The new academic year has begun. Entrance examinations are over in the 894 higher schools of this country. More than a million new students were enrolled into universities and institutes.
About 60 per cent of them entered technological institutes. In the last several years the number of students in technological institutes has risen by more than one million bringing the total enrolment to almost three million. This means .that young people are interested in the specialties connected with new branches of science and technology. At present engineers and technical specialists constitute 40 percent of graduates from institutes of higher learning. While humanities, the natural sciences and pedagogy account for 45 per cent.
The present academic year is marked by expansion of new forms of technical specialization. Specialization plays a „major- part in planning the curricula. Usually specialization begins in the third year. The first- and second-year students study general engineering subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, mechanics, strength of materials, elements of machines, drawing as well as computer engineering, a foreign language and a number of others.
The main feature of the educational system in this country is that it is accessible and free of charge for all. But education is free of charge only for the students but not for the state. The state spends large sums on higher education. About 75 per cent of the students receive state grants and 10 per cent get allowances from enterprises which sponsored their applications.
Most higher schools have their own students hostels and some of them have large and excellent sports centers.
Education plays an important part in .the life of any country as it provides the country with highly-qualified specialists for its further development, and progress. Top priority is given to improving the standards of higher education especially in science and technology. At the same time institutes of technology will develop into universities of technology and devote many more hours to the humanities.
The higher school today considers education not only as a collection of useful facts and theories but also as the process which trains a person to analyze and interrelate various ideas as well as make decisions.
Today's young people will be the specialists of tomorrow in the society with new technology. Their qualification will determine the scientific and technological progress of the country. Besides, specialists in all fields should have a general education to supplement their specialized knowledge and thereby enable, them to use it most effectively.