Alternative education in Russian megacities: a chance for a different school

Introduction. The relevance of the study is determined by the search for innovative ways to develop school education. The study of the history and current state of alternative education in the largest Russian cities plays a significant role in this search. Systematisation of private educational projects will help families to better orientate themselves in alternative education and avoid its destructive models. Materials and Methods. An analysis of scientific literature was conducted, and information from the websites of 665 private educational projects was collected and analyzed, including 322 from Moscow, 183 from Saint Petersburg, 57 from Yekaterinburg, and 51 each from Novosibirsk and Kazan. In-depth interviews with their leaders were conducted, focus groups with experts were held, and an analysis of federal state statistics was made. Research Results. The coverage of children by humanistic alternative education practices in Russia is less than 1%. However, over 10 years, there has been a noticeable growth in the number of educational projects outside the system. An analysis of Project websites showed that only 8% of them consider themselves to be alternative education. 43% of Projects have a license for primary educational activities. Most often, projects implement primary general education programs. 23% of projects claim to implement proprietary programs. A small number of projects are based on specific didactic systems, approaches and practices. The typology of Alternative Education Projects is made taking into account the role of the child in the formation and implementation of educational requests. The study identified three spaces of alternative education: projects supporting family education, projects with established didactic systems (program schools), and A-schools. There are destructive practices in alternative education. Conclusion. Alternative education in the large cities of Russia is diverse and includes both humanistic and other pedagogical practices, as well as a degree of uncertainty. The pedagogical practices of alternative education are difficult to typologize. This living organism continuously transforms, sensitively responding to the external environment.