The System of Public Education in Semirechenskaya Oblast (1867-1917)

This work examines the system of public education in Semirechenskaya Oblast in the period 1867-1917, i.e. from the formation of this territorial unit to the collapse of the Russian Empire. The principal sources for this study are relevant documents from the Russian State Historical Archive (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation) and a vast body of statistical information for the prerevolutionary period gathered by the Semirechenskaya Oblast Statistics Committee. The archival materials are represented by relevant documents from Holding No. 733 (‘Department of Public Education at the Ministry of Public Education'), while the statistical materials are derived from The Semirechenskaya Oblast Review , The Memorandum Book for Semirechenskaya Oblast , and The Address Calendar for Semirechenskaya Oblast . The study's findings revealed that during the imperial period, the development of the system of public education in Semirechenskaya Oblast was governed by a regional factor - the majority of the region's population being Muslim. It was difficult to overcome the reluctance of members of the region's Muslim community to have their children attend secular schools, so the Russian local administration set itself the objective of having as many children in the region's ethnic-Russian community as possible attend school. In the period from 1867 to 1917, Semirechenskaya Oblast saw the creation of an entire network of secondary and lower educational institutions, which included male and female gymnasiums and progymnasiums, higher primary schools, parochial schools, primary schools under the purview of the Ministry of Public Education, and lower vocational schools (those of horticulture, forestry, and gardening). There also was a teacher's seminary, which helped address the need for qualified teachers in the region.