Within the week of EFA Global Action Week proclaimed by UNESCO the meeting between Russian and Finnish students took place in Moscow at school #1016 on 24 April, 2007. These two schools being ASPnet have been cooperating together on the Great Volga River Route project for several years. Such kind of collaboration allows a full focus on the development of co-existence, friendship, understanding, and mutual respect.

Finnish students, their teachers and their parents visited school #1016 with the aim to know more about Russian system of education, thus they were invited to English, Russian, Chemistry and History lessons where they took part in interesting discussions and exchange their views and opinions.

One of the activities held at the school was the discussion between Russian and Finnish students on the role of education in the youth’s life and how it influences the choice of their careers and their style of living. The problems discussed at this meeting such as final and entering exams, the number of qualified teachers at schools, holidays, generation gap, were so urgent that the students as well as their teachers and parents took part in the discussion.

During the discussion students agreed that both Finnish and Russian schools provide good conditions for free qualified education. Guests were shown classrooms and labs where all modern facilities of education were presented: computer classes, the school library which is a resource center; Finnish guests were told that all Russian students are provided with free textbooks. Besides students of this very school have a possibility of learning two foreign languages and an opportunity for further education in the school- college-university system. Finnish students introduced their own system of education.

During the “Education as a human right” conference the main point mentioned there was that future opportunities of getting higher education as well as success in becoming a real citizen fully depend on education that has been received at school.

Finnish students found it quite interesting to visit the school museum “Rodniye Istoki” where the role-play “Russian wedding” was shown. This play is the result of a joint work on the Great Volga River Route project.
Russian teachers organized the literary club which allowed students to find themselves in the 19th century – the century of A.S. Pushkin, to visit literary saloons, to feel the spirit of that time.
The meeting ended with the symbolic action – planting of a “Friendship Tree”. “Beautiful lilac bushes planted by students of both schools will soon amaze us wit their nice flowers. And they will remind us about our Finnish friends and eternal human values” - says Ms. Antonina Barinova, the principal of school #1016.

Round table "Education as Human Right"	Chemistry lesson - Intresting for all!	Interchange of gifts	The Tree of Friendship
English language as mode of communication	Welcome to Russia!	Meeting of guests