Features of the School System Development in Chuvashia in 1959–1965

The topic of general education school is relevant today, because in any historical period of the country’s development, education and upbringing of the younger generation are the basis for raising decent citizens, patriots of their country. The purpose of the study is to analyze the historical experience of reforming school education in accordance with the School Act dated 1958. Materials and methods. The scientific literature and normative legal acts of the Ministry of Education of the RSFSR, the Ministry of Education of the Chuvash ASSR were studied; based on the results of their analysis the historical prerequisites influencing the comprehensive school formation are examined. In the process of analyzing the school education reform, it was necessary to refer to materials on the history of forming the teaching staff to work in the country’s general education schools, kept in the State Historical Archive of the Chuvash Republic. General theoretical methods were used in the work. Study results. On December 24, 1958 the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted the Law «On strengthening the connection of schools with life and on further development of the public education system in the USSR», which marked the beginning of school reform, which lasted until the mid-1960s. In the Chuvash ASSR, implementation of the law began immediately after its adoption. New schools were built in the republic, and their material and technical base was improved. In 1959, seven–year schools were reorganized into eight-year schools, and ten-year schools were reorganized into secondary vocational schools with polytechnic training. In 1960–1965, some organizational measures were taken to improve the nutrition of schoolchildren. During the reforms, the number of teachers with special education increased. Educational work solved issues related to labor education, enterprises began to provide schoolchildren with jobs in workshops, which gave them the opportunity to engage in practical work. Positive developments were observed in the public educational system. Conclusions. When implementing the law on close connection of schools with life, the image of schools and teachers in the minds of the Soviet people was changing. In general, we can note the positive experience of reforming school education in the Chuvash ASSR by the second half of the 1960s. The ideas put forward in those distant years and the experience gained are relevant in modern society in upbringing and educating children.