Talanov S.L., Kushnarev F.Yu., Berezin D.T., Rumyantseva E.S. Impact of COVID-19 on the higher education system. Alma mater (Vestnik vysshei shkoly). 2020. No. 10. P. 12-22. DOI: 10.20339 ...

Abstract

The influence of restrictions on the system of higher education introduced due to the spread of COVID-19 infection is analyzed. The author conducted a sociological study (online survey) among students enrolled in budgetary and extra-budgetary forms of education, as well as among graduates of secondary schools (11th grades) located in small, medium and large cities of the Yaroslavl region. In addition, video interviews were conducted using the Zoom service: a number of applicants, parents of applicants, teachers, positional experts. It was established that the emergence and spread of COVID-19 and the limitations associated with it made certain adjustments to the strategies of applicants and students. Despite all the changes that have arisen due to coronavirus infection, only a small part of applicants and students studying on an extrabudgetary basis decided to change their plans. It is concluded that for a significant part of applicants, obtaining a higher education is an attempt to continue to remain in a familiar comfortable environment (the continuation of “childhood”). Despite the constant stresses at school, the expectation from the prospect of losing a measured, familiar, predictable life is even more stressful.Parents from families belonging to medium-resource and high-resource groups, as a rule, support the decision of their children to keep on studying. In this case, the decision to enter the university is made long before graduation. Parents from low-resource groups, as a rule, try to give a profession, not a higher education. At the same time, it was revealed that children from families belonging to low-resource groups, for the most part, anyway note that if they had the necessary resources, they would try to get higher education. In addition, the author concludes that the decision on admission to a university is greatly influenced by not at all the economic capital of the family, how much the family’s value, as well as the influence of the reference person.