Kolmogorov reform of mathematical education, 1970-1980

TL;DR

The paper reviews the Soviet Kolmogorov reform of mathematical education during 1970-1980, highlighting its ambitious goals, implementation challenges, and eventual discontinuation amidst a broader context of educational reform movements.

Contribution

It provides a detailed historical analysis of the Kolmogorov reform, its key figures, strategic ideas, and the reasons for its failure and impact on Soviet mathematical education.

Findings

Reform was part of a transnational movement similar to 'New Math'

Implementation faced significant challenges and was ultimately halted

The reform led to a prolonged crisis in Soviet mathematical education

Abstract

This reform was a part of a transnational movement as 'the New Math' in the United States or the activity of the Lichnerowicz commission in France. The Russian version of these events involved the whole secondary and high school (4-10 grades). The leaders of the reformation were Alexey Markushevich and Andrey Kolmogorov. Their team consisted of best educationalists and best specialists in supplementary education. The project offered unqualified support of the Academy of Sciences and of the Ministry of education. However, the program of the reform was too optimistic, apparently some strategical ideas were unrealizable (and certainly there were no sufficient preliminary experiments for their verification). Starting September 1972 Soviet school was depressed, enormous efforts of participants of the reformation and simplification of the new school curriculum could not improve the situation. The reform was stopped by Lev Pontryagin in autumn 1980. The counterreformation required quick not-prepared steps and was not well-ordered. In 1981-1985 the heavy crisis was overcome but the mathematical education did not return to the pre-reform level.