RUSSIAN teaching experts have paid a visit to York to pick up tips on education.

The international guests have been at the University of York this week to consult on a pilot programme which aims to improve technology training for teachers in Russia.

The project, which started in 1996 with the university's department of educational studies, has seen staff from the university travel to many of the furthest parts of the Russian Federation. Its main aim is to make technology education in Russian schools more active and child-centred. Professor Vladislav Balov, the rector of the Komsol'sk-na-Amure State Pedagogical University, was among the guests, accompanied by Prof Mark Gurievich, head of the faculty of technology and enterprise at the Nizhny Novgorod Institute for the Development of Education.

They will be working with university staff on the pilot, which if successful will be extended to the whole of Russia.

Visiting Fellow James Pitt, who has been involved in the project for the last five years, said: "Over the years we have worked on teaching methods, text-book production, and in-service teacher training. The First Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Victor Bolotov, who is the architect of many of Russia's educational reforms, has now asked us to look at the pre-service training of technology teachers - the last piece of the jigsaw."

Updated: 09:58 Friday, May 02, 2003