Thread: Общеобразовательная школа vs гимназия

What is the difference between "общеобразовательная школа" and "гимназия"?

Originally Posted by PunkyBabyJr

What is the difference between "общеобразовательная школа" and "гимназия"?

After the Soviet Union collapsed, many schools started calling themselves fancy names like "гимназия" or "лицей". Other than the name, there is virtually no difference. Well, some of them claim that they provide better education than your common, run-of-the-mill secondary school, but those claims are not always true. When a school management changes the name, they usually make some changes in curriculum, like add a subject or allocated more hours to a certain subject, etc, to show they are special. But a "школа" diploma and a "гимназия" diploma are absolutely the same from a legal standpoint.

Oh, and before the 1917 revolution, all general (non-vocational) secondary schools in Russia were called "гимназия".

I assume run-of-the-mill secondary schools are funded by the state (what we call public schools in the West) and free, but "гимназия" and "лицей" are not funded by the state (private schools) and involve school fees? If the diplomas are recognized as the same, does that mean the educational department oversees them all?

Originally Posted by PunkyBabyJr

I assume run-of-the-mill secondary schools are funded by the state (what we call public schools in the West) and free, but "гимназия" and "лицей" are not funded by the state (private schools) and involve school fees? If the diplomas are recognized as the same, does that mean the educational department oversees them all?

No, most of those fancy-named schools are government-funded, just as the plain-named ones, and are, technically, free (although in some of them, students pay for extra-curriculum activites). It is just a FotM in Russia to try and not call a spade a spade. A salesman is called a sales manager, a school is called "лицей", a former Technical institute is renamed to Technical University etc, etc. We must have about 20 of these new "Universities" in Moscow.

Edit: I must add that the word "Лицей" is also used by some schools that used to be called "училище" in the past, e.g. "музыкальное училище" becomes "музыкальный лицей".

Interesting!

Originally Posted by PunkyBabyJr

I assume run-of-the-mill secondary schools are funded by the state (what we call public schools in the West) and free, but "гимназия" and "лицей" are not funded by the state (private schools) and involve school fees? If the diplomas are recognized as the same, does that mean the educational department oversees them all?

In the West? In America you mean. In Britain "Public school" = "private school". A free government school open to everyone is called a "State School" or "Comprehensive School".

A гимназия is more like a British Grammar School, which is a school run by the state and is free but you have to pass an exam to enter and it offers a better standar of education.

Originally Posted by TATY

A гимназия is more like a British Grammar School, which is a school run by the state and is free but you have to pass an exam to enter and it offers a better standar of education.

Some usual schools has such exams too. I had to pass an exam to enter my "общеобразовательная школа" back in 1984.

Also as translations.nm.ru said "гимназия" doesn't necessarily offers a better education or has significant differences from the usual secondary school. For example the nearby school was renamed into "гимназия", but it still has the same curriculum and same teachers.

Some "гимназии" teach "old-fasioned" subjects, characteristic for pre-revolution Russian gymnasiums, like classic languages and literature, but many of them are exactly the same as secondary schools "with advanced study of ... subject" (there are schools with mathematcs and physucs bias, schools with foreign languages bias, etc.)

In order to teach children, educational institutions must obtain a licence from the state. In order to get such a licence a school (whatewer you call it) must comply with the state educational standard, i.e. fixed minimal educational program and a set of subject a school absolutely must provide.
Every state school technically guarantees that children get the educational program approved by the Ministry of education. Any private school can add some subjects or provide more thorough study of certain sujects, but in order to comply the requirements it cannot provide less that it's required by the standard.

If both "общеобразовательная школа" and "гимназия" are state-funded, there must be rules and regulations governing the name change. There must also be reasons "гимназия" earns the reputation of offering a better grade of education, regardless the truth. What are these rules and these reasons?

Originally Posted by PunkyBabyJr

If both "общеобразовательная школа" and "гимназия" are state-funded, there must be rules and regulations governing the name change. There must also be reasons "гимназия" earns the reputation of offering a better grade of education, regardless the truth. What are these rules and these reasons?

As far as I know there isn't any difference. In official documents they are called 'Государственное образовательное учреждение' (State educational institution). Therefore, they may call it as they want - it's all the same.

Originally Posted by PunkyBabyJr

If both "общеобразовательная школа" and "гимназия" are state-funded, there must be rules and regulations governing the name change. There must also be reasons "гимназия" earns the reputation of offering a better grade of education, regardless the truth. What are these rules and these reasons?

I think it's because before the revolution, гимназия was a better type of school.