THE EXPERIENCE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT IN EU COUNTRIES AS A SOURCE OF PRIMARY EDUCATION MODERNIZATION IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article examines the main directions of reforming primary education in the EU member states in the 21st century and the possibility of using progressive European experience in the development of the new Ukrainian school. The analysis of the general trends in the development of schooling in the Community countries and the European vector of Ukraine’s educational policy makes it possible to work out recommendations for the modernization of the national primary education. The recommendations are structured on three levels (contents, organization, and management) to systematically cover problematic issues. At the organizational level modern reforms are aimed at optimizing the educational process in primary school by introducing training cycles, providing equal access to primary education, adapting teaching regime to the psychological peculiarities of a primary pupil, expanding school and teacher autonomy in scheduling and using modern techniques that provide individualization, integrated approach, and productive interaction in class. Such achievements of the EU countries as the practice of psychological and pedagogical input diagnostics at the ISCED level 1, programs of supportive and reflexive education, school inspection, school boards, and the system of professional and postgraduate teachers’ training are considered valuable. It is also important to study the issues of assessing the effectiveness of national education, defining the concept of the quality of education, certification and professional careers of teachers, joint participation of schools in organizing educational process in order to streamline the educational network as well as strategic planning of school development.