1. THE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION IN UKRAINE: MAIN INDICATORS P

Transkrypt

1. THE SYSTEM
OF EDUCATION IN UKRAINE:
MAIN INDICATORS
P
ursuant to the Law of Ukraine On Education, the right of citizens to obtain education is ensured, first
of all, by an extensive network of educational establishments, their public character and variety of forms
of education1.
This section analyses the main indicators describing the state of the institutional education network in
Ukraine: the number and dynamics of the development of educational establishments and their students;
provision of educational establishments with personnel of the relevant qualification; and the sources of
funding for education.
In the recent decade, Ukraine has managed to preserve rather high indicators on the human development
index primarily thanks to its education component. It may be said that the existing network of educational
establishments generally ensures a sufficient level of coverage for citizens and the quality of their education.
Analysis of quantitative indicators shows that the institutional network of education in Ukraine is
developing at a high pace: institutions of new types are established, the number of higher educational
establishments has drastically increased, the forms of ownership and sources of funding are diversified, and
the number of students is increasing.
At the same time, tendencies exist that may bring about significant deformations in the process of
continuous general education in the country. The network of institutions at various levels of education is
developing unevenly. A reduction can be observed in the network of primary education institutions
preschool and extracurricular educational establishments; their coverage of children and teenagers is
decreasing. The network of educational establishments in the country (rural areas) is in a critical state.
1.1 PRESCHOOL EDUCATION
reduction of the network of preschool educational establishments is furthered by such objective factor as the
decrease in the birth rate4 and, correspondingly, the
number of children of preschool age. This factor however cannot excuse the steady decrease in the coverage
of children with preschool education.
Ukrainian legislation views preschool education as a
primary element of the general structure of education in
the country. At the same time, education of this level is
not legislatively defined as obligatory and is granted to
children at the parents wish2. This absence means that
the laws fail to address the issue of state guarantees of
preschool education, casts doubt on its role in the system of continuous education, patently creates preconditions for unequal preparation of children for school3.
Razumkov Centre experts believe that the reduction
of the network of preschool education is conditioned by
a number of socio-economic factors: (1) the fall of production in early 1990s led to a forced transfer of departmental preschool educational establishments in subordination of local self-government bodies that cannot
ensure their sufficient funding; (2) insufficient budget
funding of education leads to its deficiency at the level
of preschool education as well; (3) low incomes of many
The network and number of children
The quantitative indicators that describe the network
and contingent of preschool educational establishments
show a steady downward tendency. Beyond doubt, the
1
See: The Law of Ukraine On Education of June 4, 1991, Article 3.1.
See: ibid., Article 29, Article 34.
3
The absence of data on preschool education in the Youth and Education section of the annual reports for the President of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada and
the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine drawn by the State Committee of Ukraine on Youth Policy, Sports and Tourism is demonstrative, as well as the absence of
information about human resources of the system of preschool education in information-analytical review Education in Ukraine drawn by the Ministry of
Education and Science of Ukraine for the 2nd All-Ukrainian Congress of Educationalists (2001).
4
The problem of the natality rate decline was examined in more detail in the Razumkov Centre analytical report The Church and Society: Co-operation in the
Name of Human Life. National Security and Defence, 2001, ¹3, pp.3-5.
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THE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION IN UKRAINE: MAIN INDICATORS
decreased from 55.5% to 54.9%7, but even now it is
much higher than in Ukraine.
families do not allow them to pay for education of their
children at preschool establishments and are
unfavourable for the development of the network of private preschool educational establishments; (4) because
of the high unemployment rate among the youth, many
young families do not have to send their children to preschool establishments.
Meanwhile, in the post-socialist states candidates
for EU membership, after a certain decrease in the rate
of coverage of children with preschool education
witnessed at the beginning of 1990s, a steady upward
tendency is observed. For instance, in Lithuania, in
1996-2000, the rate of coverage grew from 30.1% to
41% of the total number of children aged between one
and six years, including in the age group of above three
years from 49.9% to 74.4% in towns and from 10.7%
to 15.6% in rural areas8.
One should also pay attention to the appearance of
home education (home schooling) within the Ukrainian
education system. It is affordable only to high-income
families; thus, the factor of home education does not
have a significant impact on the dynamic of the network
of preschool educational establishments.
Therefore, the tendency still observed in preschool
education in Ukraine does not coincide with the tendencies inherent to post-socialist states candidates for EU
membership and points to the comparatively lower pace
for leading preschool education out of the crisis of the
transitional period.
In 1990-2000, the network of preschool establishments shrank by a third (33.5%); the number of children attending them by 40.1%; the rate of coverage
of children of preschool age fell from 57% in 1990 to
40% at the beginning of 2001 (Diagram Preschool educational establishments 5).
At the same time, there are some positive tendencies
in the development of the preschool education network
that include creation of new types of preschool establishments, for instance, educational and upbringing
complexes preschool general education establishment. As of the beginning of 2000/2001 academic year,
there were some 1,300 such establishments in Ukraine.
Specialised preschools are established, too, for instance,
of the artistic, aesthetic, sports, recreation and humanitarian trends9.
If we take into account only those establishments that
are actually open6, the reduction of the network of preschool establishments will make up 46.5%, of their
seats 51% (from 2.277 million in 1990 to 1.117 million
at the beginning of 2001).
The reduction of preschool educational establishments
in rural areas was especially noticeable. The number of
institutions decreased by only 29.4%, but the number of
their seats by 53.7%; coverage of children fell more
than two and half times from 43% to 16%.
Distribution of preschool educational
establishments by form of ownership
In towns, the number of preschool educational
establishments decreased by 37.8%; the number of
seats two-fold; the rate of coverage of children fell
from 69% to 49%.
The overwhelming majority of preschool establishments stays in municipal (58%) and collective (40%)
ownership; the state maintains only 7.4% of institutions;
private preschool establishments make up 2.3% of the
total network (Diagram Distribution of preschool educational establishments by the form of ownership 10).
The situation in Ukraine resembles the state of preschool education in Russia, where the decline of that
indicator has not been reversed yet. In 1995-2000, it
Preschool educational establishments
Number of children, ths.
Number of establishments, ths.
Rate of coverage of children of preschool age, %
2,428
2,268
1,918
1,918
1,736
1,536
24.5
57% 24.4
1990
5
6
7
8
9
10
4
55% 23.8
1991
51% 23.2
1992
1,342
49% 22.3
1993
47% 21.4
1994
1,172
1,103
1,055
983
41% 18.4
40%
17.6
39% 16.3
38% 17.2
33%
44% 20.2
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
Sources: Ukraines Statistical Yearbook 2000. The State Statistic Committee of Ukraine, Kyiv, 2001, p.436.
As of the beginning of 2001, out of 16.3 thousand preschool establishments, only 13.1 thousand were operational. See: ibid.
Education in Russia before 2001. Analytical Review. http://www.ed.gov.ru/koi8/obzor.html.
Rimkeviciene V. http://www.un.lt/HDR/2001/default.html.
See: Education in Ukraine. Information-analytical Review. Kyiv, 2001, p.41.
See: ibid.
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GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION
Language of instruction
Distribution of preschool educational establishments
by the form of ownership
Over the years of independence, education has shifted towards Ukrainian as the primary language of
instruction. While in 1991, 50.8% of children at preschool educational establishments were taught in
Ukrainian, in 2000, they made up 76.0%; in Russian
48.8% and 23.6% respectively. The share of children
taught in other languages remained unchanged 0.4%.
Private
371
State-owned
1,200
Municipal
9,500
The share of children taught in the Russian language
is especially high in the Autonomous Republic of
Crimea (ARC) 96.3%, Eastern and Southern regions
of Ukraine (Luhansk region 80.3%; Donetsk
65.5%; Zaporizhya 37.1%; Odesa 35.4%;
Kharkiv 17.3%; Kherson 16.8%). By contrast, in
Vinnytsia region and the Western regions, their share is
either zero (Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Ternopil
regions) or insignificant (Transcarpathian 0.6%;
Chernivtsi 0.2%; Rivne 0.1%).
Collective
5,200
Preschool educational establishments
for children with special needs
According to the State Statistic Committee of
Ukraine, in 1999, there were 183 operational corrective
preschool educational establishments for children that
require correction of physical and/or mental development; they accommodated 16.2 thousand children. At
that, there was not a single corrective establishment in
rural areas.
Some 4,000 children in preschool educational establishments are taught in the Hungarian and German languages (Transcarpathian region), in Polish (Lviv region),
Moldavian (Odesa region), Romanian and Jewish
(Chernivtsi region), Crimean Tatar (ARC) languages12.
There were also some 4,000 special groups with
58.1 thousand children11.
By and large, the regional distribution of education in
national languages largely corresponds to the present-day
language and cultural situation in the country and reflects
the needs of national minorities in the places of their
compact residence.
It is rather difficult to assess the sufficiency of the
network of preschool educational establishments because
of the absence of an official definition of children with
special needs and the contradiction between the notion
of children used in statistics dealing with the sector of
education and statistics of the Ministry of Healthcare of
Ukraine that registers disabled persons as children only
before they reach the age of 16. Besides, recently, the
number children with special needs that remain
unaccounted for has been increasing.
The above data point to the reduction of the network
of preschool education in Ukraine, which is not in line
with the proclaimed course of the state towards creation
of a system of continuous education, where preschool
education presents a mandatory element, reduces the
ability of children to obtain preschool education and puts
them in unequal initial conditions in the system of general education. At the same time, the
existing network of preschool establishments is supplemented with institutions
of a new type, takes into account the
needs of children that require correction
of physical and/or mental development
and language needs of national minorities
in the places of their compact residence.
1.2 GENERAL SECONDARY
EDUCATION
Pursuant to the Constitution of
Ukraine, complete general secondary
education is obligatory for all citizens13.
Ukraines legislation terms general
secondary education as an obligatory
basic element of continuous education14.
In Ukraine, general secondary education rests on quite a developed institutional network that may generally
satisfy educational needs of children
and teenagers of school age. General
educational establishments of new types
11 See: Full-time Preschool Educational Establishments in Ukraine in 1999. Statistical Bulletin. Kyiv, 2000, p.7. Detailed data of preschool educational establishments as of 2000-2001 are absent. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine publication Education in Ukraine. Information-analytical
Review cites the following data on existing preschool establishments for children with special needs as of the beginning of 2000/2001 academic year: compensatory establishments 1,400, sanatorium establishments 165. See: Education in Ukraine. Information-analytical Review. Kyiv, 2001, p.41.
12 Sources: Ukraines Statistical Yearbook 2000..., p.439; Education in Ukraine. Information-analytical Review..., p.126.
13 The Constitution of Ukraine, Article 53.
14 See: The Law of Ukraine On General Secondary Education of May 13, 1999, Article 2, Article 3.
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1990-2000 remained stable nearly 22 thousand; the
number of pupils goes down; the number of teachers
shows rather noticeable fluctuations, which points to the
instability of human resources of general education
establishments (Diagram General education establishments16). As of the academic year of 2000/2001, the
ratio of teachers to pupils made up 1:11.7 (against 1:13.3
in 1990/1991).
are established; the number of schools working in two
and three shifts goes down; private schools are spreading. At the same time, the state of secondary education
in rural areas is nearing a critical point; the network of
evening schools shrinks, with a simultaneous increase in
the number of students observed in recent years.
Since September 1, 2001, transition to 12-year general secondary education has begun in Ukraine. It consists of three stages: primary, incomplete and complete
general secondary education15. General education establishments are subdivided into institutions of the 1st
grade (primary school four years), 2nd grade (basic
school five years) and 3rd grade (high school three
years). High school should function mainly as professional where full-scale general education is given, irrespective of the profile.
As a rule, graduates of basic secondary schools continue education at high school or at other educational
establishments. For instance, in 2000, 66.8% of graduates continued education at high school; 4% transferred
to evening schools; 16% entered vocational schools;
11% higher educational establishments17.
Distribution of educational establishments by type.
General education establishments encompass institutions
of different types. Their classification and number as of
the beginning of 2000/2001 academic year are presented on Insert Types of general education establishments.
The network, number of children
and teachers at educational establishments
The network of general secondary education consists
of general education establishments of all types and
forms of ownership, including for children and teenagers
that require social assistance and social rehabilitation.
The network of general secondary education also
includes extracurricular educational establishments,
inter-school training and production plants and those
vocational schools and higher educational establishments of the 1st and 2nd levels of accreditation that give
complete general secondary education.
Day educational establishments make up the overwhelming majority (nearly 98.9%) of general educational establishments: as of 2000/2001 academic year, there
were 21,965 of those.
There is a strong tendency towards the reduction of
the share of day educational establishments working in
two or three shifts: in 1990/1991, they made up 20%;
the share of pupils learning in the second or third shift
fell from 15% in 1990/1991 to 8% in 2000/2001; in
87%, lessons are organised in one shift; in 13% in
two or three shifts.
The contingent of pupils at general education
establishments is normally formed by children aged
between 6 and 18 years, with the exception of students
of evening (shift) educational establishments.
Day educational establishments employ 572 thousand teachers. The ratio of teachers to pupils makes up
1:11.6.
General information. Quantitative indicators prove
that the network of general education establishments in
General education establishments,
ths.
Number of pupils
Number, units
7,132
7,102
7,088
Number of teachers
7,096
7,125
7,143
7,134
7,078
6,987
6,857
6,764
543
537
21.8
21.9
1990/1991 1991/1992
579
565
22.0
22.1
1992/1993
1993/1994
596
576
585
576
573
571
577
22.3
22.3
22.2
22.1
22.1
22.2
22.2
1994/1995
1995/1996
1996/1997
1997/1998
1998/1999
1999/2000
2000/2001
15 Pursuant to the Law of Ukraine On General Secondary Education (Article 48) and the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine On Transition of
General Education Establishments to the New Substance, Structure and 12-year Term of Study of November 16, 2000. The transition is to be completed in
three phases: from September 1, 2001 in general education establishments of the 1st grade; from September 1, 2005 in establishments of the 2nd
grade; from September 1, 2007 in gymnasiums, collegiums, specialised schools, and from September 1, 2008 in other general education establishments of the 3rd grade.
16 Unless specified otherwise, the data hereinafter are cited and calculated after: Ukraines Statistical Yearbook 2000..., pp.440-448; Education in Ukraine.
Information-analytical Review..., pp.40-43, 68-71, 131, 134.
17 Ukraines Statistical Yearbook 2000..., p.448.
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v
v
v
v
v
v
Evening (shift) educational establishments make up
only some 1.1% of the total number of general education establishments. There is a tendency towards a
decrease in their number with a simultaneous increase
in the number of pupils. As the Diagram Evening (shift)
educational establishments shows, the network of
evening schools shrank more than two-fold; simultaneously, the number of students increased by 5.4%, compared to 1998/1999.
Types of general education establishments
general secondary school (grades 1, 2, 3 or combination thereof)
gymnasium (grades 2-3; with profound study of separate subjects
according to the profile)
lyceum (grade 3; with special education and pre-vocational training)
collegium (grade 3; of philological-philosophic or cultural-aesthetic
trends)
evening (shift) school (grades 2-3)
boarding school:
w general education boarding school (for children that require social
assistance; with partial or complete maintenance at the public
expense)
w specialised boarding school (grades 1-3; with profound study of
separate subjects and courses)
w special boarding school (for children with special needs (that
require correction of physical or mental development))
w sanatorium boarding school (grades 1-3; for children that require
prolonged treatment)
w social rehabilitation school (for children that require special
conditions of upbringing)18.
Evening (shift) schools employ 4,600 teachers. The
ratio of teachers to pupils makes up 1:25.4, exceeding
the average Ukrainian ratio and the ratio of day schools
more than two-fold.
Institutions of new types. New types of institutions
include gymnasiums, lyceums, collegiums and educational and upbringing complexes. As of the beginning of
2000/2001 academic year, there were 1,832 such institutions, or 8.3% of the total number of day general educational establishments. Since 1995, the network of
institutions of a new type has shown a comparatively
high rate of growth: in 2000/2001 academic year, the
number of gymnasiums increased, compared to
1995/1996, almost two-fold (from 150
to 296), of lyceums more than twofold (from 138 to 283).
Evening (shift) educational establishments
193
Number, units
515
Number of pupils, ths.
136
118
295
1990/1991 1995/1996
256
1996/1997
248
246
1997/1998
1998/1999
117
114
111
108
352
245
1999/2000
2000/2001
General education establishments
for children with special needs
154.3
151.4
135.4
130.2
85
69
411
68
398
396
1990/1991 1995/1996
Number, units
18
19
20
1996/1997
1997/1998
69
68
66
395
400
1998/1999
401
69
402
1999/2000
2000/2001
Number of children with special needs, ths.
General education establishments for
children with special needs. The network
of schools for children with special
needs counts 402 institutions nine
less than in 1990/1991. The number of
children studying at those institutions
in 1995-2001 generally remained
stable some 68-69 thousand
(Diagram General education establishments for children with special needs).
Meanwhile, statistical data show
that the number of children with special needs increases: while in 1995,
there were 130.2 thousand19 such children, at the beginning of 2001, they
totalled 154.3 thousand20. Hence, there
arises the problem of sufficiency of general education establishments for children with special needs.
Distribution of educational establishments by the form of ownership. The
overwhelming majority (99%) of general secondary education establishments
are state-owned; they teach 6,743.7
thousand pupils (99.7% of their total
number) and employ 571.5 thousand
teachers (99.1%). The ratio of teachers
to pupils makes up 1:11.8.
The majority (99.7%) of state general education establishments are subordinated to the Ministry of Education
and Science of Ukraine. Others report
to various ministries, agencies and
organisations.
Secondary educational establishments are categorised pursuant to the Law of Ukraine On General Secondary Education, Article 9.1.
Children of Ukraine - 1996. Official Statistics. State Statistic Committee of Ukraine, Kyiv, 1998, p.85.
Ukraines Statistical Yearbook 2000..., p.494.
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The sector of private general education establishments
makes up only 1% of the total network. All private institutions are of the day type; the overwhelming majority
of them belong to new types of institutions.
At the beginning of 2000/2001 academic year, there
were 229 private schools that taught 20.3 thousand
children and teenagers (0.3% of all pupils) and
employed 5,125 teachers (0.9% of the teachers corps of
the daily general education establishments).
The ratio of teachers to pupils made up 1:4, which
exceeds the ratio of state day educational establishments
almost three-fold.
Private educational establishments are concentrated
in the Kharkiv (31) and Odesa (29) regions; ARC (25);
the city of Kyiv (24); Dnipropetrovsk (23) and Donetsk
(19) regions. At the same time, in Volyn and Ternopil
regions, there is not a single private general education
establishment.
It is noteworthy that the share of private schools and
their pupils actually coincides with the relevant Russian
indicators 0.9% of schools and 0.3% of pupils21.
Distribution of general secondary
education establishments by location.
Country (rural) schools
More than two thirds (67.1%; 14.9 thousand) of secondary education establishments in Ukraine are located
in rural areas. Almost a third (32.4%; 2.2 million) of the
Ukraines schoolchildren studies there.
Country schools. Institutions of new types account for
a very small share of educational
establishments in rural areas; moreover,
there is a tendency of reduction of their
number. While in 1999/2000 academic
year, there were three gymnasiums, 11
lyceums and four collegiums22; in
2000/2001 three gymnasiums, eight
lyceums and three collegiums, that
accounted for only 9% of country
schoolchildren. The total number of
such pupils in rural areas is almost 100
times less than in Ukrainian cities23.
in 2001/2002 academic year there are 147 ungraded
schools; there are districts (Ripky, Novhorod Siverskyi)
where such schools make up nearly 40%)25.
At the beginning of 2001/2002 academic year, the
number of vacant positions of teachers in country
schools was close to 3,000 (the most in Kherson and
Mykolayiv regions and in the ARC) 26.
Due to the deficiency of teachers in some schools,
only the invariant portion of curricula is performed27,
which reduces not only the possibilities of obtaining
good general education but also the chances of pupils to
continue education at higher educational establishments.
Language of instruction. Schools of national
minorities
Secondary education is gradually transferred to the
Ukrainian language. While in 1991/1992 academic year,
49% of pupils were taught in the Ukrainian language
and 50% in Russian, in 2000/2001, 70% of pupils
were taught in Ukrainian and 29% in Russian. The
share of pupils taught in languages of national minorities has remained virtually unchanged and makes
approximately 0.4%.
As we may see on the map Languages of instruction
in general education establishments in Ukraines regions,
a significant sector of Russian language education is preserved in the Eastern and Southern regions of Ukraine;
by contrast, in Western regions, the Russian language of
instruction occupies a small sector: 2% (Lviv,
Transcarpathian, Chernivtsi regions); 1% (Volyn, IvanoFrankivsk regions); 0.3% (Rivne, Ternopil regions).
In rural areas, there are actually no
private schools. Only in Transcarpathian region, there are three private Hungarian language schools with
233 children24.
In connection with the deterioration
of the demographic situation, the number of ungraded schools non-affordable
for local budgets is increasing. For
instance, in Chernihiv region (second
by the territory and 18th by population),
21
Education in Russia before 2001. Analytical Review. http://www.ed.gov.ru/koi8/obzor.html.
Secondary Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 1999/2000 Academic Year..., p.8.
23 Polushkina V. Computerised Class as a Dream. Kievskie Vedomosti, September 1, 2001, p.4.
24 Secondary Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 1999/2000 Academic Year..., pp.11,35.
25 On the Results of Work of General Education and Vocational Education Establishments in 2000/2001 Academic Year and Main Tasks for the New Academic
Year. From a speech by the Head of the Chernihiv Regional Education Department H.Tymoshko Osvita, August 22, 2001, p.6.
26 Ibid, p.4.
27 Ibid.
22
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are virtually absent in rural areas; country schools are
facing an acute problem of staffing with teachers; in connection with the deterioration of the demographic situation, the number of ungraded schools is increasing. The
number of schools and pupils at schools for children with
special needs is being stabilised, which, in the conditions
of an increase of the number of children of that category, raises the issue of insufficiency of the network of such
schools.
Schools of national minorities. In addition to
Ukrainian and Russian language schools, there are
schools and classes where pupils are taught in other
national languages. At the beginning of 2000/2001 academic year, 27.9 thousand pupils were taught in the
Romanian language; 21.2 thousand in Hungarian;
7,200 in Moldavian; 5,000 in Crimean Tatar;
1,200 in Polish28; 9,300 in English; 100 in
Slovak; 100 in Bulgarian.
1.3 EXTRACURRICULAR EDUCATION
The legislation of Ukraine30 defines extracurricular
education as an element of the system of continuous
education. At the same time, statistics show that the
institutional network and the number of pupils at
extracurricular educational establishments go down;
reduction is especially noticeable regarding the institutions that require significant funding and comparatively
complex equipment.
Languages of instruction and languages optionally studied
at general education and Sunday schools in Ukraine's regions29
The Autonomous Republic of Crimea: six schools with the Crimean Tatar
language of instruction; 30 classes with the Crimean Tatar language of
instruction in Russian language schools; profound study of the Crimean
Tatar language in a number of schools; over 20 Sunday schools where the
Armenian, Greek, Bulgarian, Jewish, Karaite, Krymchak, German, Czech
languages are taught.
Dnipropetrovsk region: the Armenian and Hebrew languages are studied
as separate subjects.
The network and number of pupils
Extracurricular educational establishments include
various institutions engaged in educational activity
beyond the framework of the mandatory school programme. The types and indicators of development of the
network of extracurricular educational establishments
are presented in Table Network of extracurricular educational establishments 31.
Donetsk region: the Modern Greek language is studied as a separate subject. 17 Sunday schools, where the Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, German and
Modern Greek languages are taught.
Transcarpathian region: 72 schools with the Hungarian language of
instruction (two of them private); 11 Romanian language schools; 29
Ukrainian/Hungarian; two Ukrainian/Slovak; one Russian/Romanian;
one Ukrainian/Hungarian/Russian; one Ukrainian/Romanian/Russian
language school.
Network of extracurricular educational establishments
Zaporizhya region: the Bulgarian, Modern Greek, Czech and Hebrew languages are studied optionally. Prymorskyi Ukrainian-Bulgarian lyceum,
schools Alif and Chabad Lubavich are operational.
Absolute growth / rate, %
(2000 to 1992)
Odesa region: nine schools with the Moldavian (Romanian) language of
instruction; nine Moldavian/Romanian/Russian. The Bulgarian, Gagauz,
Hebrew, Modern Greek, Polish, Czech languages are studied as separate
subjects. Seven national Sunday schools: Bulgarian, Armenian, Korean,
German, Polish, Romany, Czech.
Network of
extracurricular
educational
establishments
Number of
children, covered
by extracurricular
educational
establishments
-141 / -8.6%
-362.5 / -23.0%
Complexes, centres, palaces,
homes of extracurricular work
+7 / +0.9%
-173.2 / -18.0%
Centres, stations, clubs
of technical art
-57 / -17.7%
-96.7 / -35.5%
of young naturalists
-65 / -27.8%
-57.8 / -16.0%
+20 / +28.6%
-8.6 / -13.7%
Indicators
Chernivtsi region: Romanian language schools are operational; in 1997,
the Centre for Ethnic Minorities of the South-West of Ukraine was established and now issues textbooks and manuals for Romanian language
schools.
Number total
in that:
Kyiv: 16 schools with the Russian language of instruction; classes of the
Bulgarian, Hebrew, Modern Greek, Polish, Tatar languages. Five Sunday
schools: Greek, Georgian, Lithuanian, German and Tatar.
The cited data illustrate qualitative changes in the
network of general education establishments of Ukraine:
the number of institutions of a new type and private
schools increases rather quickly. The overall level of
human resources for the educational process is rather
high. Secondary education is being transferred to the
state language of instruction. The process of education
takes into account language needs of national minorities
in the places of their compact residence.
of young local lore and tourists
Centres, schools
of aesthetic education
At the same time, the dynamic of the number of
teachers shows the instability of human resources within
the system of general education. Institutions of new types
+8 / +66.7%
+7.3 / +140.0%
Flotillas
-6 / -24.0%
-5.5 / -39.3%
Centres
of patriotic upbringing
-3 / -50.0%
-0.4 / -20.0%
Children's and youth clubs
of physical training
-46 / -41.8%
-43.2 / -57.7%
Other kind of extracurricular
educational establishments
+1 / +2.3%
+12.3 / +43.5%
28 For instance, Polish language classes were opened in school No.14 in Ivano-Frankivsk. See: Boiko S. The Path of the Lemkyo Churches. Slovo Prosvity,
April 26, 2002, p.27.
29 Cited after: Education in Ukraine over the Years of Independence: the State, Facts and Events. Kyiv, 2001.
30 The Law of Ukraine On Extracurricular Education of June 22, 2000.
31 Source: Education in Ukraine. Information-analytical Review..., pp.56,79.
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As of the beginning of 2001, there were 1,497 extracurricular educational establishments within the system
of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
with 1.2 million pupils children and teenagers32; some
30 thousand of them subordinate to the Small
Academy of Sciences and its 25 local branches33.
In 1990-2000, the network of such schools shrank to
a smaller extent that the institutions of the Ministry of
Education and Science: totally, it lost only 12 institutions (reduction from 1,533 in 1999 to 1,521 in 2000).
However, the number of pupils in schools of aesthetic
education dropped equally greatly by almost 20%.
In 1992-2000, the number of pupils at extracurricular educational establishments fell by almost a quarter
(by 362.5 thousand persons, or 23%)34. As we may see
from the Table, the fall was especially noticeable within
the structures of scientific-technical, tourist, local lore
and sports trends, flotillas, centres, stations and clubs of
young naturalists, i.e., the structures that require technical, sports and tourist equipment, computers, etc. The
decrease in the number of centres of patriotic upbringing is partially set off by the increase in the number of
attending children and teenagers.
As the diagrams presented on the Insert show, the
dynamic of the number of schools and their students
was different. The number of childrens art schools
increased almost three-fold, of their students
more than twice. At the same time, the indicators
describing the network of child music schools and
evening schools of general music education went down.
For instance, the number of music schools in 1990-2000
was reduced by 14% (168 schools), the number of their
students by a third (101.1 thousand); the number of
evening schools of general music education fell from
87 to two, the number of students from 14 thousand
to 500.
In addition to extracurricular educational establishments of the Ministry of Education and Science of
Ukraine, there is a network of schools of aesthetic education subordinate to the Ministry of Culture and Arts
(Insert Schools of aesthetic education of the Ministry of
Culture and Arts of Ukraine 35).
By and large, as of the beginning of 2000/2001
acaemic year, the system of extracurricular education
covered only 20% of children and teenagers of the school
age. This is twice less than, say, in Russia, where the relevant indicator makes up 40%. It is noteworthy
Schools of aesthetic education of the Ministry
that starting from 1992, the system of extracurof Culture and Arts of Ukraine
ricular education in Russia is developing steadily, and the number of the pupils increases36.
Child music schools
Choreographic schools
295.2
285.9
1.6
199.1
1201
1204
1064
194.1
10
9
9
1036
2.0
1.9
1.8
5
1990/1991
1995/1996
1999/2000
2000/2001
1990/1991
Child drawing schools
74.8
18.5
138
1999/2000
131
2000/2001
Child art schools
22.4
20.0
126
1995/1996
Number, units
Number, units
18.5
130
1.4 VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
77.6
72.6
291
304
244
32.2
110
1990/1991
1995/1996
Number, units
1999/2000
2000/2001
1990/1991
1995/1996
Number, units
1999/2000
2000/2001
14.0
87
3 0.9
1995/1996
Number, units
Ukrainian legislation defines vocational education as an element of the system of education
that ensures primary professional training, conversion and retraining of workers37.
The network and number of students
Evening schools
of general music education
1990/1991
The network of extracurricular education in
Ukraine is characterised by a steady downward
tendency. It is primarily observed in structures
whose activity is associated with sophisticated
equipment. This last thing proves that the deterioration of numerical indicators of the system of
extracurricular education is conditioned not by
the decreasing social demand for it but, rather,
by its insufficient funding.
2 0.4
2 0.5
1999/2000
2000/2001
The network of vocational education is
made up by vocational schools. Vocational
schools are funded from the state budget38.
There are three levels of attestation of vocational schools: training plants (1st level); vocational schools (2nd level); higher vocational
schools and centres of vocational education
(3rd level). Vocational schools give graduates
the qualification of a qualified worker.
Graduates of accredited higher vocational
schools of the 3rd level of accreditation may
obtain qualification of a junior specialist39.
32
Education in Ukraine. Information-analytical Review..., p.55.
UNIAN, March 27, 2002.
34 Education in Ukraine. Information-analytical Review..., p.79.
35 Source: Ukraines Statistical Yearbook 2000..., p.470.
36 For instance, while in 1990, extracurricular education involved 6.3 million students, in 2000/2001 7.6 million. The system of extracurricular education
employs some 270 thousand pedagogues. See: Education in Russia before 2001 http:/www.ed.gov.ru./koi8/obzor.html.
37 See: The Law of Ukraine On Vocational Education of February 10, 1998, Article 3.
38 The System of Vocational Education. http://www.education.gov.ua.
39 See: The Law of Ukraine On Vocational Education, Article 15.
33
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VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
The bulk of students of vocational schools is made
up by young people aged between 15 and 18 who
acquire primary professional education.
rather a steady growth in admission to vocational
schools on the average, by 0.5% annually44. For comparison: in Russia, the number of students of vocational
establishments from 1995 annually increases by approximately 4%, and in 1995-2000 increased by 20%, on the
whole45.
As of the beginning of 2000/2001 academic year,
there were 970 vocational schools in Ukraine; 839 of
them (86.5%) turned out workers with complete general secondary education40. The system of vocational education provided training in 342 professions encompassing 492 specialities41.
One cannot but notice a substantial increase in the
rate of employment of graduates of vocational schools
(Diagram Employment of graduates of vocational
schools). This may be viewed as a proof of the effectiveness of measures taken within the system of education for bringing the list of professions in which training
is provided in compliance with the demand of the contemporary labour market.
Vocational education establishments of new types
included 119 higher vocational schools and centres of
vocational education that give high qualification in
sophisticated and science-consuming professions;
11 centres of vocational education; three agricultural
farm schools. 419 vocational schools provided
professional training for unemployed and retraining in
worker professions. There are also 70 active scientificindustrial training complexes incorporating vocational
schools.
Recent years show a steady tendency of increase in
the total number and share of orphans and children that
require correction of physical and mental development
among students of vocational schools. The dynamics of
the share and absolute number of such children in
The system of vocational education
encompassed nearly 530 thousand students,
including over 25 thousand unemployed. More
than two thirds of students were obtaining
complete general secondary education, every
second acquired two and more professions42.
As is clear from Diagram Vocational
educational establishments43, quantitative indicators of the network of vocational education
show a noticeable downward tendency. The
number of students of vocational schools per
10 thousand of the population in 2000/2001
academic year made up 106, against 125 in
1991/1992.
At the same time, since 1995/1996
academic year, there has been a tendency of
Vocational educational establishments
648.4
647.2
629.4
Number, units
572.8
1,278
1,282
1,211
1,197
552.5
539.7
1,179
528.1
40
41
42
43
44
45
1992/1993
1993/1994
1994/1995
529.0
527.7
524.4
1,156
1,003
1991/1992
Number of students, ths.
1995/1996
1996/1997
1997/1998
995
1998/1999
995
970
1999/2000
2000/2001
Baranovskyi Î. The Regional Picture of Education in Ukraine. Ukrayinskyi Rehionalnyi Visnyk, November 15, 2001, p.3.
The System of Vocational Education. http://www.education.gov.ua.
Berezobskyi Yu. [To help] Vocational Education out of the Sidetrack of Humiliation. Osvita, October 24, 2001, p.5.
Source: Ukraines Statistical Yearbook 2000..., p.448.
With the exception of 1998/1999 academic year. See: ibid..
Education in Russia before 2001 http:/www.ed.gov.ru./koi8/obzor.html.
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educational establishments of the system of the Ministry
of Education and Science of Ukraine are presented in
Table Share of children that require social assistance
among students of vocational educational establishments46.
Share of children that require social assistance among
students of vocational educational establishments
1991
2000
%
ths.
%
ths.
Orphans
0.8
5.4
1.6
8.4
Children from incomplete
families
9.9
63.9
13.5
70.4
Children from low-income
families
19.0
123.5
31.1
162.6
0.4
2.6
0.7
Children with physical
and mental deficiency
Total
30.1%
3.7
46.9%
Hence, while in 1991, the share of children that
require social assistance was less than a third (30.1%),
in 2000, they made up almost half (46.9%) of all students of vocational schools. This proves that vocational
education increasingly assumes a very important function,
in the present situation: primary professional training of
teenagers from vulnerable social groups.
Human resources
As of 2000/2001 academic year, vocational schools
employed 52.6 thousand pedagogues, 25.9 thousand of
them head foremen and foremen of vocational training47.
The years of 1992-1999 brought a noticeable
decrease in the number of teachers and foremen in the
system of vocational education; as a result, shortage of
personnel at the beginning of 2000/2001 made up
10-15% of teachers and 20-30% of vocational training
foremen48. The substantial level of shortage of
personnel shows that the conditions of labour of pedagogues in the system of vocational education are not
very attractive.
1.5 HIGHER EDUCATION
The legislation of Ukraine grants citizens the right to
obtain higher education, including free education at
state and municipal higher educational establishments
on a competitive basis, if a person acquires education
and qualification of a certain level for the first time49.
The legislation does not regiment obligation of higher
education for citizens.
Higher education is subdivided into grades (basic
higher education and complete higher education) and
provided by higher educational establishments of the relevant level of accreditation. Higher educational establishments include technical colleges, schools, colleges,
institutes, conservatoires, academies, universities.
Distribution of higher educational establishments by the
level of accreditation and provided educational and
qualification is presented at Insert Structure of higher
education.
Structure of higher education
Accreditation levels of higher educational establishments
v 1 technical colleges and schools turning out specialists of the
junior specialist level of qualification;
v 2 colleges and other equated establishments turning out specialists
of the bachelor level;
v 3 and 4 institutes, conservatories, academies, universities turning
out specialists of the bachelor, specialist and master level.
Certificates of quality of education services (accreditation certificates) are
issued to higher educational establishments for five years, irrespective of
the form of ownership.
Grade structure of Ukraine's higher education
Grades
of education
Complete higher
education
Despite some reduction of the network and number of
teachers, the system of vocational education in Ukraine
shows some positive tendencies, such as increased admission to vocational schools and the increasing rate of
employment of graduates. More than a third of students
of vocational schools obtain complete secondary education, every second acquires two and more professions.
Apart from purely educational functions, vocational
education establishments perform social functions very
critical today, providing primary professional training and
retraining of representatives of vulnerable social groups.
Obtained qualification allows increasing their professional mobility and competitiveness on the labour market.
At the same time, there is a problem of human
resources for the system of vocational education.
Basic higher
education
Higher
educational
establishments
Levels
of education
and qualification
University,
academy,
conservatory,
institute
Specialist,
master
College
Bachelor
Technical college,
school
Junior
specialist
In the current academic year of 2001/2002, there are
983 higher educational establishments of all levels of
accreditation and forms of ownership in Ukraine, providing student training at day, evening, correspondence
and external departments50. Specialists of the highest
qualification are trained in 70 directions encompassing
over 500 specialities51.
46
Calculated after: Education in Ukraine. Information-analytical Review..., pp.81-82.
Ibid., p.135.
48 On the Results of Work of General Education and Vocational Education Establishments in 2000/2001 Academic Year and Main Tasks for the New Academic
Year. Osvita, August 22, 2001, p.4.
49 See: The Law of Ukraine On Higher Education of 17 January, 2002, Article 4.
50
Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 2001/2002 Academic Year. Statistical Bulletin. State
Statistic Committee of Ukraine. Kyiv, 2002, p.1.
51 The System of Higher Education in Ukraine. http://www.education.gov.ua:8800/edu/docs/common/higher_educ_ukr.html.
47
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HIGHER EDUCATION
1.5.1 HIGHER EDUCATIONAL
ESTABLISHMENTS OF THE 1st AND
2nd LEVELS OF ACCREDITATION
v
v
Higher educational establishments of the 1st and 2nd
levels of accreditation were incorporated into the structure of higher education of Ukraine instead of former
specialised secondary educational establishments, in
order to bring it in compliance with the structure of
education recommended by UNESCO, UN and other
international organisations.
v
v
v
v
v
v
The network of higher educational establishments of
this level of accreditation shows an upward tendency
starting from 1999. The sectors of non-state higher
educational establishments and paid education at state
higher educational establishments are expanding at a
high rate.
v
v
v
v
v
v
In 2001/2002 academic year, the network of higher
educational establishments of the 1st and 2nd levels of
accreditation consists of 665 educational establishments:
155 colleges, 304 technical colleges and 206 schools.
Educational establishments of all types house 561.3
thousand students52.
v
v
v
v
Distribution of state higher educational establishments
of the 1st and 2nd levels of accreditation by subordination
Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine 252
Ministry of Agricultural Policy of Ukraine 97
Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine 100
Ministry of Culture and Arts of Ukraine 59
Ministry of Transport of Ukraine 18
Ministry of Defence of Ukraine 3
Ministry of Social Policy and Labour of Ukraine 3
Ministry of Finance of Ukraine 3
Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine 1
Ministry of Industrial Policy of Ukraine 1
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine 4
State Committee of Forestry of Ukraine 8
State Committee of Youth Policy, Sports and Tourism of Ukraine 4
State Committee of Communications and Informatisation
of Ukraine 4
Ukrbud Corporation 14
Ukrmistsevprom Concern 2
Ukrsoyuzservice 2
Other 12
State higher educational establishments report to
more than 20 central executive bodies and other agencies, which points to a substantial level of decentralisation of management (Insert Distribution of state higher
accreditation by subordination55).
The number of students per 10 thousand people fell
against the 1991/1992 level from 142 to 115.
Meanwhile, according to Diagram Higher educational
establishments of the 1st and 2nd levels of accreditation53,
quantitative indicators of the system of education of that
level in recent years have been showing an upward
tendency.
Non-state higher educational establishments account
for only 11.7% of the entire network and cover 9.3% of
all students (52 thousand persons). At the same time, the
dynamic of growth of the number of non-state higher
educational establishments is rather stable: in 1991-2002,
it increased more than three-fold from 23 to 78.
Distribution of higher educational establishments by
the form of ownership54. The overwhelming majority
(587 88.3%) of higher educational establishments are
state-owned; 90.7% of all students (509,223 persons)
study there.
Among non-state higher educational establishments,
priority belongs to colleges their share makes up
53.8% (42 colleges); almost a third falls on technical
colleges (25; 32.1%;); 14.1% on schools (11).
The greater share of state higher educational establishments falls on technical colleges 47.5% (279); a third
on schools (195; 33.2%); 19.3% on colleges (113).
Higher educational establishments of the 1st and 2nd levels of accreditation
977.0
Number, units
742 757.0
754 739.2
753
718.8
680.7
790
782
778
754
645.0
617.7
753
660
561.3
528.0
Null data
503.7
Null data
665
664
658
1990/1991 1991/1992 1992/1993 1993/1994 1994/1995 1995/1996 1996/1997 1997/1998 1998/1999 1999/2000 2000/2001 2001/2002
52
Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 2001/2002 Academic Year. Statistical Bulletin. State
Statistic Committee of Ukraine, Kyiv, 2002.
53 Sources: Education in Ukraine. Information-analytical Review..., 63; Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine..., p.1.
54 Cited and calculated after: Education in Ukraine. Information-analytical Review..., 64; Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of
Ukraine..., p.3.
55 Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine..., p.7.
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Competition at entrance examinations to higher educational establishments of the 1st and 2nd levels of
accreditation is rather low and shows a steady downward
tendency. In 1990/1991 academic year it made up, on
the average, 1.91 (191 entrants per 100 seats), in
2000/2002 1.3556.
Comparatively higher competition (1:1.52) was
recorded at institutions that turn out specialists in transport, communication and law57.
Distribution of students by the form of study
State higher educational establishments
Evening
0.7%
Day
76.1%
It is noteworthy that competition at institutions that
turn out educationalists is the lowest (with the exception
of institutions preparing specialists for agriculture), and
in the past years demonstrated a steady downward tendency. In 1999-2001, it went down as follows:
1.39/1.36/1.2858.
Distribution of students by form of study. In 19902001, the sectors of evening and correspondence education significantly shrank. Over that period, the number
of evening students fell more than 11 times: while in
1990/1991 academic year, there were 44.9 thousand students of evening departments, in 2000/2002 around
4,000. The number of students who study by correspondence decreased by a third (from 201.4 thousand to
134.5 thousand)59.
Correspondingly, the share of evening students in
their total number fell from 13.6% to 1.4%; of correspondence students from 71.6% to 24.9% (Table
Distribution of 1st year students by the form of study).
Distribution of 1st year students by the form of study
1990/1991
Day
2000/2001
2001/2002
ths.
%
ths.
%
ths.
%
155.8
64.7
141.2
74.3
149.4
74.3
Evening
13.6
5.6
1.4
0.7
1.7
0.8
Correspondence
71.6
29.7
47.5
25.0
50.1
24.9
Total
241.0 ths.
190.1 ths.
201.2 ths.
Comparison of the shares of students of different
forms of education in state and non-state higher educational establishments shows that non-state higher educational establishments have more correspondence and
evening students, which may be caused by the lower cost
of study, compared to day education (Diagram
Distribution of students by the form of study).
Human resources
Correspondence
23.2%
Non-state higher educational establishments
Evening
1.0%
Day
Correspondence
67.6%
31.4%
lecturers). 38.3 thousand of them have higher education;
912 (2.3% of all lecturers of the staff) are candidates of
sciences.
Hence, the ratio of the number of lecturers on the
staff to students makes 1:14.3; which is somewhat higher than at the beginning of 1998/1999 academic year,
when that indicator was equal to 1:10.9.
Human resources at state higher educational establishments. State higher educational establishments
employ 45.4 thousand lecturers (90.3% of their total
number); 36.3 thousand (80%) of them on the staff.
35.4 thousand lecturers on the staff (97.5%) have higher education, 535 (1.5%) are candidates of sciences.
The ratio between the number of lecturers of the staff
and students makes 1:14; at day departments 1:10.7.
Human resources at non-state higher educational
establishments. Non-state higher educational establishments employ 4,900 lecturers (9.7% of their total number); 2,900 (59.2%) of them on the staff. Actually all
lecturers on the staff have higher education; 377 (13%)
are candidates of sciences.
The ratio between the number of lecturers on the
staff and students is higher than at state higher educational establishments and makes 1:17.9; at day departments 1:12.
General information. Higher educational establishments of the 1st and 2nd levels of accreditation employ
50.3 thousand lecturers; 48.7 thousand of them have
higher education; 2,300 are candidates of sciences60.
Meanwhile, the number of lecturers on the staff of
higher educational establishments is substantially lower:
39.2 thousand lecturers are on the staff (77.9% of all
In 1995-2000, the number of students studying in the
Ukrainian language increased from 55% to 80%; in
Russian decreased from 45% to 20%. The greatest
56
Ukraines Statistical Yearbook 2000..., p.450; Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine..., p.32.
Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 2001/2002 Academic Year..., p.36.
58
See: Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 1998/1999 Academic Year. Statistical Bulletin. State Statistic Committee, Kyiv,
1999, p.29; Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 1999/2000 Academic Year. Statistical Bulletin.
State Statistic Committee, Kyiv, 2000, p.27. Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 2001/2002
Academic Year..., p.31. Statistical Bulletins of the State Statistic Committee of Ukraine Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of
Ukraine... for 1999-2001.
59
The data hereinafter are cited and calculated after: Ukraines Statistical Yearbook 2000..., p.450; Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational
Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 2001/2002 Academic Year..., p.10.
60
The data hereinafter are cited and calculated after: Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of
2001/2002 Academic Year..., p.44.
57
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HIGHER EDUCATION
to study in non-state higher educational establishments.
In 1999/2000 academic year, 49.3% of all students
taught at the expense of departmental funds studied at
non-state higher educational establishments; in
2001/2002 65.4%. In 1999/2000, local budgets did
not earmark funds for study in non-state higher educational establishments; in 2001/2002, some 1,000 students
attended non-state higher educational establishments at
the expense of local budgets.
share of students receives its education in the Russian
language in the following regions: ARC 97.6%;
Donetsk region 81.3%; Luhansk 50.7%; Odesa
35.7%; Kharkiv 26.5%; Zaporizhya 23.8%;
Dnipropetrovsk 16.3%; Kherson 13.9%. Russianlanguage education is not provided in Volyn, Zhytomyr,
Transcarpathian, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Lviv, Rivne,
Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy and Chernivtsi regions.
Over 200 students in Transcarpathian region study in
the Hungarian language; 70 students in Chernivtsi region in Romanian61. This makes 0.05% of all students.
By and large, these data show that Ukraine is witnessing the formation of an expanded network of higher
accreditation. This process is accompanied with rapid
commercialisation of basic higher education.
Sources of funding
Statistical data of the sources of funding of study in
higher educational establishments of the 1st and 2nd levels
of accreditation show a steady tendency of reduction of
the share of students studying at the expense of state budget, budgets of branch ministries and agencies. Instead,
the share of students who receive education at the expense
of legal entities and natural persons increases.62
Compared to early 1990s, the sectors of evening and
correspondence studies were significantly reduced.
Meanwhile, correspondence studies are more spread in
non-state higher educational establishments, compared to
state-owned.
At higher educational establishments, there are many
staff and adjunct employees combining jobs; in non-state
higher educational establishments their share is higher
than in state-owned. Their ratio of lecturers to students
is also higher.
This process develops rather quickly. As is clear from
Table Distribution of students of higher educational
establishments of the 1st and 2nd levels of accreditation by
sources of funding of education, in the past three years,
the rate of increase in the share of students studying at
the expense of legal entities and natural persons made
up 5% a year, on the average.
The sector of education in the Ukrainian language in
higher educational establishments of the 1st and 2nd levels
of accreditation is greater, compared to the general education network (80% against 70%); by contrast, the sector of education in the languages of national minorities is
much smaller (1% against 0.05%). This illustrates introduction of Ukrainian special terminology into basic higher
education.
Distribution of students of higher educational
establishments of the 1st and 2nd levels of accreditation
by sources of funding of education,
%
1999/2000
2000/2001
2001/2002
State budget
51.3
46.8
42.3
Local budget
11.7
11.1
11.6
1.5
1.1
0.9
35.5
40.0
45.2
Departmental funds
Legal entities and
natural persons' funds
Implications of the restraint of competition at higher
educational establishments are uncertain. Inability to
select the best-prepared entrants may lead to deterioration of the quality of basic higher education.
1.5.2 HIGHER EDUCATIONAL
ESTABLISHMENTS OF THE 3rd AND
4th LEVELS OF ACCREDITATION
The share of students of state higher educational
establishments studying at the expense of legal entities
and natural persons increased form 35.5% in 1999/2000
to 45.2% in the current academic year.
Higher educational establishments of the 3rd and 4th
levels of accreditation include universities, academies,
institutes and conservatories.
Meanwhile, the state and local budgets and the
budgets of branch ministries and agencies allocate funds
Higher educational establishments of the 3rd and 4th levels of accreditation
Number, units
274
318
315
313
298
281
255
232
1,548
1,402.9
881.3
876.2
1,109.9
159
158
156
149
855.9
829.9
888.5
922.8
1,210.3
1,285.4
976.9
1990/1991 1991/1992 1992/1993 1993/1994 1994/1995 1995/1996 1996/1997 1997/1998 1998/1999 1999/2000 2000/2001 2001/2002
61
Ibid., p.48.
The data hereinafter are cited and calculated after: Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 1998/1999 Academic Year...,
pp.43-46; Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 1999/2000 Academic Year..., pp.11-13. Basic
Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 2001/2002 Academic Year..., pp.12-13.
62
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Types of higher educational establishments
of the 3rd and 4th levels of accreditation
In the current, 2001/2002 academic year, Ukraine
has 318 higher educational establishments of the 3rd and
4th levels of accreditation with 1.415 million students.
According to Diagram Higher educational establishments of the 3rd and 4th levels of accreditation (p.15),
quantitative indicators describing the development of the
network and contingent of educational establishments of
that level steadily grow. Compared to 1990/1991 academic year, the number of higher educational establishments increased more than two-fold (from 149 to 318),
and the number of students almost 1.8 times (from
881.3 thousand to 1.548 million) 63.
The rate of growth of the number of students in
Ukraine is somewhat lower than in some post-socialist
countries. For instance, in Poland, where the number of
higher educational establishments is roughly the same (310)
as in Ukraine, the number of students in 1990-2000 increased almost four times (Table Number of students of
higher educational establishments in Poland and Ukraine64).
114
Universities
970.3
62
331.5
Academies
140
Institutes
Conservatories
244.9
2
1.3
Number, units
establishments of higher accreditation levels falls on state
institutions (225). State higher educational establishments
include 57 academies, 106 universities, 60 institutes and
two conservatories. State higher educational establishments
have 1.4021 million students, or
Number of students of higher educational establishments in Poland and Ukraine
90.6% of the total number.
1990/1991 1994/1995 1995/1996 1996/1997 1997/1998 1998/1999 1999/2000 2000/2001
Poland
403,800
682,200
794,600
927,500
990,400
1,100,000
1,431,900
1,584,800
Ukraine
829,200
888,500
922,800
976,900
1,109,982
1,210,299
1,285,400
1,402,900
type. The network of higher educational establishments of
higher levels of accreditation is made up of 114 universities; 62 academies; 140 institutes and two conservatories65.
49 higher educational establishments have the status of
national66. Nine universities belong to the classic type, i.e.,
turn out specialists in all basic professional trends.
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
Classical universities of Ukraine
Dnipropetrovsk National University
Donetsk National University
Kyiv National University named after Ò.Shevchenko
Lviv National University named after I.Franko
Odesa National University named after I.Mechnykov
Tavrian National University named after V.Vernadskyi
Uzhhorod National University
Kharkiv National University named after V.Karazin
Chernivtsi National University named after Yu.Fedkovych
type and the number of students is presented on
Diagram Types of higher educational establishments of
the 3rd and 4th levels of accreditation.
The multiplicity of universities in Ukraine, exceeding indicators of some developed countries with an
established system of higher education, strikes the eye.
For instance, France has 83 universities; Canada 9667.
In Poland, where the total number of higher educational establishments is roughly the same as in Ukraine,
there are only 15 universities68.
Distribution of higher educational establishments by form
of ownership. The bulk (70.8%) of higher educational
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
Subordination of state higher
educational establishments is
decentralised. The Ministry of
Distribution of state higher educational establishments
of the 3rd and 4th levels of accreditation by subordination
Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine 115
Ministry of Education of ARC 2
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine 4
Ministry of Agricultural Policy of Ukraine 20
Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine 13
Ministry of Economy and European Integration of Ukraine- 1
Ministry of Culture and Arts of Ukraine 9
Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine 15
Ministry of Defence of Ukraine 13
Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine 1
Ministry of Transport of Ukraine 4
Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of Ukraine 1
Ministry of Finance of Ukraine 3
Security Service of Ukraine 1
State Customs Service of Ukraine 1
State Tax Administration of Ukraine 2
State Committee for Construction, Architecture and Housing Policy
of Ukraine 1
State Committee of Communications and Informatisation of Ukraine 2
State Committee of Youth Policy, Sports and Tourism of Ukraine 5
State Committee Border Control of Ukraine 1
National Bank of Ukraine 1
State Committee of Statistics of Ukraine 1
Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine 2
Regional and city state administrations 3 (Dnipropetrovsk and Khmelnytskyi Regional State Administrations; Kyiv City State Administration)
Ukrmistsevprom Concern 1
Other 3
63
Cited and calculated after: Education in Ukraine. Information-analytical Review..., pp.63,85; Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational
Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 2001/02 Academic Year..., p.1.
64 Sources: Edukacja w Roku Szkolnym 2000/2001. http://www.men.waw.pl; Education in Ukraine. Information-analytical Review..., p.85;
65 Education in Ukraine. Information-analytical Review..., p.62.
66 Kovalenko Î. This Year, there Will Be 10% More First Year Students Who Study at the Public Expense. Abiturient2002, special issue, April, 2002, p.19.
67 The Canadian Education System Is Two Times Cheaper than the U.S.! http://www.profi-club.kiev.ua/cgi/articles..../?catalogue_id=21&article_id=37.
68 Edukacja w roku szkolnym 2000/2001. http://www.men.waw.pl.
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HIGHER EDUCATION
Number of state and non-state higher educational establishments of the 3rd and 4th levels of accreditation,
units
220
Non-state-owned
State-owned
225
223
93
93
92
78
75
157
156
154
199
191
190
202
64
42
1991/1992
2
2
2
1992/1993
1993/1994
1994/1995
1995/1996
Education and Science of Ukraine controls only 115 (51%)
higher educational establishments of the 3rd and 4th
accreditation levels (Insert Distribution of state higher
educational establishments of the 3rd and 4th levels of
accreditation by subordination).
Day
2.05
1999
2000
2000/2001
2001/2002
ths.
ths.
110.9
12.6
Correspondence
51.0
%
63.6% 219.5
7.2%
2.6
29.2% 124.3
174.5 ths.
%
%
63.3% 242.5
0.8%
62.7%
2.8
0.7%
35.9% 141.8
36.6%
346.4 ths.
387.1 ths.
Hence, comparison of the numbers of students of different forms of study admitted to state and non-state higher educational establishments shows a tendency towards
an increase in the share of correspondence students in
state and non-state higher educational establishments
(Diagram Admission of students of different forms of study
to higher educational establishments in 2001 on p.18).
Competition at entrance examinations to higher educational
establishments of the 3rd and 4th levels of accreditation
1995
1990/1991
ths.
Evening
Total
Distribution of students by the form of study. There is
a steady tendency towards a decrease in the number of
1990
2000/2001 2001/2002
Admission to higher educational establishments of the 3rd
and 4th levels of accreditation by the form of study
Competition at entrance examinations is not tough
and, despite the possibility of entering several higher
educational establishments at a time, continues to
decreases. In 1990, there were 2.05 applicants per seat70,
in 2001 1.56 (Diagram Competition at entrance
examinations to higher educational establishments of the
3rd and 4th levels of accreditation 71).
1.58
1999/2000
At the same time, the number of correspondence students increases. While in 1990/1991 academic year, correspondence departments had 294.8 thousand students,
in 2001/2002 614.9 thousand. Admission of 1st year
students of this form of study over that period increased
almost three-fold from 51 thousand to 141.8 thousand. The dynamics of admission of 1st year students of
different forms of study are presented in Table
Admission to higher educational establishments of the 3rd
and 4th levels of accreditation by the form of study and
show a tendency of the above-average increase in the
number of correspondence students.
The dynamic of development of state and non-state
higher educational establishments shows that after a
rapid growth in 1994-1999, the network of both state
and non-state higher educational establishments has
generally stabilised (Diagram Number of state and nonstate higher educational establishments of the 3rd and 4th
levels of accreditation 69).
1.47
1997/1998
evening students. In 1990/1991 academic year, evening
departments had 66.5 thousand students, in 2000/2001
only 11.7 thousand. Admission of 1st year students fell
more than four times, from 12.6 thousand to 2,800.
There are 93 non-state higher educational establishments, which makes 29.2% of their total number. Nonstate higher educational establishments include five academies, eight universities, 80 institutes; they accommodate
145.9 thousand students, or 9.4% of their total number.
1.67
1996/1997
Human resources
1.56
General information. The basic personnel at higher
educational establishments of higher levels of accreditation numbers 85.5 thousand lecturers, including: doctors
of sciences 7,300 (8.5%), candidates of sciences
40.3 thousand (47.1%); professors 7,000 (8.2%);
assistant professors 30.2 thousand (35.3%).
Additionally, higher educational establishments employ
19.6 thousand lecturers on the staff combining jobs and
13.2 thousand out-of-staff lecturers - dual jobholders.
2001
69
Sources: Education in Ukraine. Information-analytical Review..., p.64; Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the
Beginning of 2001/2002 Academic Year..., p.9.
70 Calculated as the ratio of the number of entrees to the number of seats.
71 Cited and calculated after: Ukraines Statistical Yearbook 2000..., p.450; Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the
Beginning of 2001/2002 Academic Year..., p.35.
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The analysis of indicators summed up in Comparative
table of human resources of state and non-state higher educational establishments bears witness to the following.
The level of provision of state higher educational
establishments with basic lecturers is higher. Meanwhile,
a higher share of dual jobholders in non-state higher educational establishments conditions higher mobility of their
teaching staff.
The qualitative composition of the basic personnel of
state and non-state higher educational establishments is
roughly the same.
The ratio between lecturers of different qualification
and day students is in favour of non-state higher educational establishments, where it is closer to optimal.
Hence, proceeding from the quantitative indicators of
human resources, it may be said that state and non-state
higher educational establishments can provide an approximately equal quality of education.
Admission of students of different forms of study
to higher educational establishments in 2001
State-owned
Evening — 2,400
0.7%
Day — 217.4 ths.
Correspondence —
124.9 ths.
63.1%
36.2%
Non state-owned
Evening — 300
0.7%
Correspondence —
16.9 ths.
Day — 25.1 ths.
59.3%
40.0%
In 1995-200172, the number of students studying in
the Ukrainian language increased from 51% to 76.3%;
correspondingly, the number of students studying in the
Russian language fell from 49% to 23.6%. The Russian
language is particularly widespread in higher educational
establishments of the following regions: ARC (99.4% of
students); Donetsk (76.4%), Luhansk (50.6%), Kherson
(35.2%), Dnipropetrovsk (34.7%), Odesa (33.2%),
Kharkiv (31.0%), Zaporizhya (26.7%) regions. Russianlanguage education is not provided in higher educational
establishments of the Volyn, Transcarpathian, IvanoFrankivsk, Lviv, Rivne and Sumy regions. In Ternopil
region, the Russian-language education sector makes up
0.2%; in Chernivtsi region 0.1%.
At the beginning of 2001/2002 academic year, more
than 900 students in Kyiv and 39 students in Zaporizhya
were taught in the English language; and 264 students in
Transcarpathian region in Hungarian.
The ratio of lecturers of the basic personnel to students makes up 1:18; assistant professors to students
1:51; professors to students 1:222.
The dynamics of the ratio of students and lecturers of
the highest qualification shows a steady negative tendency: the number of students per professor (assistant professor) on the staff is increasing. In the 1998/1999 academic year, these indicators made up respectively 1:183
and 1:43; in 2000/2001 1:209 and 1:49.
Human resources of state and non-state higher educational establishments (comparative description). The basic
personnel of state higher educational establishments number 78.2 thousand lecturers (91.4% of the total teaching
staff of higher educational establishments); non-state
7,300 lecturers (8.6%).
Sources of funding
Comparative table of human resources of state and non-state
higher educational establishments
State-owned
Teaching
staff
%
Number,
ths.
%
Basic lecturers
78.2
73.4%
7.3
61.6%
Staff dual jobholders
16.1
15.1%
3.5
29.6%
Out-of-staff dual jobholders
12.2
11.5%
1.0
8.8%
6.4
8.2%
0.6
8.0%
27.7
35.5%
2.4
33.5%
6.6
8.6%
0.7
9.6%
37.0
47.3%
3.3
45.8%
Professor
In that:
basic
lecturers
Assistant professor
Doctor of science
Candidate of science
Ratio
between basic
lecturers and
students
Non-state-owned
Number,
ths.
Total
1:17
Professors
1:220
In that:
day students Assistant
1:51
1:11
1:132
1:31
1:20
1:10
1:250
1:120
1:60
1:30
72
The tendency towards a
decrease in the share of students
receiving higher education at the
expense of budget funds, ministries
and agencies is more evident than
at the level of basic higher education. While in the current academic year, individuals and legal entities paid for the studies of 45.2%
of students of higher educational
establishments of the 1st and 2nd
levels of accreditation, in educational establishments of higher
accreditation levels they made up
55.0%73.
The dynamics of student distribution by the sources of funding
proves that this tendency will consolidate in the near future (Table
Cited after: Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 2001/2002 Academic Year..., p.49.
By and large, in 2001/2002 academic year, the state budget covered the cost of study at higher educational establishments of higher accreditation levels
for 42.6% of students (against 48.3% in 2000/2001); local budgets 0.8% (against 0.5%); branch ministries and agencies 1.0% (against 1.2%); legal
entities and individuals 55.6% (against 50.0%). Calculated after: Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning
of 2001/2002 Academic Year..., p.13.
73
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EDUCATION IN UKRAINE WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION COMMUNITY
education community. The Strategy of Ukraines
Integration into the EU emphasises that Ukraine has
potential capabilities to attain substantial success in the
sphere of cultural and educational co-operation. In its
turn, international community recognises strong educational potential of Ukraine. This is proven by the active
development of contacts between Ukraine and foreign
partners, performance of joint agreements, programmes
and projects in the sphere of education.
International agreements. 48 agreements of different
levels have been signed with central educational agencies
of foreign countries in the sphere of education and 45
in the sphere of science and technology. Agreements on
mutual recognition and equivalence of education certificates and scientific degrees are of particular importance
for the development of Ukraines international contacts
in the sphere of education75.
Ukrainian higher educational establishments of the
3rd and 4th levels of accreditation maintain mutually
beneficial contacts with over 800 foreign partners76.
International academic exchange programmes are
underway, for instance, with the USA, under the auspices
of American boards of international education:
ASTR/ACCELS, International Research and Exchanges
Board (IREX), the Kennan Institute, Fulbright
Foundation office at the US Embassy in Ukraine77. Every
year, some 2,000 Ukrainian citizens undergo complete or
fractional training courses abroad under international
agreements made between Ukrainian higher educational
establishments and foreign partners. They obtain stipends
from international foundations under their programmes
and projects78. Under the programme of the Fulbright
Foundation alone, 160 research fellows underwent
traineeship in the USA79.
According to the Minister of Education and Science
of Ukraine V.Kremen, Ukraine reaps the greatest benefits from co-operation with the EU, UNESCO, United
States Information Agency, the British Council, the
German Service of Academic Exchanges, the Goethe
Institute and Fulbright Foundation annual assistance
of those organisations to Ukraines education system
exceeds $20 million80.
Examples of co-operation with the EU. Since 1993,
the Trans-European Programme of Co-operation in the
Sphere of Higher Education initiated by the EU has been
underway in Ukraine. As of the beginning of 2000/2001,
the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine implemented 85 international projects with a total value of
$20.4 million within the framework of that programme81.
The EU TEMPUS educational programme earmarks
for Ukraine $5 million in 2002 (in particular, for 10 projects relating to higher education, academic exchanges of
professors and re-equipment of lecture rooms at higher
educational establishments).
Distribution of students of higher educational establishments
of the 3rd and 4th levels of accreditation by sources
of funding (by the results of admission of 1st year students),
%
1998/1999
1999/2000
2001/2002
State budget
51.2
49.5
Local budget
0.5
0.5
0.9
Departmental funds
1.4
1.3
0.8
46.9
48.7
58.4
Legal entities and
natural persons funds
39.9
Distribution of students of higher educational establishments
of the 3rd and 4th levels of accreditation by sources of funding (by the results of admission of 1st year students)74).
The above data prove that Ukraine has formed quite a
strong (by quantitative parameters) system of complete
higher education. In 1990-2001, the number of students
increased 1.8 times, the number of higher educational
establishments of all forms of ownership almost doubled.
In contrast to the system of basic higher education,
there is a steady tendency of above-average growth in the
sector of correspondence study.
State and non-state higher educational establishments
have roughly the same level of human resources. At the
same time, it may be said that the teaching staff of nonstate higher educational establishments is more mobile; the
ratio between day students and lecturers of all levels of
qualification is closer to optimal in non-state higher educational establishments.
The share of students who study at the expense of natural persons and legal entities is higher than at the level of
basic higher education and is set to further increase.
Education is provided mainly in the state language.
There is a positive example of due regard of the language
interests of Ukrainian citizens of Hungarian origin compactly residing in Transcarpathia.
At the same time, given the stabilisation of the number
of higher educational establishments of the 3rd and 4th
accreditation levels and easing competition at entrance
examinations, it may be positively stated that the period of
extensive development of educational establishments of
higher accreditation levels is over. Their number may further increase but insignificantly. One may expect toughening of competition in the sphere of complete higher education and transition of higher educational establishments to
the intensive mode of development.
1.6 EDUCATION IN UKRAINE WITHIN
THE INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
COMMUNITY. INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS
OF EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENTS
One precondition for the development of Ukraines
education system is its integration into the international
74 Calculated after: Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 1998/1999 Academic Year..., p.45; Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher
Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 1999/2000 Academic Year..., p.13; Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments
of Ukraine at the Beginning of 2001/2002 Academic Year..., p.26.
75 Such agreements were signed with Romania (1995), Estonia (1996), Uzbekistan (1997), Belarus (1998), Hungary (1998), Peoples Republic of China
(1998), Slovakia (1999), Azerbaijan (2000), Russia (2000), and Armenia (2001).
76 http://www.lvisti.com/2000/09/02/edu.shtml.
77 The Fate of Intellect: a Few Ways Abroad. Zakhyst, 2001, September-October, p.20.
78 http://www.elvisti.com/2000/09/02/edu.shtml.
79 Taran L. Learn to Win! Zerkalo Nedeli, January 12, 2002, p.12, http://www.mirror.kiev.ua.
80 http://www.edunet.kharkov.ua.
81 http://www.elvisti.com/2000/09/02/edu.shtml.
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At the same time, no funds are earmarked for education of Ukrainian students in universities of EU countries.
There is no programme of student exchanges between
Ukraine and the EU, since relevant agreements have
never been signed.
Instances of co-operation with international organisations. In Ukraine, there are 35 UNESCO-associated
schools and 11 UNESCO chairs; the projects they perform
are dealing with the global problems of the day: steady
development, environmental protection, new technologies,
demographic problems, human rights, democracy, etc.82
Secretariat of the National Commission of Ukraine
for UNESCO Affairs and UNESCO European Higher
Education Centre monitor the development of education
for foreign students in Ukraine.
The International Renaissance Foundation in 19902000 extended over $55 million worth of grants to nongovernmental organisations, educational, enlightened,
cultural institutions, artistic collective, publishing houses83. Soros Olympiads are held for pupils, their winners
obtain stipends from the Foundation.
In turn, UNDP in 2000 commenced projects of
strengthening education facilities of the Kyiv National
University named after Ò.Shevchenko ($928 thousand)
and upgrade of software of the Kyiv International Civil
Aviation University ($970 thousand).
The assistance of the US National Council on
Economic Education allowed translating and issuing
methodical manuals for teachers of economics
Microeconomics and Macroeconomics; textbooks in
economics were created within the framework of a
Ukraine-Netherlands project; in business activity
under a Ukrainian-English project.
A number of international humanitarian assistance
programmes are underway. For instance, the Peace Corps
library transferred American textbooks to Ukrainian
schools and higher educational establishments. Within the
framework of humanitarian programmes, Ukrainian educational establishments might find substantial support in
computerisation of schools, but transfer of computer
hardware is hindered by high import duties84.
Examples of co-operation with CIS countries. In 1992,
the Eurasian Association of Universities was formed. It
united classic-type universities of the member states.
Active within the framework of the Association are: the
Eurasian Association of University Trade Union
Organisations; the Eurasian Student Association;
Co-ordination Scientific-Methodical Centre of Museums;
Co-ordination Scientific-Methodical Centre of Physical
Education Chairs85.
Ukrainian educational establishments take part in
international associations working on the basis of educational structures of CIS member states. For instance, the
Luhansk State Pedagogical University named after
Ò.Shevchenko has joined the Moscow International
Academy of Pedagogical Education as a collective
member and became its regional branch86. Promising
inter-university projects in the sphere of scientifictechnical co-operation and creation of joint information
systems are being developed.
82
83
84
85
86
Within the framework of the Year of Ukraine in Russia
and with the purpose of deepening Ukraine-Russian relations in the sphere of education, heads of a number of
secondary educational establishments of Kyiv and
Moscow signed bilateral protocols of humanitarian cooperation Kyiv-Moscow: the School Dialogue.
Development of international contacts promotes
Ukraines integration into the world educational community and introduction of new forms of education. On the eve
of large-scale EU enlargement, development of mutually
beneficial co-operation on the European direction acquires
particular importance.
CONCLUSIONS
The dry statistical indicators of the state of education
in Ukraine illustrate its controversial and uneven development.
The system of education in general has demonstrated
some positive trends. The share of institutions of new types
is increasing, the general level of human resources in the
sphere of education remains high. The system of higher
education is on the rise, the number of students is increasing, and the forms of ownership and sources of funding of
education are being diversified. In parallel with gradual
transition to the state language of instruction, language
needs of national minorities in the places of their compact
residence are taken into account. The system of international co-operation in the sphere of education is developing, as new opportunities appear for obtaining an education
abroad.
Meanwhile, those positive tendencies are witnessed
mainly in two domains: first, where educational services
may be not just self-sustained but profitable in higher
education and a small sector of general secondary education; second, in the spheres associated with intense foreign
assistance and personal enterprise of citizens international exchanges, projects and programmes.
There, where educational services are unprofitable and
require substantial funds, other tendencies are observed:
shrinkage of the network and the lack of personnel that
always points to the lack of funds.
Beyond doubt, arrival of extra-budgetary funds to the
system of education is a positive factor that has helped
Ukraines education system, in a period of the crisis of
transformation, to maintain its traditionally strong positions. However, those positions were held not least at the
expense of lower levels of education preschool, general,
extracurricular, vocational. Exactly those initial, basic levels of continuous education have been suffering substantial
losses. In several years, the wave of under-funding of education at lower levels will reach higher echelons. In combination with the demographic pit faced by Ukraine, it may
bring about substantial negative consequences. These may
be prevented through a true change of priorities of the
state policy towards education in general and its basic levels in particular.
Razumkov Centre experts believe that if, in the next
3-5 years, we do not depart from the principle of last-turn
funding of national education, Ukraine may lose its available
intellectual, scientific-technical and educational potential and
be relegated to the outskirts of global development.
n
http://www.elvisti.com/2002/02/22/edu.shtml.
International Renaissance Foundation... Osvita, June 13, 2001, p.7.
Vasyl Kremen: Intellect Is the Greatest Value of a Nation. Zakhyst, 2001, September-October, p.10.
Riabokon L. University Standard. May It Be Uniform for the Entire Post-Soviet Space? Den, February 26, 2002, p.5.
http://www.elvisti.com/2001/11/13/edu.shtml.
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2. THE PROBLEMS OF UKRAINE'S
EDUCATION SYSTEM
T
he first priority of any democratic state's education policy lies in the provision of free access by citizens
to high quality education. On the other hand, it is the accessibility and quality of education that determine
the effectiveness of the national education system and, in the end, the level of the national intellectual
potential, quality and professional mobility of labour resources.
This section analyses the main indicators that allow for an assessment of Ukraine's education system in
terms of education opportunities and their quality. Alongside statistical indicators, the results of the polls
conducted by the Razumkov Centre Sociological Service in April-May, 2002 were taken into account87.
2.1 ACCESSIBILITY OF EDUCATION
grandchildren of preschool age spoke about the absence
of such establishments near his place of residence
(Diagram Reasons for non-attendance of preschool educational establishments). This reason was mentioned by
1.0% of city dwellers and 44.3% of villagers polled.
The level of accessibility of education is determined
by two indicators: physical accessibility of educational
establishments and affordability of educational services
for the majority of citizens.
Hence, almost half of village families that have
children of preschool age cannot give them preschool education because of the absence of infant schools.
The analysis of those indicators points to the insufficient observance of the civil right to education:
villagers are facing substantial limitations in preschool
and general secondary education, judging by the indicator of physical accessibility of educational establishments; at higher levels of education, the importance of
the financial factor increases.
Reasons for non-attendance
of preschool educational establishments,
% of respondents who have children
or grandchildren of preschool age
Accessibility of preschool education
City
Physical accessibility of preschool educational establishments. The reduction of the network of preschool
educational establishments mentioned in section 1 has
led to limitation of accessibility of preschool education
for many Ukrainian children, primarily in rural areas.
No possibility to pay
No needs, one of the
adult family members
takes care of the child
20,2%
No preschool educational
establishments near
the place of residence
50,0%
As of the beginning of 2000, two thirds of Ukrainian
villages had no preschool educational establishments at
all. In the late 1990s alone, preschool establishments
were closed down in 2,400 villages88.
1,0%
Other
28,8%
Village
In 2000, the general indicator of provision of children with preschool seats was 1:2.4, i.e., one seat in a
preschool educational establishment was contested by
more than two children. In cities and urban settlements,
the relevant indicator was equal to 1:2, in rural areas
1:3.6, which is almost twice lower89.
No needs, one of the
adult family members
takes care of the child
No preschool educational
establishments near
29,5%
44,3%
No possibility to pay
The inaccessibility of preschool education caused by
the absence of infant schools within reach was demonstrated by the results of the Ukraine-wide opinion poll.
Every fifth (20.7%) respondent who has children or
14,8%
Other
11,4%
87
As part of a project surveying the state of education in Ukraine, Sociological Service of Razumkov Centre conducted a nation-wide poll and polls in four target groups: school pupils, teachers, students and lecturers of pedagogical higher educational establishments. The nation-wide poll was held on April 18-24,
2002, and covered 2,000 citizens aged 18 and above in all Ukraines regions. The target groups were polled between April 22 and May 8, 2002; 1,200 pupils
of the ninth and the eleventh classes, 300 teachers of secondary schools; 1,200 students of the first and the last years of study and 300 lecturers of pedagogical universities of Ukraine were questioned. Unless specified otherwise, cited hereinafter are the results of those surveys.
88
According to S.Nikolayenko, Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Science and Education Committee. See: Nikolayenko S. Ukraines Revival Will Begin
from the Village. Tovarysh, No.2, January, 2002, p.2.
89
Calculated after: Ukraines Statistical Yearbook 2000..., p.444; Gender and Age Structure of Ukraines Population. State Statistic Committee of Ukraine.
Kyiv, 2001, pp.26-271.
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THE PROBLEMS OF UKRAINE'S EDUCATION SYSTEM
Apart from the absence of infant schools, the accessibility of preschool education is seriously affected by the
following factors.
v Temporary suspension of operation of preschool
establishments: in 1998, some 2,000 infant schools suspended operation, in 1999 2,600. Then,
N.Karpachova, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Human
Rights Commissioner termed such practice as violation
of the right of children to preschool education90.
Nevertheless, in 2000, some 3,200 infant schools were
non-operational91.
v Inability of preschool establishments to operate
year round: in 2000, almost 7,000 preschools were working only part of the year, almost 3,000 of them
because of the absence or lack of funds for maintenance;
over 1,400 due to the lack of fuel; 852 of electricity, and 433 of running water92.
Therefore, the accessibility of preschool education is
seriously hindered by the insufficient network of infant
schools, forced suspension of their operation and absence
or lack of funds for maintenance of the existing establishments.
Financial affordability. According to the sociological
survey results, almost 18% of citizens who have
children or grandchildren of preschool age cannot pay
for their stay in infant schools. This reason of inaccessibility of preschool education is more characteristic of
urban than rural areas: the lack of funds was reported
by 20.2% of the polled city dwellers and 14.8% of
villagers93.
Therefore, every fifth family in town and every seventh in the country that has children of preschool age
cannot give their children preschool education because of
the lack of funds.
General secondary education
Physical accessibility of educational establishments.
The data cited in the previous section prove that
Ukraine has an extended network of general education
establishments. At the same time, there is a noticeable
imbalance in the density of schools in urban and rural
areas, which leads to inequality in the access of city and
village children to general secondary education.
Accessibility of general education establishments in
rural areas. As of the beginning of 2000/2001 academic
year, 52% of villages had general education schools.
There were no schools in 1,300 villages that had more
than 50 children of school age each94. Due to the
absence of secondary education establishments, 38% of
village pupils cannot continue education in the 10th
form at their place of residence95.
Almost a quarter of a million (247.4 thousand) village pupils (11.4% of their total number) live beyond
walking range of a school. Meanwhile, the network of
boarding institutions attached to schools is decaying;
over the recent five years, it has been reduced almost
two-fold96.
Therefore, for more than one in nine village children,
accessibility of general secondary education is limited.
Financial affordability of general secondary education.
Given the dominance of state (public) schools in the
system of general education, the financial factor is decisive, first of all, for the parents choice between a state
and a private school. According to the poll, approximately half (50.9%) of respondents who have children
of preschool age and intend to send them to a state
school explained their choice by an inability to pay for
their study in a private school (Diagram Factors of
choice between a state and a private school).
Factors of choice between a state and a private school,
% of respondents who have children of preschool age
To which school (state or private)
are you planning to send your child?
Why are you planning
to send your child to a state school?
To a private school
8.0%
To a state school
No possibility
to pay for the study
in a private school
76.6%
50.9%
I believe that a state school
provides not worse education
than a private one
24.1%
No private school near
Hard to say
22.2%
15.4%
Other
2.2%
Hard to say
0.6%
90
The State of Observance and Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms in Ukraine. First Annual Report of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Human Rights
Commissioner. Kyiv, 2000, p.297.
91
Ukraines Statistical Yearbook 2000..., p.448.
92
Permanent Preschool Educational Establishments in Ukraine in 2000. Statistical Bulletin. State Statistic Committee of Ukraine, Kyiv, 2001, p.22.
93
The obtained data do not mean that villagers have fewer financial problems. First of all, the fee for the stay of a child in a preschool establishment in rural
areas is lower than in towns; second, practice shows that village families partially provide preschool establishments with foodstuffs thus contributing part of
the fee in kind.
94
According to Minister of Education and Science V.Kremen. See: Polushkina V. Computerised Class as a Dream. Kievskie Vedomosti, September 1, 2001,
p.4.
95
Nikolayenko S. Ukraines Revival Will Begin From the Village..., p.2.
96
On the Results of Work of General Education and Vocational Education Establishments in 2000/2001 Academic Year and Main Tasks for the New Academic
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EXPERTS OPINION ON THE PROBLEMS OF EDUCATION
It is high time to take measures for turning education and scientific
research in Ukraine into export merchandise. We have in mind the creation
of a programme of internationalising Ukraine as a place for educating foreign
students. To be sure, export of education through internationalisation of
Ukrainian educational establishments as not a matter of one day or one year,
but the course of Ukraine towards accession to the European Union requires
special attention of the state to that promising, as the German experience
proves, programme of export of educational and scientific proposals.
POINT OF VIEW
1. What are the main problems
of Ukraines education system?
The exceedingly slow process of formation
of an information technology society in
Ukraine, resulting in the countrys unreadiness
to compete on the international arena in the
21st century, is a source of great concern.
Ukraines potential in such a competition will
be determined by the educational level of the
Mykola ZHULYNSKY, nation, its capacity for self-realisation, first of
Director, all, through the development of advanced techInstitute of Literature nologies. The use of our competitive advannamed after tages is hindered by the following factors:
T.Shevchenko,
v chronic and already traditional underAcademician
funding of the system of education;
of the NAS of Ukraine
v the lag in mass introduction of computer and information technologies;
v slow modernisation of education, particularly, of improvement of the
quality of teaching and accessibility of education for the entire population
of Ukraine;
v the low public status of teachers and lecturers combined with the
professional unreadiness of many educationalists to work in the conditions
of an information society;
v the extremely perverted, distorted in an information sense national cultural space not dominated by national spiritual and moral values and priorities.
POINT OF VIEW
The problem of human resources, in the
first place. Although in the recent years quite a
lot has been done to improve the material
standing of Ukrainian pedagogues, pedagogical higher educational establishments are not
popular among the best graduates of secondary schools. And mediocre graduates can
Vasyl KREMEN, hardly be made best pedagogues.
The problem of relations between a lecMinister of Education
and Science of Ukraine turer and a student. Today, they bear a
subject-object character, and our pedagogy is
largely authoritarian. This problem has its historic roots. For centuries, we
have had no due respect in society for an individual. Even today, in many
families parents are trying to fit a child to the norm disregarding his or
her wishes and capabilities.
The problem of computerisation and informatisaton. One of the main
deficiencies of work of higher educational establishments lies in poor individualisation of the educational process and limited possibilities for individual student work. Our educationalists are to a large extent closed within the national educational community.
Another great shortcoming of higher school is that despite a significant
increase in the number of students per 10 thousand citizens (314 against 176
in 1986), this indicator remains almost two times lower than, say, in Canada.
2. What priority measures should be taken for the solution
of those problems? Will the National Doctrine of Education
Development help their solution?
The following measures need to be taken as soon as possible.
v First and foremost, establishment of and (guaranteed) legislative
support for the principles of priority of education, specifically: the priority
and dynamic growth of funding of education and salaries of educationalists.
v Development and approval of a programme of a Ukraine-wide
extended educational database based on comprehensive education methods, new qualitative technologies of education and upbringing.
v Fundamental change of the methods of training specialists in the
sphere of education to be based on the desire and necessity of permanent
self-education. For that purpose, more variable curricula and training programmes should be worked out, and the existing systems of assessment
of knowledge, encouragement of pupils and students should be reviewed.
v Dynamic approach of the system of educational services closer to
people, their place of residence and work with the assistance of distance
education technologies, integration of the national education system into
the world educational information system with the assistance of global
information networks, to provide access to foreign educational centres and
education programmes for Ukrainian citizens.
v Maybe the most important thing decisive for the sphere of education:
formation of consolidated democratic society that recognises education as
a basic component of the political, socio-economic, cultural and scientific
organisation and sees its strategic goal in creation of an effective continuous education system as a precondition of social and professional mobility
of population, all-round development of individual, upbringing of patriotism.
The National Doctrine of Education Development adopted at the Second
All-Ukrainian Congress of Educationalists generally corresponds to the
strategy of development of Ukraine in the 21st century as an information
technology state, but where are the guarantees of its implementation, first
of all financial?
The National Doctrine of Education Development sets the strategic targets of development of Ukraines education system. To be sure, its adoption is a great success. It allows further work, analysis of events and trends
in the world education community, adaptation of those trends to Ukrainian
realities, definition of the guidelines of educational activity. The National
Doctrine creates preconditions for a consistent educational policy, promotes the prestige of education in Ukraine.
The priority measures should be aimed at work with a teacher, since no
serious changes may be attained unless they are elaborated and realised
by the teacher. The mystery of cognition and teaching is born through joint
efforts of the teacher and the student. Training of future teachers should be
improved, todays teachers should be helped to keep up with the times:
this concerns computer literacy and the teachers ability to work with
account of the character of a student.
Graduates of pedagogical higher educational establishments should be
fluent in foreign languages not as much for their teaching as to be able to
go beyond the borders of the national education community. This goal
should be attained through courses of retraining and conversion of existing specialists.
Higher educational establishments should be provided with computers;
new software should be developed.
We should amend the system of education so as to retain our best traditions and knowledge, but, at the same time, to allow future generations
of Ukrainian citizens drop the anachronisms inherent in our generation.
3. What foreign experience might be useful
and acceptable for Ukraine?
By and large, the National Doctrine of Education Development takes
maximum account of advanced foreign experience, in particular, introduction of the innovative and humanistic type of education, the multicomponent content of education encompassing knowledge, methods of
practical activity and formation of value orientations and a creative
approach to the mastering of knowledge alike, in particular, the ability to
obtain knowledge independently from various sources of information and
introduction of remote education...
RAZUMKOV CENTRE
The processes of globalisation observed worldwide bring the character
and substance of education in difference countries closer the European
and world education communities are being formed. Foreign experience
should be introduced so as to preserve all advantages of the national education system and to make it an integral part of the world education community. This would promote the competitiveness of Ukrainian graduates.
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The experience of democratisation of the educational process abroad,
attainment of independence of its participants and easing the load on
lecturers is extremely useful.
However, before following the world pattern, we should prepare the
basis for the independent work. It would be desirable to have the material
and technical basis on a par with the best foreign higher educational establishments, at least to enable professors to deliver their lectures in printed
form instead of reading and taking notes, and read a synoptic lecture after
the students familiarise themselves with the materials.
POINT OF VIEW
The Socialists faction considers that education in Ukraine is in deep crisis now. The main
problem is alienation of educational system
from the economic development and labour
markets. Bit by bit education is becoming the
self-sufficient branch, so called thing in itself.
Development of new economic segments, espeStanislav cially in agricultural sector, is in isolation from
NIKOLAYENKO, educational process.
First Deputy
The Cabinet of Ministers, ministries and
of the Head of SPU departments have no impact on these processfaction in the Verkhovna es. The Ministry of Economy and European
Rada of Ukraine. Integration, the Ministry of Labour and Social
Policy, the Ministry of Education and Science of
Ukraine, businessmen and trade unions act separately, economy development prospects are not defined, appropriate manpower accompaniment for
market reform is not forecasted. For example, there is a great amount of
unemployed economists and lawyers, who had been educated during the
years of independence with simultaneous reduction of technical workers and
engineers training. These entire things take place against a background of
sweeping development of science and machinery, wide spread of informational technologies, green revolution in agriculture.
Senseless commercialisation affects the development of educational system greatly. In the considerable number of schools, especially in rural area,
pupils are unable to get general secondary education due to the poor local
budgets that finance only state obligatory programs and optional part of a curriculum is paid. This contradicts the Article 53 of the Constitution of Ukraine,
the Law of Ukraine On Education. As a result, many pupils do not study foreign languages, Russian language and computer literacy fundamentals.
Because of humiliatingly low salaries, the heads of educational institutions and teachers initiate the spread of so-called paid services. Hence
some children can not obtain necessary skills and knowledge at school
because of lack of money.
Prevalence of elite clannish education leads to the shallowing of the river
of knowledge and intensifies the social tension.
Vocational education remains without attention on the part of the state.
Domestic sphere of high technologies without skilled specialists is doomed to
stagnation. The Government owes more than UAH 60 million to vocational
schools for heating, running water and electricity. Vocational schools have practically stopped the educational process. The level of material and technical basis
of educational process in vocational schools remained as it was in 70-80s.
Dramatic growth of commercialisation in higher educational establishments, low wages of scientific and pedagogical staff led to significant deformation of educational process. Bribes and extortions became a rule for many
establishments.
Absence of democratic standards in higher educational establishments
leads to standstill of personnel, non-appropriate financing to lag of scientific
and technical level of education of specialists.
2. What priority measures should be taken for the solution of those problems?
SPU faction prepared and submitted the Program Seven Steps to Lead
Education out of the Crisis, which proposes comprehensive measures of
domestic education rescue, for a consideration of Parliament.
SPU faction also prepares alterations to such laws as On Vocational
Education and On General Secondary Education concerning improvement of education. In addition, draft-law On Social Protection of Students
and corresponding proposals for budget-2003 are elaborated.
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POINT OF VIEW
Major problems in the Ukrainian education
system are many, and the majority of them
are closely interrelated. Hence, in my opinion,
they should be viewed in conjunction.
Otherwise things will stay right where they are
started. For instance, if schools do not have
up-to-date facilities training aids, computBoris PATON, ers, stable textbooks one should not hope
President, that even the best teachers will help in attainthe National Academy ment of the goal set by the National Doctrine
of Science of Ukraine, of Education Development. This is fully true
Academician for higher educational establishments as well.
of the NAS of Ukraine
As for the problems immediately dealing
with the urgently needed increase in the effectiveness of the system of education, one should be aware that science
and education are to play the key role for Ukraine not to turn into a supplier of low-tech products and consumer of foreign high technologies in
the process of globalisation. This requires removal of serious deficiencies in teaching natural sciences at secondary school and overcoming of
decline of pupils interest in such disciplines as mathematics, physics,
chemistry and biology. For that purpose, ties between science and education should be strengthened, scholars should be more actively
employed for lecturing at higher educational establishments, and students, starting from the first year, involved in both fundamental and
applied scientific research.
Under no circumstances may such absolutely baseless experiments
as reduction of hours allocated to the school course of physics or withdrawal of astronomy and drawing from school programmes be undertaken. The time reserve necessary for better mastering of other subjects
should be found not in such reduction but in radical improvement of the
methods of teaching and raising the skills of teachers.
The National Doctrine of Education Development, surely, should
encourage modernisation of education. For that purpose, broad public
discussion should be continued, not only among pedagogues but among
scientists, too, proposals and suggestions should be thoroughly considered, highly qualified expert examination is needed. And nothing should
be done in a hurry. If necessary, experiments may be conducted in separate schools and higher educational establishments but not on the
national scale. Education is too important and delicate subject. Poor substantiation and haste in its reform may bring similar or even graver consequences as in the economy.
To be sure, advanced foreign experience should be studied and
adapted to our conditions. At the same time, one should not ignore own
positive experience acquired long ago and recently. One should not forget that for decades, the national system of secondary and higher education has been a model for the developed countries. For instance, this
relates to training of specialists in natural and technical sciences. Our
engineers, mathematicians, physicists, chemists, biologists, programmers who left the country in most cases successfully compete with foreign colleagues.
The system of education should be aimed not at narrow specialisation but at a high level of education and creative thought. Outstanding
native pedagogues, such as À.Makarenko, V.Sukhomlynskyi and others,
were well aware of that. This principle forms the basis for training highly
qualified specialists at the National University named after
T. Shevchenko, the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute National Technical
University, the National Aviation University and some other higher educational establishments. By the way, such a system of training physicists,
mathematicians, engineers is based on principles employed at some KPI
departments yet before the Revolution [of 1917 ed.] . With time, those
principles were implemented in the Paris Polytechnic School, California
and Massachusetts Technological Institutes, and later in the Moscow
Physico-Technical Institute.
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No.4, 2002
Let me recall the basic principles of the physico-technical education system: (1) sound study of fundamental sciences (physics, mathematics, chemistry, etc.); (2) conjunction of broad general education in
the best university traditions with narrow specialisation and acquisition of
practical skills at basic institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of
Ukraine and graduating chairs; (3) intense study of foreign languages;
(4) flexibility of educational plans; (5) broad involvement of students into
research and scientific activity; (6) participation of scholars from the
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in the educational process.
Those principles proved totally justified and should be spread and
furthered.
POINT OF VIEW
What are the main problems
of Ukraine's education system?
The problem of human resources. Due to
low salaries and poor prestige of the profession of a teacher, increasingly more graduates
of higher pedagogical establishments do not
come to school, working instead in other
branches, and sometimes filling up the
ranks of unemployed. In that way, the corps of
Oleksiy SHUBA, teachers is ageing, the share of pensioners
Deputy Head teaching at school increases. To be sure, such
of the Humanitarian a situation cannot be assumed normal.
Department
The problem of guarantees of free educaof the Verkhovna Rada tion at state and municipal educational estabof Ukraine Staff lishments. Parents know how often this constitutional provision is violated. Endless
contributions for school guards, classroom repair, etc. have long
become a norm. In some lyceums and schools, parents are forced to pay for
the studies of their children under the disguise of voluntary charity contribution sometimes spent not only on acquisition of necessary training aids but
used to satisfy the excessive appetites of the leadership of those establishments. To be sure, all this undermines the authority of the teacher and education in general, let alone specific speculation and abuses on this ground.
The problem of continuity of the substance of education, poor
juncture of programmes of preschool education with those of general
secondary and higher education. Such a gap is filled with various additional educational services and private teaching paid by parents.
POINT OF VIEW
The main problems of the Ukraines education system encompass:
v the substance of education, i.e., the
concrete and clear definition of the scope of
knowledge in the areas of social studies, natural studies, culture, arts, medicine, agriculture
and law that needs to be adopted by every pupil
Kostyantyn SYTNYK, of the Ukrainian school (as an imperative of
Director, society represented by scholars and lead pubInstitute of Botany lic figures);
named after M.Holodnyi,
v quality of education, working conditions
Academician and remuneration of labour of teachers.
of the NAS of Ukraine Society and the authorities must realise that the
profession of Teacher in Ukraine should be the
most respected, attractive and well paid; a farmer, a metalworker, an
engineer, a doctor, a singer, a manager, a nurse, a salesman, etc. are all
formed by the school, its teachers and their professional skill to teach and
bring up a Human;
v funding education needs in the amount long ago specified by the
Law of Ukraine "On Education".
POINT OF VIEW
The main problem of education in Ukraine
lies in the many years its importance was
underestimated by the legislative and executive
branches of the State, as manifested by insufficient funding. This has resulted in the loss of
purity of the principles of education. The main
problems of the Ukraines system of education
Ihor YUKHNOVSKYI, include:
Academician
v creation of uniform state standards for
of the NAS of Ukraine education content;
v formation of the basic language environment in Ukrainian education on the basis of the official Ukrainian language;
general adoption of the English language as the language of universal business communication and information systems; study of the Russian language as a language of international communication; study of native languages in accordance with European standards;
v development and implementation of state programmes of civic education, patriotic upbringing and education for democratic society;
v identification of the demand for specialists on the labour market;
v identification of the volume of orders for vocational and higher education specialists in all sectors of nation-building in Ukraine;
v provision of legal multi-channel funding of education.
For the solution of the above mentioned problems, the following must
be done:
v the best rectors of higher educational establishments of the country
should be put at the head of pedagogical universities;
v scholarships for students of pedagogical universities should be twice
higher than at any other higher educational establishments;
v the best specialists with university education should be invited to
work at schools with salaries of no less than $300;
v the salaries of lecturers of pedagogical universities should be 30%
higher than at other higher educational establishments;
v during admission of new students to pedagogical universities, recommendations of school pedagogical boards should be taken into
account;
v the Oath of the President of Ukraine should contain the words of care
about the young generation, school and Teacher.
The National Doctrine of Education Development might have promoted
intellectual enrichment of some officials of the Ministry of Education and
Science and the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine but failed to
do any good to the reform of the system of education. The laws on education and science adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine played a far
greater role in the establishment of the new school.
The baseline provisions of the National Doctrine of Education
Development largely repeat the provisions of the laws of Ukraine.
Regrettably, many of them, for a variety of reasons, continue to be unfulfilled. This particularly refers to the issues of funding of education, salaries
for teachers and pedagogical scientists, social security of pedagogues,
especially in rural areas, etc. The priority tasks of the state in the sphere of
education include:
v pay raises for teachers and pedagogical professionals;
The system of education and the attitude to the Teacher in Ukraine on the
part of entire society and the authorities should be based on the pattern of the
German education system whose substance and forms were laid down yet by
Bismarck and on the best experience of the Soviet school system.
RAZUMKOV CENTRE
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v complete provision of all schools and kindergartens, school and university students with Ukrainian language textbooks, scientific, methodical
and popular literature;
v gradual complete modernisation of laboratories at schools and
higher educational establishments;
v localisation (Ukrainianisation) of educational software in Ukraine;
v formalising standards of statehood in the educational process at
kindergartens, schools and higher educational establishments.
The legislation of Ukraine on education was formed with account of this
countrys historical traditions and on the basis of study of educational legislation of other countries, such as Russia, Belarus, France, Germany, Poland,
Great Britain, the USA and others. Laws were drafted with account of conclusions and proposals made by Council of Europe experts.
POINT OF VIEW
Before answering the question about the
main problems of the Ukraines system of education (general and higher), the main tasks of
education in Ukraine should be identified with
account of formation of the new doctrine of
education under conditions of a universal informational revolution. By its substance and moral
Yaroslav YATSKIV, status, the system of education in Ukraine does
Director, not meet the imperative of the time formaMain Astronomical tion of a new patriotic generation of the
Observatory Ukrainian nation (in the broad meaning of the
of the NAS of Ukraine, word Ukrainians, Russians, Jews, Germans,
Academician etc., who defend the interests of the independof the NAS of Ukraine ent and sovereign Ukrainian state) living
according to the principle: The common good
should have absolute preference over the personal one.
The problems:
v increasing formalism and corruption of education, chase of outward
image and quantitative indicators (the wave of foundation of colleges,
At the same time, the spread of such phenomena as
child labour and/or homelessness gives reason to state
that the financial factor presently plays an important role
in the affordability of general secondary education within
the state system of general education.
Child labour97 was officially admitted in the 1997
state report on the status of children. It stated that in
Ukraine, some 700 thousand children under 15 years
were working; there are families where a child is the sole
breadwinner98.
At the beginning of 2001/2002 academic year, a number of inspections were held that revealed facts of
employment of child labour at enterprises of different
forms of ownership; it appeared that mainly teenagers of
15-17 years from low-income families with many children
lyceums, universities made us the European leader by this indicator, while
the level of education goes down);
v ruination of the high ideals of teaching and the school dominated by
high spirit and morality (what ideals may we speak about when a teacher
takes brines at examinations?);
v deterioration of substantial (qualitative) indicators of education and
neglect of ideological aspects of teaching; the departure from the Soviet
educational doctrine (on the one hand, formation of an atheist, internationalist, bearer of the class morality, on the other a qualified specialist
capable of resolving scientific and technological problems of the militaryindustrial complex) goes on very slowly.
The reform of education is not a one-time act but a very complex and
lengthy process. For its implementation, the society, presently pathologically ill, hit by devaluation of knowledge, human dignity and simply lacking
honest people, must be prepared on a par with the authorities (we all see
what miserable funds are spent on education) and the top of the educational community.
The National Doctrine of Education Development is indeed an important
document that should exist in a state. First and foremost, the National
Doctrine must be aimed at formation of humanistic principles of the world
outlook, progressive ideology and moral and ethical fundamentals of life.
Measures, acts, reforms are of a secondary significance.
In the present situation, the most important thing is to find means for
the removal of all forms of corruption and bribery at educational establishments (for instance, it may be practical to form an effective corps of educated and decent inspectors) and to establish co-operation between leaders of state educational bodies and public organisations active in the
sphere of education.
Our native school (education system) has had brilliant achievements
and results. They should be put into life. To be sure, foreign experience
also needs to be examined, and everything useful should be introduced in
Ukraine. In my opinion, Ukraine would benefit from the development of
small classes with few pupils; unity of higher education and science; liquidation of the Soviet system of awarding degrees and ranks; increase in
the influence of the public on the process of school education.
were working99. An inspection in Luhansk region revealed
that 1,255 children and teenagers were not attending
school. According to the Service for Minors Affairs, in
many cases the reason for interruption of the educational process lies in the low standard of living of families and
the desire of teenagers to earn money on their own 100.
Child homelessness is spreading at rather a high rate:
in 1996, there were 12 thousand registered homeless
children; in 2000 some 30 thousand101. Those children are actually deprived of the possibility to obtain a
systematic education.
Therefore, we note the tendencies towards limitation
of physical accessibility and financial affordability of the
state system of general secondary education, first of all
for children living in rural areas and low-income families.
97
For more detail see an article by L.Volynets Some Aspects of Child Labour in Ukraine published in this magazine.
According to the State Statistic Committee of Ukraine. See: Yushkevych À. Unemployment Does not Threaten Ukrainian Children. Polityka i Kultura, 1999,
No.3, p.28. Experts believe that Ukraine undergoes not the so-called U.S. but the Philippine type of child perquisite, when children have to earn their living at
any cost. Out of 287 polled employed children, only 30 were engaged in brainwork, 203 in physical labour.
99
The inspection was held by state power and local self-administration bodies jointly with representatives of regional trade unions. 2,615 enterprises were
inspected. http://www.elvisti.com/2002/07/18/edu.shtml.
100
Study Is Light, But No Money in Sight. Holos Ukrayiny, October 3, 2001, p.3.
101
Unnecessary Children. Polityka i Kultura, 2000, No.3, p.28.
98
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ACCESSIBILITY OF EDUCATION
On the face of it, the situation seems to be entirely in
line with world standards: there is a market of educational services of different prices where everyone can buy
anything depending on his solvency. The cost of study at
an average U.S. higher educational establishment is
$12-14 thousand, which corresponds to 5-6 average U.S.
monthly salaries106. In Ukraine, the average monthly pay
in February-March, 2002 made up UAH 342107. Hence,
the cost of study of UAH 2,500 corresponds to seven average Ukrainian monthly salaries, which is close to the U.S.
standard. With the exception of one feature, namely, that
the average pay in Ukraine is below the subsistence level
of a working person established equal to UAH 365 in
2002108. Apart from the cost of study, students (their
parents) must also pay for the meals and hostel habitation,
buy textbooks, stationery, etc. In the aggregate, such additional expenses are comparable with the cost of study in a
higher educational establishment cited above.
Therefore, the problem lies not in paid education and
its spread but in the compatibility of the average cost of
education services to average wages and salaries. In the
Ukrainian situation, introduction of paid education
should have been accompanied with simultaneous introduction of credits, grants and other forms of encouragement of higher education for the youth. However, this is
not the case. Crediting of education in the amount of
UAH 5 million introduced from 1999/2000 academic
year has not yet had any noticeable effect on the situation. In the current year, 2,000 students approximately 1% of those admitted to day departments obtained
loans109. The practice of grant-giving remains limited110.
Accessibility of secondary education for children with special needs
Child disablement, even on the background of falling natality rate,
shows a strong upward trend. In 2000, some 110 thousand disabled
children of school age were registered by social security bodies. At the
same time, according to the Ukrainian Step by Step Foundation, the
share of unregistered children with development deviations
increases102.
The overwhelming majority of children of that category receives
education at special boarding schools and special classes of general
education establishments103. There is no realistic alternative to study in
the conditions of special schools, since the existing general system of
educational establishments is in no way fit to integrate children with
special needs.
There is an acute problem of provision of handicapped children with
necessary training aids, which actually deprives them of the possibility
to receive education. At the same time, there is no public statistical data
on the children of that category that have no opportunity of getting
education. The First Annual Report of N.Karpachova, the Verkhovna
Rada of Ukraine Human Rights Commissioner noted that in 1999, more
than 10 thousand children of school age suffering from cerebral palsy
could not attend special institutions because of the absence of transportation means; only 15% of children with hearing dysfunction were
provided with hearing aids; pupils with dysfunction of intellect, hearing
and sight were provided with special means only at 30% of the need104.
Hence, from the point of view of both the choice of the educational establishment and the possibility of obtaining quality
education, children with special needs are discriminated. Such a
situation is not least conditioned by the absence of the definition of
the notion of children with special needs in Ukraines legislation,
including legislation on education.
The influence of limiting factors leads to the emergence
of a group of children and teenagers of the school age left
beyond the system of education and pressed out to the
zone of increased social risks. The group of children with
special needs is discriminated.
Judging by the draft Forecast of Economic and
Social Development of Ukraine for 2003, in the next
academic year, the situation will not change fundamentally: it is planned to increase education credits to UAH
15 million, but this process will go together with the
expansion of paid education within the system of higher education111.
Higher education
At the level of higher education, physical accessibility
of educational establishments does not play any special
role because of higher mobility of students and relative
sufficiency of the network of educational establishments.
At the same time, the financial factor acquires particular importance.
The cost of study in a higher educational establishment
depends, first of all, on the prestige associated with the
location of a higher educational establishment and the
speciality and varies significantly: from UAH 16,230
($3,000) a year in the Institute of International Relations
at the Kyiv State University named after Ò. Shevchenko
to some UAH 2,500 ($470), at, for example, the
Department of Natural Studies of the Donetsk State
University and the Department of Economics of the Lviv
Polytechnic University105.
Therefore, as the result of the low standard of living
and the inability of the state to properly respond to the
increasing gap between educational needs and the financial possibilities of citizens, Ukraine is witnessing a consolidated tendency of limitation of accessibility of higher
education not only in state-owned but also in non-state
higher educational establishments.
By and large, the tendencies of limitation of physical
accessibility and affordability of the system of state educational establishments are endemic to Ukraine. At higher levels of education, the importance of the financial factor increases. Those tendencies affect two social groups
most deleteriously of all: village youth and young people
from low-income families.
102
Steps towards a Democratic Education. Magazine of the Ukrainian Step by Step Foundation, special issue, February, 2002, p.4.
For more details about the problems of education of children with special needs see an article by N.Sofiy Education of Children with Special Needs
published in this magazine.
104
The State of Observance of Human Rights and Freedoms in Ukraine..., p.298.
105
See: The Cost of Study at Some Higher Educational Establishments for Contracted Students. Delovaya Stolitsa, May 13, 2002, p.27.
106
See: Starozhytska Ì. Master-in-law. Kievskiy Telegraf, January 28, 2002, p.7.
107
Statistical Bulletin for January-March, 2002. State Statistic Committee of Ukraine, Kyiv, 2002, p.124.
108
The Law of Ukraine On Approval of the Subsistence Level for 2002 of November 15, 2001.
109
Calculated after: Basic Indicators of Activity of Higher Educational Establishments of Ukraine at the Beginning of 2001/2002 Academic Year..., p.21.
110
One exception is presented by the Ukraine 21st Century Intellectual Co-operation Foundation that in 2001/2002 academic year extended education grants
to 89 university entrants winners of the All-Ukrainian Universiada Intellectual of the 21st Century. See: Morozova L. Cherish the Sprouts of Talents.
Osvita, October 31, 2001, p.6.
111
Forecast of Economic and Social Development of Ukraine for 2003, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine draft.
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POINT OF VIEW
Promotion of education is a tradition of the
Catholic Church. Education given by the Catholic
Church is accessible not only to its faithful but
also to all of society, including representatives
of other religions. It is not confessionally oriented and in no way identical to evangelisation or
catechisation. For instance, in Japan, where the
Catholic community is rather small, children
Archbishop attend Catholic schools irrespective of their
Nicola ETEROVIC, confessional affiliation. In Catholic universities,
Apostolic Nuncio there are pedagogical, technical, medical
to Ukraine departments; at Catholic schools children are
taught fundamentals of sciences.
Therefore, Catholic schools and universities are open to dialogue with
science, present-day world and modern culture. As a result, they are active
in different countries, even those where the Church is rather strictly separated from the state. For instance, there are many Catholic schools in
France. They adhere to state programmes and are managed by the state.
Additionally, they are based on the Christian religion and bring pupils up in
the spirit of the Christian morality.
In different countries, Catholic schools act on different legal grounds,
dependent on the adopted legal system. In countries with the Anglo-Saxon
legal system, they are mainly driven by private initiative. For instance, in
Ireland, nearly 60% of all private schools are Catholic. They rely on state
assistance. In countries with the Roman-German legal system, Catholic
schools work on the basis of agreements concordats. Such concordats
exist, for instance, between the governments of German lands and the Holy
See. They lay down the terms of activity of Catholic universities or departments attached to temporal universities and the conditions of religious
education at school. In all German schools, Catholics and Protestants
study religion as a mandatory discipline. Again, that discipline is different
from catechisation and intended to bring children up in the spirit of the
Christian morality.
Agreements by Catholic universities have been made with postcommunist states, too. For instance, in Hungary and Poland, such universities are recognised by the state and obtain state financial assistance. In
Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland there are theological departments
attached to state universities.
Before the Revolution (of 1917 ed.), in Ukraine, in particular, in
Transcarpathia, there were Catholic schools and a tradition of state recognition of education certificates issued by those schools. We are interested
in restoring that tradition. Catholic schools and universities can make a
great contribution to the creation of a modern, pluralistic state.
We are interested in dialogue with the Orthodox Church and open to
such dialogue. For young specialists, it is very important to be unbiased
towards other Churches.
As far as special theological education is concerned, the Catholic
Church is surely interested in state recognition of theology and theological
education. Today, both the (Roman ed.) Catholic and the Greek Catholic
Churches have their educational institutions in Ukraine. These are the
Catholic Institute of St.Thomas and three seminaries of the Roman Catholic
Church, the Lviv Theological Academy and five seminaries of the Greek
Catholic Church. However, a problem has arisen with state recognition of
their diplomas. We hope that that problem will be resolved. Before the parliamentary elections, it was said that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
would work out relevant criteria for state attestation of such educational
establishments and draft a decision to be passed in accordance with the
established procedure.
We are sure that solution of the problem that arose in connection with
theological education given by the Church will enable Ukrainian society to
recognise its Christian roots and master the great achievements of
Christian culture, which would contribute to building a democratic and
tolerant state in Ukraine.
28
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POINT OF VIEW
1. What is your idea of the main problems
of theological education in Ukraine?
The fundamental problems of theological
education in present-day Ukraine, especially felt
in Orthodox schools, lie in its pragmaticconfessional character and isolation from the
world network of scientific communication.
The obvious need to prepare more priests
Ihor ISICHENKO,
for ones own confessional structures within the
Archbishop
shortest period of time has led to a formation of
of Kharkiv and Poltava,
theological schools lacking theologians with sciRector of the Collegium
entific degrees, without libraries, after a lengthy
of Patriarch Mstyslav
pause that occurred in Ukraine after the destruction of the old network of spiritual schools.
Orthodox theology was confined to familiarisation with the Russian educational tradition, while the experience of Greek, Romanian and South Slavic
theological schools remained unknown. Theological schools developed in
isolation from the network of state higher schools, which led to gaps in
acquaintance with the pedagogical culture represented by the best temporal universities and institutes. Active inter-confessional scientific and
pedagogical contacts were hindered by the politicisation of relations
between the Churches and religious organisations.
With this in mind, the Collegium of Patriarch Mstyslav founded in
Kharkiv in 1994 on the basis of the Kharkiv branch of the Lviv Theological
Academy of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (active in 19931994) resorted to an experiment unusual for Ukraine. It was facilitated by
the fact that among the Kharkiv clergy and believers of Ukrainian
Autocephalous Orthodox Church there are quite a few scholars and high
school professors. One should keep in mind that Kharkiv houses more
institutes and universities than any other city in Ukraine. Professors of the
Kharkiv National University and the Kharkiv State Pedagogical College lectured at the Collegium of Patriarch Mstyslav. Direct scientific contacts were
established with the Lviv Theological Academy, conceptually close to the
Collegium of Patriarch Mstyslav. Thanks to ties with foreign theological
institutions, attempts were made to send graduates abroad to continue
their education. This brought some positive results. Now we are witnessing the appearance of theologians capable of scientific challenge and selfeducation, open for new scientific methods and employment of the
achievements of theologians of other confessions.
Poor knowledge of modern and classic tongues by the students, the
computer illiteracy of the clergy, and the paucity of Ukrainian church WEBsites and electronic libraries pose serious impediments for overcoming
problems inherited from the past. But the most fatal thing is the
conservation of the old stereotype of a poorly educated and simple-minded
parson whose intellectual level was not to surpass the level of elderly
female parishioners. This problem is not so much of an ecclesiastic as of
a social nature. Presently, educated and open-minded graduates of theological schools experience more difficulties in searching for their place in
Ukrainian society than limited but sly and crafty plotters.
2. Did you ever encounter concrete facts of non-recognition
of certificates of theological schools by the state?
Officials treat our diplomas with due respect, but only as exotic
documents that have no legal force whatsoever for a public servant. In
Ukraine, a diploma of higher theological education will remain a
document intended for internal use within the Church so far as theological schools are legally recognised only by religious organisations.
Recognition of such diplomas by the state may be achieved by two
ways:
v signing of relevant agreements between the administrative centres
of the Churches and the state, with the church centres assuming responsibility for the level of education of theologians with higher education or
a scientific degree;
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No.4, 2002
QUALITY OF EDUCATION
Ukrainian higher educational establishments on the
labour markets of developed countries.
v state accreditation of theological schools and academic councils
for the defence of the degree of a doctor or master of theology.
The second way seems more rational to me, given the present
situation and the absence of uniform, clearly defined criteria of assessment of graduates of theological schools and competitors for scientific
degrees in theology. However, in either case, we should begin with
fundamental changes in the attitude of state institutions (the Ministry of
Education and Science of Ukraine, the Higher Attestation Commission)
towards theology as a science, or, rather, a complex of sciences.
Traditionally, here we lag behind not only the civilised states of the West
but also behind Russia, where a package of relevant state documents is
being prepared. However, in Russia the problems of acquisition of
desired accreditation by theological schools have come to the fore:
every accredited school must have the required number of professors or
members of the academic council of the highest qualification and ensure
teaching of the required number of general disciplines to students.
At the same time, the analysis of factors that influence the quality of education the level of funding,
human resources, informational, material and technical
support points to the existence of a trend towards
their deterioration. Furthermore, in Ukraine, there is in
fact no transparent system of unbiased assessment of
education quality, which prevents proper adjustment of
education sector development.
Funding
The Law of Ukraine On Education provides for
budget funding of the education sector in the amount of
no less than 10% of GDP112. Meanwhile, in reality,
expenditures on education in 2000-2001 totalled only
some 4% of GDP113. The 2002 budget earmarks 3.45%
of GDP on education 0.5% less than in 2001. Budget
allocations on education are clearly insufficient, since
modernisation of basic secondary schools alone will cost
some UAH 3 billion114, which makes up 2% of GDP.
3. Were there any attempts to obtain such accreditation?
What was their result?
On a few occasions, graduates of the Collegium of Patriarch Mstyslav
have had to prove their right to work at positions reserved for specialists
with higher education. This mainly refers to schools. In such cases, the
presence of a temporal diploma was helpful. However, I do not recall a
single case of a state official with higher education recognising a graduate of a theological school holding the degree of a bachelor of theology.
Even if teaching of religion, catechism, Gods Law or Christian ethics
were introduced in general education schools, priests with irregular
diplomas would be deprived of the right to teach there. Such cases have
already been observed in Halychyna, where priests who have no other
n
temporal education are barred from teaching Christian ethics.
Given the steady under-funding of key programmes
and expenditure items such as textbook publishing and
computerisation of educational establishments115, it may
be stated that the budget expenditures do not even cover
the current needs of the education sector116. Additionally,
clear and transparent mechanisms of distribution of
budget allocations on education are absent at all levels,
which leads to their use for other than designated purposes and further aggravates the problem of funds117.
As early as in a preschool age, villagers are tagged as
belonging to the social group with low initial competitiveness on the qualified labour market.
Hence, the present level of budget funding of the education sector does not entirely meet even its current
needs. As a result, it is not investing, and does not ensure
modernisation and development of the entire education
system in Ukraine.
Insolvency of low-income families leads to the exclusion of children and teenagers from the education system
and pushes them out to the zone of increased social risks.
Such a situation creates preconditions for: (1) unfair
competition among youths at higher levels of education;
(2) consolidation of hereditary poverty; (3) impairment of
societys ability not only to increase but even to reproduce the high intellectual potential intrinsic to Ukraine.
2.2 QUALITY OF EDUCATION
Remuneration of labour. The insufficiency of funding
also conditions the low level of qualified labour in the
education sector. Despite the rise of official salaries in
2001118, the average salary of pedagogues is not only
below the average in all sectors of economy but also
below the subsistence level.
By its qualitative parameters, Ukraines education
system remains competitive, as proved by the stability of
the UNDP education index for Ukraine, the prizes
taken by Ukrainian schoolchildren at international
Olympiads and the competitiveness of graduates of
In March, 2002, the average salary in the sector was
equal to UAH 255 (some $47), which makes up only
72% of the average level in all sectors of economy and is
1.8 times less than in industry (manufacturing etc.) and
within the system of state administration (UAH 462)119.
112
The Law of Ukraine On Education, Article 61.
In 2000, budget expenditures on education made up 3.96% of GDP; in 2001 4.06% of GDP. See: Sachkov L. Educationalists Demand More Funds.
Osvita, December 12, 2001, p.2.
114
Data presented by I.Yukhnovskyi, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Science and Education Committee of the previous convocation. See: Ihor
Yukhnovskyi: The Average Level of Education in Ukraine Is Lower than in Developed Industrial States. Ukrayinskyi Rehionalnyi Visnyk, November 15, 2001, p.9.
115
For instance, according to Minister of Education and Science V.Kremen, the sector faces a disastrous situation with educational literature. See: Education
Without Rose-coloured Glasses. Interview with Minister of Education and Science V.Kremen. Uryadovyi Kuryer, April 7, 2001, p.4. According to Director of
the Scientific-Methodical Centre for Development and Production of Training Aids of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine V. Samsonov, the
Programme of Informatisation of General Education Establishments and Computerisation of Village Schools for 2001-2003 was provided with funds at the level
of only 40%. See: Malkova N. Computer in a Village School. Prezydentskyi Visnyk, January 26, 2002, p.6.
116
Education Without Rose-coloured Glasses. Minister of Education and Science V.Kremen. Uryadovyi Kuryer, April 7, 2001, p.4.
117
For instance, by the results of inspections of the use of budget funds earmarked for the needs of education performed by the Accounting Chamber of
Ukraine, facts of violation were revealed in the Kyiv National University named after Ò.Shevchenko and higher educational establishments of the Ministry of
Agricultural Policy of Ukraine. See: Report of the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine for 2001. Kyiv, 2002, pp.43,48.
118
As part of an increase of official salaries of employees of the budget-sustained sectors, on March 1, 2001, salaries of educationalists were raised by 25%
(of administrative staff by 50%. See: Teachers Search for a Better Life. Uryadovyi Kuryer, January 29, 2002, p.7); Pursuant to the Cabinet of Ministers of
Ukraine Resolution On Raising of Official Salaries (Wage Rates) and Hourly Pay of Employees of Educational Institutions and Establishments of August 14,
2001, from September 1, 2001, salaries were raised by another 15%.
119
Statistical Bulletin for January-March, 2002. State Statistic Committee of Ukraine, Kyiv, 2002, p.124.
113
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As we already mentioned, the subsistence level of an
able-bodied person in 2002 was set at UAH 365. Hence,
the average salary of employees in the education sector
is only close to 70% of the subsistence level. The average salary of a teacher at a state school is 63.6%
(UAH 232120). Meanwhile, in Russia the average salary
of employees in the education sector has been raised to
the subsistence level of an able-bodied person. In
February, 2001, it exceeded said level by 3.3%121.
The practice of wage arrears persists. As of April 1,
2002, arrears in the education sector totalled UAH 9.8
million (nearly 29% of that amount for JanuaryFebruary, 2002) 122. At the 5th Plenum of the Central
Committee of Trade Union of Educationalists and
Scientists of Ukraine it was reported that as of April 19,
2002, wage arrears in the sector made up UAH 22.3
million. Wage delays are several months long in 140 districts and cities of Ukraine123.
The legislation on education is being directly violated,
when speaking of benefits and compensation for pedagogues. For instance, the Law of Ukraine On the State
Budget of Ukraine for 2000 (Article 62) suspended
benefits and compensations granted at the expense of
budgets of different levels to cover some kinds of utility
services; Article 58 of the Law of Ukraine On the State
Budget of Ukraine for 2001 terminated provisions of
legislative acts of Ukraine regarding provision of
benefits, compensations and guarantees granted at the
expense of budgets of all levels for reduction of or
release from payment for housing, utility services, electricity, gas and fuel.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Resolution On the
State, Direction of Reform and Funding of Education
in Ukraine of June 21, 2001 recognised payments provided for by Article 57 of the Law On Education as
the state debt. The Law On the State Budget of
Ukraine for 2002 provided subventions totalling UAH
155 million to local budgets for partial implementation
of that Article; at the same time, at the 5th Plenum of
the Central Committee of Trade Union of
Educationalists and Scientists it was said that there is
no clarity as to how these funds will be used 124.
Since the human potential of a sector is determined,
in the first place, by the level of remuneration of qualified labour in that sector, one should admit that the education branch is facing a high risk of losing qualified personnel. Delay with the revision of the present principle of
last-turn funding of education and reform of the system
of remuneration of labour of educationalists threatens
Ukraines education system with the deterioration of the
quality of its human potential and, therefore, the quality
of education as a whole.
Information support
Today, information support presents a decisive factor of the quality of education. The level of information
support determines the professional competence of the
teacher, independence and critical attitude of the student. Information support encompasses: (1) availability
of information as such on all carriers; (2) possession of
the instruments of access to information (starting from
the ability to read) by persons involved in the process of
education.
In the present dynamic world, the value of information rises with the increasing speed (efficiency) of its
transmission and decoding. Hence, the access of persons
involved in the process of education to special periodicals,
to the Internet and command of the languages of international communication acquire particular importance.
Special periodicals. The rate of provision of
Ukraines educational establishments with special periodicals covers approximately 36% of the need125. Home
libraries of people involved in the process of education
can hardly be richer: according to the Book Chamber of
Ukraine, in 2000, the aggregate circulation of all special
periodicals and series made up 1.1 copies per citizen of
the country126; at the same time, the sociological survey
conducted by Razumkov Centre in December, 2000,
demonstrated that the overwhelming majority (62.4%) of
Ukraines citizens does not subscribe to printed media
at all, and more than half (55.2%) of subscribers obtains
only one periodical127.
120
As of the beginning of the current 2001/2002 academic year. Data of Minister of Education and Science V.Kremen. See: Hutorova L. Expecting for the
Doctrine of Education. Kievskie Vedomosti, October 3, 2001, p.3.
121
The average salary was equal to RUR 1,567; subsistence level RUR 1,517. See: Education in Russia before 2002.
http://www.ed.gov.ru/koi8/obzor.html.
122
Statistical Bulletin for January-March, 2002..., p.128.
123
Attention of Educational Trade Unions Is Concentrated on Students. Osvita Ukrayiny, April 26, 2002, p.4.
124
Ibid., p.5.
125
126
Druk Ukrayiny-2000. The Book Chamber of Ukraine, Kyiv, 2001, p.23.
127
The survey was held between 1-10 December, 2000. 2,009 respondents aged 18 and above were polled in all Ukraines regions. The situation in Ukraines
information space was analysed in more detail in the Razumkov Centre analytical report Topical Problems of Ukraines Information Security. See: National
Security & Defence, 2001, No.1, http://www.uceps.com.ua.
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QUALITY OF EDUCATION
As for the provision of Ukrainian libraries with special periodicals, there is one telling fact: out of 28 thousand scientific journals published all over the world,
Ukraine gets just close to 1,000128.
tion stream. According to diagrams presented on Insert
Accessibility of PC and the Internet to pupils, as early
as at the initial school level of education, the
access of children and teenagers is limited. At that, the
indicators of access of children from cities and villages
to computers and the Internet differ in times.
Access to the Internet. The results of the nation-wide
poll and the polls of target groups demonstrated a generally low level of access of persons involved in the
process of education in Ukraine to the global informa-
In general, 22.4% of the polled parents reported that
their children had the opportunity to work with computers at school; 12.1% at home; 23.9% at
Accessibility of PC and the Internet to persons
out-of-school establishments. Only 2.8% of
involved in the process of education,
children have access to the Internet at school,
% of the polled
3.9% at home, 10.7% at out-of-school
Accessibility of PC
Accessibility of the Internet
establishments.
Teachers Students Lecturers Teachers Students Lecturers
At home
13.3
10.4
22.8
4.0
3.6
5.3
At educational
establishment
12.0
20.8
39.4
2.0
6.6
28.5
At other place
14.1
25.9
10.2
16.1
21.2
15.4
No access
63.1
50.8
37.8
78.3
70.6
54.1
Access to the global information network is
limited also for teachers, students and lecturers
of higher educational establishment. In such a
situation, introduction of distance education is
impossible, while in the developed countries it
significantly expands the accessibility of the
education network.
Accessibility of PC and the Internet to pupils.
% of the polled
Does your child have a possibility to use PC?
City
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
27.2%
16.0%
29.6%
No
Hard
to say 66.9%
Hard
to say
Hard No
to say
67.6%
At out-of-school establishment
At home
At school
5.2%
82.5%
1.5%
3.5%
Village
At home
At school
Yes
Yes At out-of-school establishment
Yes
3.3%
11.7%
12.1%
No
No
Hard
to say 85.0%
Hard No
to say
84.2%
3.8%
94.6%
Hard
to say
2.1%
3.3%
Does your child have an access to the Internet?
City
At school
At home
Yes
3.5%
No
5.2%
7.9%
Yes
13.7%
No
Hard No
to say
88.7%
Yes
Hard
to say 78.4%
91.2%
Hard
to say
3.7%
7.9%
Yes
Yes
1.2%
4.1%
Village
At school
At home
Yes
1.3%
No
95.0%
Hard No
to say
3.8%
128
96.7%
No
Hard
to say 92.1%
2.1%
Hard
to say
3.7%
Command of languages of
international
communication.
The results of the poll demonstrated that participants of the
educational process in Ukraine
are generally not fluent in the
UN official languages, with the
exception of the Russian language traditionally present in
Ukraines educational community: fluent command of it was
reported by 78.9% of teachers,
69.9% of students and 84.7% of
lecturers of higher educational
establishments.
Meanwhile, only 5.0% of
teachers, 3.0% of students and
7.6% of lecturers of higher
educational
establishments
reported fluency in English. The
share of those who are fluent in
any
other
UN
language
(Spanish, German, French)
does not exceed 1.5-2.0%.
Therefore, there are no grounds
to state that in the past decade,
an active educational policy has
been pursued in line with the
declared strategic course of EU
integration.
The main deficiency of the
information support for the educational process lies in the delay
in elimination of mass computer
illiteracy and introduction of
intense teaching of foreign languages. Hence, the process of
education in Ukraine is largely
deprived of a key trait truly
mass and therefore socially
significant involvement of the
participants of the educational
process into the world information process.
See: Professor Volodymyr Parkhomenko: Scientific-technical Information Makes up 15% of the World Information Resources. Svit, 2000, No.1-2, p.7.
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educational establishment has to find its own ways of
survival130 (funds allocated by local budgets, lease of
premises, sponsor funds, use of funds obtained from
paid education, etc.).
While in towns educational establishments may hope
to procure supplementary funds, the overwhelming
majority of village schools is actually deprived of such
an opportunity. Today, half of 14.9 thousand village
schools requires capital repair, for which not a penny
has been spent in the past 10 years. As of January 1,
2000, of 1,200 unfinished village schools, 32 were commissioned and construction of 811 suspended131. Every
twentieth village school is working in condemned premises (763 schools, or 5.1%). Less than 1% of village
schools have computer classes132.
Material and technical
support for education
Unfortunately, it is impossible to obtain summarised,
trustworthy and complete data on the issues of material
and technical supply of educational establishments in
Ukraine due to the shortcomings in the state budget
structuring, statistic accounting system, confusion in
departmental accounting of funds and material assets
and document turnover. Thus, the state of material and
technical support for education is assessed on the basis
of the most representative available data with account of
an error.
The 2002 state budget earmarks funds only for higher educational establishments subordinated to the
Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
UAH 0.5 million. Hence, annual expenditures for said
purposes make, on the average (provided the entire
amount is allocated), UAH 1,400 per higher educational establishment, or UAH 1.75 for the maintenance of
one square metre of their area (287.8 thousand square
metres, less leased out areas). Since annual budget
expenditures in education do not exceed 3-4% of GDP
(in 2002 3.45% of GDP), it is easy to imagine the
state of material and technical basis of Ukrainian higher educational establishments.
Vocational, secondary and infant schools are in a
very similar but still worse situation. For instance, provision of educational establishments with training aids
makes up 28.5%; with equipment for laboratory and
practical works does not reach 2%; physics, chemical
and biological laboratories are equipped at a level of
6-9%129.
While the material and technical basis of some
educational establishments somehow holds, this is
not a merit of the state. At that, we should keep in
mind that the real assessment of the situation is very
difficult, especially in a situation where every
These assessments of the material and technical
maintenance of educational establishments largely coincide with the assessments collected by Razumkov Centre
in course of the nation-wide public opinion poll on education issues (Diagram Assessment of material and technical support for the education process at educational
establishments ). The level of such support at secondary
Assessment of material and technical support
for the education process at educational establishments,
% of the pooled
52.2%
Low
Average
43.8%
41.2%
High
30.7%
30.0%
25.1%
8.6%
1.8%
1.1%
Secondary
schools
Vocational
schools
Higher educational
establishments
schools was termed as low by 52.2% of the polled, at
vocational schools by 43.8%, at higher educational
establishments by 25.1%. At that, the share of negative assessments regarding village schools (74.7%)
exceeds the relevant indicator of town schools (38%)
almost two-fold.
Unsatisfactory material and technical support for
Ukrainian educational establishments is a result of a critical situation in the economy and ineffective state policy.
The state of village schools deprived of extra funds even
for safe maintenance of premises is especially alarming
and requires state interference. The absence of state
assistance and encouragement of governmental investments on the sector along with poor material and technical support for educational establishments will have a
negative effect on the quality of education.
n
129
130
The Kyiv National University named after Ò.Shevchenko unlawfully spent on its own needs UAH 19.4 million, as was established by the Accounting Chamber
of Ukraine in the result of inspection of budget expenditures in 2000. See: Report of the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine for 2001 Kyiv, 2002, p.43.
131
Chervinskyi V., Halaburda S., Petrivska Ye. Sponsorship and the Problems of Village Schools. Osvita, July 11, 2001, p.12.
132
There are different data as to their number: in different interviews, Minister of Education and Science V.Kremen cites different figures: 134 schools
(see: Polushkina V. Buses for Schoolchildren, Increased Stipends for Students. Kievskie Vedomosti, September 1, 2001, p.6), or 104 schools (see: Matiushyna À.
For the Future. Uryadovyi Kuryer, September 1, 2001, p.5). It is equally unclear how many computers will be installed in 2001/2002 academic year, since
the first interview mentions 300 schools set to obtain computer classes, the second 400 computer classes funded only from the central budget.
32
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No.4, 2002
3. CONCLUSIONS
AND PROPOSALS
T
his section sums up the results of analysis of the state and trends of Ukraine's education system and
puts forward proposals as to the measures that may stop the development of unfavourable tendencies
(or at least minimise them) and help improve the situation in the sector.
Provision of the development
of the education system
Ukraine has a high educational potential. The system
of educational establishments existing in Ukraine is
extended, open, is characterised by a variety of forms of
education and remains competitive in the world education
community. It generally ensures a sufficient level of
coverage of citizens and quality of their education. The
general level of human resources employed in the educational process remains high.
At the same time, Ukraines education system is
developed unevenly. Positive trends are largely confined
to the following areas: (à) higher education and a small
sector of general secondary education where educational
services may be not just self-sustained but profitable;
(b) international exchanges, projects and programmes
associated with intense foreign assistance and personal
enterprise of citizens.
There, where educational services are unprofitable
and require substantial funds, first of all, within the
system of preschool and extracurricular educational
establishments, other tendencies are observed: shrinkage
of the network and the number of attendees, lack of
personnel, decrease in the coverage of children and
teenagers. The network of educational establishments in
the country is in a critical state. Exactly those initial,
basic levels of continuous education have been suffering
substantial losses.
The existing level of budget funding of the education
branch does not fully meet even current needs. As a
result, it does not have an investment character, and is
not ensure modernisation and development of Ukraines
education system.
There are grounds to predict that in several years the
wave of underfunding of education at lower levels will
achieve higher echelons. Insufficiency of funds also conditions the low level of qualified labour in the education
sector.
The development of unfavourable tendencies in the
sphere of education is reflected in public opinion and
arouses concern of citizens. According to the majority
(54.7%) of respondents, the state of education has deteriorated; more than half (57.2%) of the polled believes
that the general level of education of the population in
the years of independence declined.
The development of negative trends may be prevented
through a true change in state policy towards education
in general and its basic levels in particular. Experts of
Razumkov Centre believe that if in the next 3-5 years we
do not depart from the principle of last-turn financing
of the national education, Ukraine may lose the available
educational potential and get stuck on the outskirts of the
world developments.
RAZUMKOV CENTRE
Education is an inalienable part of society and cannot be reformed separately from all its components,
especially given the signs of a systemic crisis seen in
Ukraine. Education should be recognised a true priority
of the state policy, first of all, a priority of state funding.
A transparent system of distribution of budget funds
allocated on the education sector and control of their
use should be created in Ukraine. To that end, the following measures must be taken.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine should:
v in order to ensure priority funding of education,
adopt legislative acts providing for: (1) legalisation of
shadow capital of non-criminal origin; (2) targetoriented remittance of the set share (for instance, 1%)
of excise tax and taxes on gambling for budget funding
of the education sector; (3) introduction of a multichannel system of funding of higher educational establishments, in particular, through attraction of sponsor
funds, grants, etc.;
v in order to ensure transparency, legislatively introduce a system of funding state secondary schools based
on allocation of funds per pupil. Educational establishments should be allowed to dispose of such funds at
their discretion;
v legislatively work out and implement a transparent
mechanism of funding higher educational establishments
based on allocation of funds per student;
v in order to preserve and develop Ukraines intellectual potential and finally do away with the principle
of last-turn financing of education, provide for
unconditional observance of Article 61 of the Law of
Ukraine On Education that envisages funding of the
education sector at a level of no less than 10% of GDP;
v in order to raise the social status of teachers:
(à) provide for unconditional observance of Article 57 of
the Law of Ukraine On Education under which
teachers salary should be not lower than the average
wages in industry; (b) pass the Law of Ukraine On
Amendment of the Law of Ukraine On Public Service
to grant the status of state servants to some categories of
teachers of state secondary schools and vocational educational establishments;
v in order to create necessary economic preconditions for the reform of education, provide for governmental submission and timely review of a balanced
National Programme of Economic and Social
Development together with the state budget for the following year: this will allow target-oriented allocation of
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No.4, 2002
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33
CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSALS
funds, including on education, with account of technological complexity of events envisaged within the framework of each direction of development.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine should:
v in order to integrate education and science, conduct an experiment on the national level to envisage
introduction of a system of upbringing, education and
scientific activity presuming formation of vertically integrated educational corporations made up of the following elements: lyceum university scientific research
institute business (industry). Dependent on the experiment results, a decision should be taken on the expediency of legislative regimentation of establishment of
such entities and transfer of scientific research institutes
from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine to
universities;
v create favourable conditions for innovative activity in higher school, operation of technoparks established
on the basis of higher educational establishments.
Perfection and reform
of the education system
The system of education requires further perfection
and reform. Its real improvement is possible only on the
basis of a comprehensive approach to financial, organisational, personnel, social, information and other problems. Presented below is a set of measures intended for
the attainment of that goal.
v in order to ensure grading and continuity of education, pass: (1) amendments to the Law of Ukraine
On Preschool Education to provide for the obligation
of one-year preschool education prior to the entry to a
secondary school; (2) the Law of Ukraine On
Postgraduate Education to establish the procedure of
postgraduate education; (3) the Law of Ukraine On
Adult Education to regiment the specificity of education of adult citizens (above 30 years); (4) the Law of
Ukraine On Distance Education to regiment the
specificity of distance education; (5) legislative acts
taking into account specificity of some forms of education: theological in particular, recognition of diplomas issued by such institutions; military in particular,
its universalisation and training in a second mandatory
civilian profession; artistic in particular, traineeship of
pupil and student in the artistic centres of the world;
v in order to raise independence and autonomy of
universities, pass amendments to the Law of Ukraine
On Higher Education, to provide, in particular, for
electivity of all officials of higher educational establishments, development of student self-administration,
granting greater organisational and financial independence to higher educational establishments;
v in order to ensure adequate staffing in the system
of general secondary education, form legislative basis for
the introduction of the following scheme: stage 1:
preparation of pedagogues for secondary schools at state
pedagogical higher educational establishments at the
expense of budget funds; stage 2: work of graduates for
a certain period at state secondary educational establishments with a fixed salary in lieu of partial coverage
of the cost of study; stage 3: granting graduates who
have worked out a specified period an opportunity to
choose between continuing pedagogical activity at state
school with the status of a public servant or changing
the place of work at their discretion.
34
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RAZUMKOV CENTRE
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Provide for introduction of a similar scheme for
teachers within the system of vocational education;
v in order to preserve and develop the system of
preschool education, pass relevant legislative acts providing for state support for organisations (irrespective of
the form of ownership) financing and developing own
networks of kindergartens.
v in order to introduce new information technologies and enable every citizen (irrespective of the age) to
obtain education of all levels and degrees, before the end
of 2002 work out a target-oriented State Programme
Development of a Single Educational Information
Environment in Ukraine in 2003-2005. The Programme
should provide for: formation of a common regulatorylegal and methodical basis, unified criteria and means of
assessment of knowledge; formation of a common database of educational programmes and electronic libraries
for the development of distance education; co-ordination
of activity of all elements of the system of education (at
all levels) for the pursuance of a single policy of control
of its quality.
The Ministry of Education and Science of
Ukraine should:
v for practical implementation of Ukraines strategic course of European integration, introduce the course
Europe and Us at secondary schools and a special
course of European law and European integration, history and activity of the EU and other European institutions at higher educational establishments;
v in order to introduce new information technologies, support the initiative of Internet providers of providing Internet access for secondary educational establishments, especially in rural areas. As a first step,
provide pupils no less than 6 hours of PC access a week;
v initiate additional Internet courses at higher educational establishments; jointly with interested Internet
providers create special educational WEB-sites on different subjects (mathematics, physics, etc.);
v increase the number of hours allocated by school
programmes for the study and mastering of skills of work
in the Internet, work out and issue relevant manuals for
schools; continue computerisation of schools; envisage
expenditures on Internet services within school maintenance budgets;
v regularly
organise all-Ukrainian computer
Olympiads for pupils and students; grant their winners
preference at entrance to higher educational establishments of the relevant profile;
v improve legal education of secondary school
pupils. Introduce a special course of childrens rights;
v in order to implement the state language policy,
staff schools of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea
(ARC) with qualified teachers of the Ukrainian language
and literature, improve material and technical maintenance of educational establishments, work out a programme of retraining teachers of the Ukrainian language
and literature working in ARC;
v co-ordinate activity of the Ministry of Education
and Science with the State Committee of Information
Policy, Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine
and Ukrvydavpolihrafiya State Joint-stock Company for
the purpose of placing orders for the issue of textbooks
only in Ukraine.
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No.4, 2002
CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSALS
Provision of accessibility
and quality of education
attending preschool educational establishments for one or
another reason (health, insolvency of parents, etc.);
v take inventory of the network of secondary
schools in rural areas. Take measures for its gradual
optimisation with account of actual attendance of
schools and establishment of basic schools in special
educational districts;
v in order to guarantee social equality at acquisition
of higher education and perfection of inter-grade joints
within the system of education, conduct an experiment on
the national level involving introduction of: (à) a uniform
test for all levels of education with account of the relevant
international experience; (b) a system of uniform attestation of graduates of 9th and 11th (12th) classes (3-5 major
subjects); (c) a system of free but paid admittance to the
1st year of higher educational establishment (dependent
on the family income and with account of bonuses intended for acquisition of the first profession): after the 1st year
of study appointment by the results of study: fivepointers free of charge, the rest for a certain fee.
v provide partial or full compensation of the cost of
travel to the place of study for pupils and students from
low-income families (orphans);
v provide for allocation of funds for pupils from lowincome families (orphans) for acquisition of the minimal
set of schoolware: uniform, a bag, a pen-case, etc.;
v take measures for prevention of reduction of the
network of evening schools;
v in order to overcome corrupt phenomena in the
system of education: (à) ensure publicity and transparency of work of admission commissions at higher
educational establishments; (b) introduce the practice of
audio and video recording of entrance examinations,
make those materials accessible to the public; (c) perform, jointly with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of
Ukraine, a special inspection of higher educational
establishments in connection with their issue of invitations for foreigners study.
Provision of accessibility and quality of education
presents a pressing problem. For that purpose, the following measures should be taken.
v in order to encourage commercial banks to pursue a policy of broad social crediting (first of all, of education, housing and healthcare), pass the Law of Ukraine
On Social Crediting. The latter should provide for:
social credits (assumed as credits for the abovementioned purposes at preferential rates for a term of no
less than 10 years); state guarantees of the issued credits; mechanisms of inheritance of credit liabilities; the
institute of guarantors, etc.;
v in order to ensure accessibility of preschool education, pass the Law of Ukraine On State Assistance in
Preschool Education. It should introduce a system of
bonuses for low-income families for preschool education
of their children or payment of allowances, if such education is provided by an unemployed family member
(with provision of relevant methodical manuals and control of observance of the proper level of preschool education on the part of the concerned state body);
v in order to guaranty young people an opportunity
of free acquisition of a profession at a level of a higher
educational establishment of the 1st level of accreditation, pass the Law of Ukraine On Free Acquisition of
the First Profession. The Law should provide for introduction of a system whereby graduates of 9th or 11th
(12th) classes descending from low-income families
(orphans) will obtain a bonus whose value will be equal
to the average value of education at a higher educational establishment of the 1st level of accreditation;
v in order to introduce state target-oriented assistance to teachers, pupils and students of state educational establishments, pass the Law of Ukraine On
Introduction of Target-oriented Bonuses for the System
of Education. The Law should specify the procedure of
granting personal fixed bonuses to lecturers (irrespective
of their salaries), pupils and students from low-income
families and orphans for acquisition of special literature,
computers, subscription to specialised periodicals, etc.;
v legislatively develop and introduce mechanisms of
economic stimulation of business entities extending their
employees grants for acquisition of higher education;
v pass the Law of Ukraine On Education of
Children with Special Needs. The Law should provide
for: (1) legislative definition of the notion of a child
with special needs; (2) their free choice of the type of
educational establishment to study in; (3) creation of an
adaptive and developing barrier-free environment for
those children (special lifts, lavatories, ramps, special
equipment designed with account of the disability of
such persons, establishment of centres of remote, modular and communication education, etc.); (4) creation of
a system of psycho-pedagogical, medico-social, legal
monitoring and volunteer support for children with special needs; (5) development of the standards of organisation of education and rehabilitation processes, material, technical, personnel, special methodical and
rehabilitation support, mechanisms of licensing and certification of educational-rehabilitation activity.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine,
acting jointly with the Ministry of Education
and Science of Ukraine should:
v pursuant to clause 6 of the Strategy of Ukraines
Integration into the European Union, work out relevant
proposals regarding international treaties between
Ukraine and EU member states (candidates for EU
membership) to provide for: (à) co-operation in the
education sector; (b) expansion of academic exchanges,
first of all, for training specialists in the sphere of
European legislation and EU activity; (c) development
of co-operation in the sphere of licensing, attestation
and accreditation of educational establishments; initiate
the process of negotiations on signing of relevant agreements of programmes of student exchanges between
Ukraine and the EU;
v ensure inter-departmental and inter-university coordination at implementation of international programmes and projects involving Ukrainian educational
establishments, develop co-operation with international
(UNESCO, European Commission, Council of Europe)
and national educational institutions of foreign countries.
Razumkov Centre experts hope that implementation
of those measures will improve the situation in the education sector, eliminate (or minimise the influence of)
existing negative tendencies and create conditions for
raising Ukraines education system to a qualitatively new
n
level.
v arrange for adoption of preschool general education programmes by children brought up at home and not
RAZUMKOV CENTRE
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No.4, 2002
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1. THE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION IN UKRAINE: MAIN INDICATORS P

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