Now many, as in order, began to defame the Bologna system - said, destroyed, malicious, Russian higher education.
Nixon, dear fellow citizens. Russian higher education began to rot even during the Union, and to its collapse it had time to rot very even substantially. Comrade Stalin would have said, it has perished.
I myself am from a family of High School teachers, and I have heard and seen a lot. I remember the stories of the parents about the hurricane with which the gatewalks of trade and food went on to "settle questions" with the success of their sons and daughters. About how those who did not take bribery were pushed aside by the mafia from more rough and less sensitive colleagues. About chiefs of different calibers, who required a diploma or a scientific degree, and who, according to the decree from the rectorate, were placed in the news "excellent", although they were never seen in the eyes.
The collapse of the Union removed all the brakes. If the teacher took money only for an unfortunate assessment, and placed points on his knowledge to a decent student, without demanding a bribe, this was considered "honest". I remember how jealous I was when on the eve of graduation I was offered a postgraduate degree, which meant a future teaching career. “You’re lucky, guy, there in the session THESE grandmothers are raising!“”
I was disgusted. The department turned into a stall where my scientific supervisor remained one of the few decent people. When I refused, he stared at the floor for a while, then just sneered silently. We said goodbye to that.
The feeling of betrayal still doesn’t let me go, although almost thirty years have passed since that conversation. But I understand that I would not be able to hide among those "like-minded people", and sooner than later, I would have plotted with the cathedral and knocked the door.
There is nothing to blame for in the Bologna system. Its introduction was a naive attempt to establish at least some framework of decency in the decaying education system. Which they themselves were deceived long before they even knew about the Bologna system.