PTU: What exactly is it?

[Smith, Hunter]

I taught at a Russian public school in Moscow last year. The 11th form students there, though mostly not from particularly wealthy families, were all applying to 'prestigious' universities for the next year and, like students everywhere, were anxious about getting in. They would constantly joke about ending up in a PTU - this was a joke that simply could not be worn out.

 I remember somewhat of the same snobbery during my high-school years regarding the local community college.
 
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От: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list от имени Elena Gapova
Отправлено: Пт, 03.02.2006 16:57
Кому: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
Тема: Re: [SEELANGS] PTU: What exactly is it?



A PTU is an educational zavedenie which provides its students with a blue-collar profession. This is its main function and goal. The profession may be that of a fitter, a wielder, a builder, a seamstress, a cook or someone working in the electronics industry etc.

There used to be PTUs which accepted students after the 8th grade (10 years were needed for a high-school diploma; and srednee obrazovanie for everyone, i.e. a high-school diploma, was a law in the USSR), and in this case they received (after 2 or 3 years of schooling) a high-school diploma alongside with a professional certificate. With this diploma, one was perfectly illegible to apply to a university (but most never did, because if one chooses - for whatever reason - a bluecollar profession, this is very much about social stratification already); some applied to a "technicum", but most went to work on their peofession.

Some PTUs accepted students with a high-school diploma, in which case they just provided "professional education".

Many PTUs  provided their students with dormitories, as these were likely to be the children from the countryside moving to a city by getting a bluecollar profession and, later, a sure job.

"Sovetskaya intelligentsia" despised PTUs immensely. 

This is the way it used to be. I am not aware on any new trends or changes.
e.g.

-----Original Message-----
From: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
[mailto:SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU <mailto:SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU> ]On Behalf Of Paul B. Gallagher
Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 11:11 AM
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
Subject: [SEELANGS] PTU: What exactly is it?


Dear colleagues,

Could someone explain please what exactly the Russians mean by
"Профессионально-техническое училище"?

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