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PART Issues and Perspectives ofHigher Education

Entrants of institutions of higher education in the USSR are selected by means of the entrance examination administered by individual institutions. Formerly, consideration was given to school report and reference on applicants, in addition to the results of the entrance examination, in selecting entrants. However, in the process of higher education reform, it has been made a rule to select entrants on the basis of the total scores of each applicant on the entrance examination in different subjects, with a view to upgrading the level of academic achievement of the entrants. In order to develop the distinctive features of individual institutions of higher education, more discretion was left to each institution with regard to the kinds of examination subjects and the methods of the assessment of the applicants' abilities.

Individual institutions of higher education are required to give their entrance examinations in three to five subjects. The kinds of subjects are to be determined by each universities. However, one of them must be "Russian Language (or the mother language of the locality where each university is situated) and Literature. "As it has been pointed out that the present examination, which most frequently takes the forms of oral tests and essay-type written tests, lacks objectivity in assessing the abilities of applicants, some institutions are considering the introduction of objective tests using mark sheets.

Partly because of the relatively favorable employment prospects for the graduates and partly because of the exemption from military service recently given to students of institutions of higher education, the number of secondary school students wishing to enter full-time courses at institutions of higher education has been increasing. Consequently, competition for admission to institutions of higher education has become more intense year by year. In 1989 the average ratio of total applicants to successful applicants was 2.4 for all institutions. (The highest ratio, namely 4.8, was found for law institutes.) More than a half of total applicants failed to enter any institution.

Among the entrants there are some students who have been compelled to enter a course other than their own choice. A number of problems have been exposed with respect to these students. Many of them drop out from the institution of higher education and many others become unemployed after leaving the institution, or change jobs soon after employment. To help students avoid such problems, secondary schools have begun to strengthen career guidance programs. In addition, a number of youth vocational guidance centers have been set up in many localities. These centers, which have vocational counselors, psychologists and other staff members, provide students with guidance so as to help them choose a specialty most appropriate for their own abilities and aptitudes.

In addition to the general procedures for selecting higher education entrants through entrance examinations, there are certain special procedures for certain groups of applicants: special non-competitive places are given to those who have experience in productive work or in military service and to those who are living in rural and remote areas, and special exemption from entrance examination is given to those who have completed a preparatory course for higher education. In 1989, some 25% of all higher education entrants were given non-competitive places and some 8% given exemption from entrance examinations.