Russians become skeptical of higher education - poll
MOSCOW. July 19 (Interfax) - The idea that higher education is becoming less accessible has become increasingly widespread among Russian citizens in the past three years, who are now more skeptical about it in general according to the results of a survey conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) obtained by Interfax on Thursday.
According to the poll, two-thirds of Russians (63%) are inclined to believe that higher education is becoming less accessible. Little over half of respondents (53%) believed this in 2016.
The poll shows that 65% of respondents do not believe that all methods are good for obtaining a higher education diploma, against 51% in 2008.
Russians are becoming increasingly skeptical about higher education as a prerequisite for a good career, the poll shows. Sixty-eight percent of the respondents now think that, against 45% in 2008.
According to VCIOM, Russians now increasingly tend to believe that the absence of a higher education diploma does not mean one is destined to have a low-paying and non-prestigious job: 65% of the respondents said this, against 50% in 2008.
Such doubts are found most often among respondents aged between 18 and 24: 74% of the respondents in this age group said higher education is overrated.
"The evaluation of higher education is gradually changing. Russians are more critical and realistic about the value of higher education to people. Just several years ago, the positon of a majority of Russians on this matter could be characterized by the formula 'it has to be, at all costs.' Now it is becoming evident that higher education is only one of the instruments of achieving success. We can only hope that it will make people more conscious about choosing universities and areas of study," head of the political analysis and consultancy practice of the VCIOM research department Mikhail Mamonov was quoted by the VCIOM press service as saying.
The poll was conducted on July 9, 2019. It surveys 1,600 respondents aged 18 and older.