Education

The government of Ukraine has initiated an education reform strategy that includes redefined priorities for the sector and improved service delivery from preschool through tertiary education which is reflected in the "National Doctrine for Development of Education in Ukraine in the XXIst Century" (approved by the Cabinet of Ministers at April 2002). The reform process reflects both important strengths and opportunities and challenges in Ukriane´s education system. The commitment to reform education is shared by central and local Government agencies, stakeholders, teachers, parents and students. Respect for education is reflected in citizens´aspirations, students´efforts to achieve, and parents´willingness to send their children to school and pay for out-of-pocket expenses despite severe economic difficulties.

Challenges of Education in Ukraine

Following independence in 1991, the country went through years of several structural and institutional crisis. The crisis was accompanied by a severe decline in social services, and deteriorating funding, salaries, and infrastructure jeopardized the quality of education. The quality of services provided declined while the structure of the system remained unchanged. Meanwhile, education administration and finance has been out of alignment with budgetary realities, in terms of planning, allocation, execution and financial management.

The education system has not adjusted to a falling student-age population, resulting in low capacity utilization and declining efficiency in, e.g., the use of physical facilities and the number and allocation of teachers.

As overall expenditures fell sharply, spending on non-compulsory services (preschools, post compulsory vocational programs and higher education) has increased as a share of the total educaion budget, threatening the sustainability of compulsory schooling.

As a consequence of economic pressure unaccompanied by adjustments, the sector is facing increasing enrolment and attainment problems. enrolments are fallint at the primary level, and are low at the upper secondary level.

The quality of education is not measured, but indirect assessment based on the standards and quality of inputs suggests persistent problems, especially in teacher policy. As teachers´salaries have lost their value, the profession cannot attract or retain well-trained young teachers. Teaching and learning resources are lacking, suggesting inadequate quality of inputs.

The sector as a whole has not yet made the transition to programs, curricula and teaching practices that are appropiate to the needs of a new economy and a more explosive labour market. Vocational education hast lost its relevance and general education has remained focused on the elite.

System structure seems increasingly to favour the better off urban population in the more well off parts of the country who are able to access higher quality upper secondary general education and enrol at tertiary institutions. The result is a bifurcation of the system between the better-off who continure to progress through elite secondary programs and move into higher education and a less fortunate group of students who are dropping out of school with incomlete secondary education or less.

These trends worsen socio-economic inequality, given the unicersal pattern of increasing private returns to education and the correlation between limited education and poverty

(Source "The Education Sector in Ukraine", Delegation of the European Comission to Ukraine)