One freshman and dangerous Arctic foxes: about Russian school on Spitsbergen

ARCTIC TODAYOne freshman and dangerous Arctic foxes: about Russian school on Spitsbergen The school in Barentsburg operates in compliance with Russian educational standardsMOSCOW, September 7. /TASS Correspondents Maria Kartuz, Konstantin Malykh/. School in Barentsburg on the Spitsbergen Archipelago (owned by Norway, and where Russia maintains its presence) is not different from any regular educational institution in Russia. On September 1, when a new academic year begins, Russian schools organize a ceremony where an undergraduate does welcomes a freshman that carries a symbolic bell. This year, in Barentsburg, a freshman did exist, like did exist an undergraduate - one and only. This material by TASS is about how Russia's northernmost school is operating. It was only a few days earlier, back in August, that Nelly was still at a kindergarten, which is located in the school building's separate section. On September 1, she was the only freshman at the Barentsburg secondary school. Another six grades also have one student each. The school has 21 students. There school's staff is nine teachers, but not all have managed to get to the archipelago as yet. Every specialist is highly valuable. "We simply do not have any choice of teachers in case someone leaves suddenly. That's why we care for them, cherish them, and make sure that no one is leaving," she school's Director Elena Gazizova said. The North is extreme, the standards are regular The school in Barentsburg operates in compliance with Russian educational standards, she continued. Children study the same subjects as on the mainland, including English. Norwegian is not represented in the program: English is sufficient to communicate with neighboring villages. Students study regularly Spitsbergen's history and specific position. "We are telling the children how it all has happened historically, how comes that Russian settlements exist in Norway's territory. Children should know the history of the territory where they live," the director said. Graduates follow the same path as students on the mainland do, though with additional Arctic logistics. Ninth graders are certified and tested via a school in Moscow. Graduates of the eleventh grade receive admission, write their final essay, send it for checking, and then travel to the mainland to take finals - to Murmansk, Moscow, or to any other city where they plan to continue education. Graduates choose most different professions: helicopter pilots, actresses, or IT specialists. Most of them live on the mainland, and some return to Barentsburg. There are also people who were born on the archipelago back in Soviet times, then graduated from school, became professionals, and further on chose to return home - to the village. Arctic foxes instead of cats During debate classes in Barentsburg, students and teachers do not talk only about friendship, professions, or online behavior. They often have to reiterate safety rules outside the school, which may seem weird for anyone who does not live there. "Arctic foxes are running around the village like cats do on the mainland. We can see them on the road, near a house or any building. And we are explaining to the children that stroking, feeding, and even reaching out to them is strictly forbidden: after a bite, anyone will have to see a doctor to undergo rabies prevention," the director told TASS. Polar bears have not come to the village for a long time, but they remain a major source of danger. School pupils do not leave Barentsburg on their own - they are necessarily accompanied by an armed mountain rescue specialist. Security specialists monitor the situation around the village, and whenever a bear is approaching it, they first of all try to repel the animal. The locals have a rule: never keep doors locked. If a bear gets in the way, the person should be able to hide quickly. Kids are told: when meeting an animal, do not try to look at it closer, just find a door behind which you can hide. In extreme cases, an option is to distract the bear with a thrown hat or jacket - thus gaining a few additional seconds. From an early age, children know that freedom of movement requires discipline: never walk on your own, always inform adults where you're going, and always remember that people are not the only masters on the island. Seas do not mean isolation The school cooperates with the Russian Geographical Society, and young scientists from the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute are often guests at school. The purpose of such meetings is not just to have students develop broader views. During these meetings, the children can see that scientific work is not an abstract profession from a big city, it is rather part of the life on the archipelago. "In April, we had a Geography Dictation, which was read, by the way, by Fyodor Konyukhov's grandson Arkady. Very soon we will have a Different Geography lesson," leader of the Russian Geographical Society's Expedition and Tourism Center in Spitsbergen Daria Slyunyaeva said. The school cares for preventing cultural isolation. The children participate in projects that artists bring from the mainland. "Such projects are our connection with the Motherland. A bridge with our country across the seas, across thousands of kilometers," the school's director said. "It's very touching to realize that we're not alone." 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