (which for Catholics has a movable date and begins 40 days before Catholic Easter).

* In the USA, the holiday is not an official holiday. In 1994, an attempt by activists to get the celebration approved in Congress was unsuccessful.

* In the Czech Republic (Czech Republic) - most of of the country's population considers the holiday as a relic of the communist past and main character the old regime.