The Unified State Exam (USE) for all subjects is still under consideration, and it's quite possible that we'll still manage to "slip through." But as for those who are currently in 8th and 9th grades, I don't know. And at our school, they're really piling on the work. Not only do we have foreign language every day, but we also have literature for 5 hours a week. What recently became a revelation for me is that 5 hours of literature equals an advanced course :eek: Two advanced courses, I tell you, that's tough. And we have to take both subjects. As a result, we only have 2 choices left, one for applying to university, and the other is to choose something easy, like computer science (which is easy for me :).). Otherwise, we could have just written a report on world art history and defended it, or taken a life safety exam based on tickets. That wouldn't be too difficult either.
Grades have ceased to be important, as the benefits for medalists when applying to university have been canceled. However, if you slack off and don't study, you won't be able to pass the USE => you won't get into university. At least in our universities now, they look primarily at the results of the USE.
Bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter,
Our people drift and die,
The walls of gold entomb us,
The swords of scorn divide,
Take not thy thunder from us,
Take away our pride.
G.K. Chesterton: English Hymnal