This study traces the development of new approaches to teaching history-related subjects in Russian general educational establishments. Absence of a History and Culture Standard (HCS) for teaching World History creates problems in teaching this subject. The article suggests designing such a standard based on principles different from the HSC for the History of Russia: it must be more compact and problem-based, serving as a ‘directory’ rather than a program. The study questions the practicality of using the notion of ‘newest history’ for teaching purposes, and proposes replacing it with the notion of ‘contemporary history’, which emerged in the late 1980s ̶ early 1990s. Arguments for this change are given. Corrections are offered for the chronological framework of teaching modern and contemporary history in different school grades. The author believes that, first of all, it is necessary to develop, as soon as possible, a History and Culture Standard for World History, the methodology of which will differ from the current HCS for the History of Russia. Second, because of the established tradition, either to keep (maybe for a while) the notion of "newest history" for the period between 1918-1990, meaning the development of the capitalist formation in parallel with the alternative system of social relations, or to abandon this term altogether. Third, for the period of world history after 1990, to introduce the designation of "contemporary history", generally accepted among the vast majority of professional historians, reflecting a qualitatively new stage in the development of Russia and the world. Fourth, to correct the chronological framework of the study of world history, transferring to the 7th grade the study of the entire French revolution and the history of Russia prior to 1815. This way, it will be possible to avoid an unacceptable gap in the study of the dynamics of the revolutionary process, the results of which were crucial for the subsequent development of capitalism in France and around the world. These proposals are obviously controversial and subject to further discussion in the professional community.