Sharp decrease in the society’s level of morally-spiritual development brings up a prior task of patriotic education as the factor overcoming negative trends among young people. The authors suggest discussing the problem of patriotic education through teaching and educational process in a higher school of medicine.
In XIX Russia entered the new level of development but inherited plenty of economical, political, social and other kinds of problems from the gone epoch, Great changes took place in morally-spiritual sphere of the life activity of the Russian society. The educational potential of art and culture decreased significantly. The winds of change left a strong impact on the domestic educational system which endured all negative and positive circumstances of the transitional period. As a result patriotism as a socially valued quality lost its significance and its role for youth sharply decreased.
It is generally known that the development of patriotism and love of motherland must be guided since early age within the family and then must develop along with other social institutions when the outlook base of the personality is being founded. The special importance of the coordinated solution to the problem must be emphasized. However the modern realities are such that the society almost completely delegated the power to the educational system thus making the problem more complicated.
Under the present-day circumstances when we speak about the revival of Russia the patriotic education has started playing a main role as a catalyst of the process. The above mentioned point is eloquently testified by a number of state documents having been adopted recently. First of all, it is the State Programme “Patriotic Education of Russian Federation citizens from 2001 to 2005” (approved by the resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of the February 16, 2001 № 122); the Concept of Patriotic education of the citizens of the Russian Federation (approved by Government Committee on social issues of the military, citizens retired of military service and their family members, minutes № 2(12)-П4 of the May 21, 2003); State Programme “Patriotic education of Russian Federation citizens for 2001–2005” (approved by the resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of the July 11, 2005, № 422) and others. Besides the programmes of youth patriotic education are adopted on the regional and departmental levels. The common idea of all above-mentioned documents is that their implementation must “promote the maintenance of social stability, restore of national economy, and strengthening of national defense capability” [1]. It is added that “patriotic education is a systematic and purposeful activity of the official bodies and organizations to develop patriotic conscience of citizens, the sense of faith to their motherland, eagerness to fulfill their civic duty and constitutional obligations to defense the interests of the Motherland” [2]. The mentioned documents set the same goal, anyway, this goal is “the development of the system of patriotic education of the citizens of the Russian Federation, the system developing patriotic feelings and consciousness and providing on the base of them the solution to the problems on social consolidation, maintenance of social and economic stability, strengthening the unity and friendship of the peoples of the Russian Federation” [3].
Teaching and upbringing are integral notions. The unity of the process must be formed on the base of rich spiritual and universal cultural traditions of the developing of the patriotism and patterns of international relations. It’s for them to play the most important role in social, civic and spiritual moulding of the personality, they give the base to strengthen the love of Motherland, responsibility for its power and independence.
Educational process is one of the main aspects of the patriotic education system in the university. The success of the whole system depends greatly on the process handling. There are no trifles in this handling, it is the application of new educational technologies which is important as well as the close contact with museums, theaters and other cultural offices based on the design and implementation of long lasting programmes. But the focus on world outlook takes a special place, it plays a key role in the moulding of the patriotic personality. In the connection to it the mission of liberal arts is considered greatly significant as it is up to them to play the role of state ideology conductor, to form the proactive life philosophy. To solve the task of patriotic education in the higher school is not impossible. Furthermore it is determined by “State Educational Standard on Higher Professional Education” within the syllabi of the humanitarian disciplines: National History, Philosophy, Cultural Studies, Sociology, Education Science, Political Science.
Thus, the problems of patriotic education are crucially important and vital issues in the system of the upbringing a patriotic citizen, who is eager to devote their activity to Motherland welfare. The partial realization of these issues is possible within the teaching of Arts in the university with the integral policy of patriotic education in the university provided, along with the creative approach of the academic stuff, reasonable initiative, directed at the motivation of academic and research activity of students.
The work is submitted to the International Scientific Conference “Fundamental and applied problems in medicine and biology”, UAE (Dubai), October, 16–23, 2014, came to the editorial office оn 15.07.2014.