How schoolchildren studied in the Union and in America. We look at the report from Life magazine.
In March 1958, the American magazine Life published a long article about the crisis in the educational system of the United States. Two schoolchildren were chosen as an example - Alexey Kutskov from Moscow and Stephen Lapekas from Chicago. The magazine's correspondents followed the guys on their heels for a whole month, watching how they studied, what they were interested in, what they read, how they spent their time after school.
The results of the study shocked America. Alexey and Stephen were the same age, both were 16, but Alexey was significantly ahead of the American in education. In the photographs published in the article, readers could see Alexey doing experiments in physics and chemistry lessons, playing volleyball and chess, reading Shakespeare, going on excursions and playing music. Alexey devotes almost all his time to studying, he is serious about going to college and is convinced that his future fate depends on it. Stephen, on the other hand, takes his studies rather lightly, even though he plans to go to college. Stephen's list of subjects is much smaller, but Lapekas' performance in them leaves much to be desired; his parents even have to pay money for additional classes. But all this doesn’t bother Stephen much and he easily finds time for things not related to his studies - he spends a lot of time with his girlfriend and dances rock and roll at endless parties...
America has drawn conclusions from the experiment. It was after this article that the educational system in the United States was seriously reformed - changes were made to the curriculum of schools and universities, scholarships began to be allocated to the most gifted students, and teachers' salaries were significantly increased. The American school has forgotten about poverty, and this happened largely thanks to Lesha Kutskov, a student in grade 10-B at Moscow School No. 49.
Below the cut are some photographs that illustrated an article in Life magazine in 1958.
Soviet schoolboy Alexey Kutskov from Moscow.
Alexey in class.
Alexey plays chess with a friend.
At a physics lesson.
Volleyball.
Lunch with friends.
Alexey with classmates in the subway.
Evening walk with a friend.
At the labor lesson.
Evening classes with a friend.
Experiments in a chemistry lesson.
Alexey with a classmate at the Moscow Conservatory.
Labor lesson.
English lesson.
Chemistry.
American schoolboy Stephen Lapekas from Chicago.
In class.
One of the lessons.
In a swimming pool.
In a dance class.
Before class.
Stephen is studying in his room.
Dance class.
Stephen at the blackboard.
With a classmate.
Near the lockers.
Biology lesson.
Stephen reads a prayer before the student church council.
In a cafe with friends.
Dancing.
Stephen with a girl.
Before school.
In class.
After lessons.
Geometry lesson.
Dance class.
Jukebox in a cafe.
