Ukrainian school : realities and modernization strategy

1. Ukrainian school: realities and modernization strategy PavloPolyansky, Vice-Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine 25February 2010

2. General secondary education in Ukraine Types of educational institutions: • comprehensive secondary school of І-ІІІ categories; • gymnasium, lyceum, college; • specialized school – general educational institution (GEI) of І-ІІІ categories with an in-depth study of individual subjects and courses: • evening (shift-type) school for citizens who do not have a possibility of learning at day-time schools; • educational establishments for children with special needs; • professional training interschool center; • vocational school; • higher educational institution of І-ІІ levels of accreditation; • out-of-school educational and correction establishment.

3. Fertility dynamics in Ukraine in 1991-2009(expressed as thousands of people)

4. Relative number of general educational institutions of I category in rural areas with a number of students downwards of 10 Chernigivska 50,0 Volynska 30,6 Rivnenska 25,4 Soumska 50,0 Zhytomyrska 33,0 Kyiv Khmelnytska 54,0 Kyivska 25,0 Poltavska 57,0 Kharkivska 39,0 Lvivska 36,0 Ternopilska 36,0 Luganska 26,0 Cherkaska 61,0 Vinnytska 40,0 Ivano-Frankivska 26,0 Kirovogradska 42,0 Dnipropetrovska 21,0 Zakarpattya 19,8 Donetska 18,5 Chernivetska 10,0 Mykolayivska 50,0 Zaporizka 41,0 Khersonska 57,0 Odeska 7,0 ARC 3,1 Sevastopol

5. Relative number of general educational institutions of I-II categories in rural areas with a number of students downwardsof 40 Chernigivska 63,0 Volynska 12,3 Rivnenska 9,5 Soumska 54,0 Zhytomyrska 28,0 Kyiv Khmelnytska 29,0 Kyivska 24,0 Poltavska 34,9 Kharkivska 48,4 Lvivska 13,0 Ternopilska 7,0 Luganska 23,0 Vinnytska 21,0 Ivano-Frankivska 6,2 Kirovogradska 43,0 Dnipropetrovska 20,0 Zakarpattya 4,0 Donetska 13,1 Chernivetska 0,9 Mykolayivska 28,0 Zaporizka 26,0 Khersonska 17,0 Odeska 8,2 ARC 3,1 Sevastopol

6. Relative number of general educational institutions of I-III categories in rural areas with a number of students downwardsof 100 Chernigivska 39,0 Volynska 8,1 Rivnenska 6,0 Soumska 56,0 Zhytomyrska 18,0 Kyiv Khmelnytska 24,0 Kyivska 17,0 Poltavska 22,0 Kharkivska 34,0 Lvivska 3,0 Ternopilska 6,0 Luganska 11,0 Cherkaska 26,0 Vinnytska 18,0 Ivano-Frankivska 2,9 Kirovogradska 28,0 Dnipropetrovska 12,0 Zakarpattya 0,7 Donetska 10,3 Chernivetska 0,0 Mykolayivska 15,0 Zaporizka 20,0 Khersonska 19,0 Odeska 3,8 ARC 5,0 Sevastopol

7. Dynamics of students’ number at general educational institutions (expressed as thousands of people) Due to the improvement of a demographic situation, we expect a beginning of increase in students’ number as of 2011-2012 educational year. On 1 September 2009, 20 thousand more first-graders were enlisted to schools than in the previous year.

8. Educational districts as a prerequisite for the development of rural schools • Educational district – union of educational establishments in the system of pre-school, comprehensive secondary, out-of-school, vocational and higher education, whose activities are aimed to create conditions for receiving quality comprehensive secondary education by citizens. The district may encompass educational management authorities, cultural, health care, physical culture and sports institutions. Activities of educational districts ensure: creation of a single educational environment within a jurisdiction; students’ possibility of choosing an individual educational direction; implementation of a pre-specialized and specialized training; development of children and students’ creative abilities, skills, talents; implementation of modern educational techniques; coordination of educational processes at institutions in the district; creation of adequate conditions to provide for the educational process; facilitation of financial autonomy of schools. Educational district can operate on the basis of a central (basic) school or resource center, and without tyem Educational districts functioning models: Educational district model on the basis of a central school Educational district model without a central school

9. Specialized education – factor in the equal access to quality education improvement Number of students in classes with specialized education (people) Distribution of students of general secondary institutions by educational directions (people)

10. Monitoring studies on education quality By joint efforts monitoring studies were conducted in terms of: • conditions of mathematical education for elementary school students; • level of world outlook and general cultural perceptions of solar bodies and the Universe, formed by students of the 5th and 11th grade of general educational institutions; • for the first time – participation at Trends in Mathematics and Science Study(TIMSS-2007) Continuing preparation for the participation at: • pilot international monitoring studiesPIRLS -20011 (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) (4th grade) andTIMSS-2011 (4th and 8th grades); • monitoring study on geographical education quality of 9-graders (March 2010); • distance monitoring study to reveal a level of skills in a practical application of information and communication technologies, formed by school leavers (April 2010).

11. Inclusion – a modern direction of Ukrainian education Категорії дітей з особливими освітніми проблемами Inclusive education: • says that all children can learn; • encourages educational facilities, systems and programs to meet the needs of all children; • is a developing dynamic process. Strategic goal: • Formation of a new state policy regarding children with a specific psychophysical development; • Implementation and extension of the inclusive education model for such children at general educational institutions; • Provision of a regulatory and educational – methodical framework.

12. Social significance of inclusive education For all students: • Joint learning facilitates development of empathy, tolerance, objective assessment of own capacities, formation of a realistic conception of the world. For parents: • Alleviation of tension, improvement of emotional conditions, dampened anxiety and fears, mobilization of forces to achieve success every day and in the future, a new structured outlook on life for the whole family and relatives. For teachers: • incentive to self improve • In-depth knowledge about children’s development regularities • specification and use of efficient teaching techniques • development of a strategy and tactics to psychologically and pedagogically (and often – medically) support such children • new view on education of all children

13. Contribution of the Equal Access to Quality Education Project in Ukraine to the development of educational districts Main results: Optimization plans have been developed in 6 pilot rayons of 6 oblasts; School network optimization manuals have been drafted; Assistance has been rendered to organize central schools (school buses, training rooms, computers, teachers’ training) School buses were delivered to: Zhytomyr oblast: 17 buses (16 regular and 1 specialized) for 7 rayons; Rivne oblast: 16 buses (15 regular and 1 specialized) for 8 rayons; Zakarpattya oblast: 15 buses (14 regular and 1 specialized) for 6 rayons; Lviv oblast: 26 buses (24 regular and 2 specialized) for 11 rayons; Chernigiv oblast: 12 buses (11 regular and 1 specialized) for 6 rayons; Kherson oblast: 14 buses (13 and 1 specialized) for 5 rayons.

14. Contribution of the Equal Access to Quality Education Project in Ukraine to the improvement of education quality • 530 class rooms have been equipped with training computer facilities (27 oblasts); • Support to the independent external assessment; • Participation at international comparative studies (TIMSS 2007, TIMSS&PIRLS 2011); • 28 Institutes for continuing pedagogical education (ICPEs) have been equipped with computer training classes; • 110 lead teachers have been trained to teach ICPE teachers, rayon methodics department resource teachers, school principles, heads of district methodics unions; • By September 2010, 1680 ICPE teachers will have been trained, as well as 1400 rayon methodics department resource teachers, 400 heads of district methodics unions – teachers in pilot oblasts, 200 master trainers for school principles, more than 2000 school principles (total benchmark figure is 5680 people); • Procurement of 182 training rooms (biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics training rooms) is being arranged.

15. Thank You for Your attention!