Elements of public administration in the system of national education in Russia of the early XX century (by the example of training Kazakhs in the Astrakhan school of flashers and women-feldshers / obstetricians)

Based on the frontal analysis of archive sources the article studies the influence of public initiative on formation of the national system of education. The article suggests the idea of a school transformation as an obligatory part of the whole policy of gradual reforming and modernization of the country. The issue of founding schools for non-Russian population was in compliance with the concern of the nationhood defense of the Russian Empire. It was particularly difficult for the government to find ways to integrate Muslim population into the united Russian community. The character of public activity is considered an important criterion of depth and soundness of the transition from traditional to modern forms of economic, social and cultural life. Establishing the School of Feldshers and Women-Feldshers/Obstetricians was an important step in the development of the Astrakhan Province. Despite the fact that one of the principal goals of the school - to provide qualified medical assistance to women who refuse medical care of men-doctors because of the religious reasons - was not solved, appearance of Kazakh-feldshers in the areas of compact settlements of the Kazakhs eradicated a number of problems (psychological and cultural adaptation, language barrier). The example of the Astrakhan School of Feldshers and Women-Feldshers/Obstetricians proves that by the XX century the young generation of the Kazakhs was striving for civil education. The conclusion is that any member of the community could decide if his/her children would continue their education or not. Despite the etatization of the education management system in the empire, by the early 20th century it is the formation of the public scholarship fund that manifested the elements of public management of education.