The Last Bell – 25th May
Tuesday was a “big day” for what I have been calling “the baseball kids” … the family of ten that I know. It was May 25th, the last day of the school year, the last day of lessons – especially for those in their last year of compulsory schooling – and is known here as “Posledniy zvonock” as it is the occasion of the last school bell of the year. (“Posledniy” is Russian for Last, and “zvonock” means “ring” … strictly speaking, the Russian for bell is “kalakolchik”.)
The long summer holidays start here … over three months of holidays … until September 1st.
You can imagine how the occasion is usually marked by “high jinks” being performed by young people and by parties and special discotheques. In the school there was to be a sort of ceremony or presentation when all the children would participate and recite poems, etc.
One, Andre, managed to receive a Gramata – a sort of diploma – as a reward for his hard work throughout the year.
It doesn’t matter what day of the week May 25th falls on … it is always Posledniy zvonock … even if it is a Monday … although, to be honest, I am not sure what happens if it falls on a weekend. When I first encountered this, it seemed odd to me that the last day of the school year should be a fixed date in the calendar like this. In the UK, the school year lasts 190 days … but the actual dates vary from year to year. The first day of the school year tends to start on the first Thursday in September and it is split into three unequal terms: the first, the Autumn Term, consists of about thirteen weeks up until Christmas; then the Spring Term is the period between Christmas and Easter, but as Easter is a “moveable feast”, it is always a different length each year; and the final, Summer Term, follows the Easter holidays and lasts until the middle of July … making up the total of 190 days.
Here, classes always start on September 1st – whatever weekday it happens to fall on … and end on May 25th … just like clockwork.
September 1st is known as Dehn Znanniy, (Knowledge Day, or Day of Knowledge), as it is the day when the school year traditionally starts in Russia and many other former Soviet republics, including Kyrgyzstan.
It is usual to see young schoolchildren making their way to school in bright, new clothes, often a white shirt or blouse and the girls sporting red ribbons tied in bows in their hair. The day has special significance for the incoming class of first graders who come to school for the first time and often participate in a celebratory assembly on this date. It is sometimes known as the “Perviy Zvonock” – or “First Bell” – and some schools uphold the tradition where a first year girl is lifted on the shoulders of a final year male pupil, and paraded around, ringing the first bell of the school year.
Students in other grades, however, may begin studies on September 1st or a few days later, usually without any special festivities.
Traditionally the lessons on the first day of school are centered on the theme of World Peace.
Although Posledniy zvonock marks the end of the academic year, examinations continue for the next few weeks. Maxim, for example has two examinations in the coming week for which he is preparing, Russian and Geography. Yes, that’s right, just two examinations … they don’t have examinations in every subject, just a selection each year. This year, Andrei and Sveta don’t have any exams to study for. In the subjects where there is no formal examination, the assessment is based on coursework … performance in lessons, special “projects”, (sort of, extended essays), called “Referats” and so on.
The examinations, themselves, are basically oral … For example, the class may be given a list of about 200 questions … they could be asked any of them. When they arrive for the exam they are given a “ticket” which contains one or more of the questions. They have some time to write down notes if they want to use it, and then they have to answer the question orally. The teacher can ask supplementary questions arising out of their answer, (for example, if they haven’t explained something clearly), or from one of the other questions on the list.
Sometimes the occasion takes the form of a “multiple choice” test … once again they have probably been given a host of questions in advance and are asked just a selection chosen from the list.
Just occasionally, there is a written examination, just as in the West … but I understand that this is very much the exception rather than the rule.
When I describe how we conduct examinations: the fact that virtually every subject is examined; with two, three or four papers in any one subject; perhaps involving sitting silent and still for maybe up to three hours, answering a string of short questions, or maybe writing five more detailed essays and that we may have two, three or four weeks of examinations, there are looks of astonishment as “jaws hit the floor”.
The kids invited me to go the school for the final ceremony … I had thought that it would be like a school “Open Day” and they had spent the previous few days cleaning and tidying everything up in preparation. I was quite interested to go along, to see the school, meet the teachers, and so on … I had a, sort of, “professional interest” being a former schoolteacher, as well as a particular interest to see how they were getting on.
The night before, however, I asked if Mum was going to be there and they said No. They added that we, (from the office), would be probably be the only outsiders there. So, we sat down and talked it through … and we came to the conclusion that it was basically an internal affair and would probably be better if I went on another occasion in the new year.
A pity … but I will look forward to the possibility of going next year.
In the meantime … I let them enjoy their “big day”.
Bishkek