▁order ▁to ▁be ▁compet itive ▁and ▁so ▁emb ark ed ▁on ▁a ▁program ▁contempor aneous ▁with ▁industrial ization ▁to ▁greatly ▁increase ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁schools ▁and ▁the ▁general ▁quality ▁of ▁education . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 7 , ▁ 7 . 9 ▁million ▁students ▁attended ▁ 1 1 8 , 5 5 8 ▁schools . ▁By ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁the ▁number ▁rose ▁to ▁ 9 . 7 ▁million ▁students ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 , 2 7 5 ▁schools . ▁In ▁addition , ▁ 9 0 0 ▁special ist ▁depart ments ▁and ▁ 5 6 6 ▁institutions ▁were ▁built ▁and ▁fully ▁oper ational ▁by ▁ 1 9 3 3 . ▁Liter acy ▁rates ▁increased ▁substantial ly ▁as ▁a ▁result , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁Central ▁Asian ▁republic s . ▁ ▁Women ▁The ▁Soviet ▁people ▁also ▁benef ited ▁from ▁a ▁type ▁of ▁social ▁liberal ization . ▁Women ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁given ▁the ▁same ▁education ▁as ▁men ▁and , ▁at ▁least ▁leg ally ▁speaking , ▁obtained ▁the ▁same ▁rights ▁as ▁men ▁in ▁the ▁work place . ▁Although ▁in ▁practice ▁these ▁goals ▁were ▁not ▁reached , ▁the ▁efforts ▁to ▁achieve ▁them ▁and ▁the ▁statement ▁of ▁theoretical ▁equality ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁general ▁improvement ▁in ▁the ▁so cio - e conom ic ▁status ▁of ▁women . ▁ ▁Health ▁St alin ist ▁development ▁also ▁contributed ▁to ▁adv ances ▁in ▁health ▁care , ▁which ▁marked ▁a ▁massive ▁improvement ▁over ▁the ▁Imperial ▁era . ▁ ▁St alin ' s ▁policies ▁granted ▁the ▁Soviet ▁people ▁access ▁to ▁free