EUROPEAN VECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL REFORMS IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The main trends in school education reform in Ukraine are outlined in the article; the essence of transformation in the context of the bill of the Law of Ukraine «On Education» and the concept «New Ukrainian School» is described by the author; the conclusion is drawn about the European-oriented nature of the reforms of national education. The author states that further integration of the country into the world economic and cultural space, active globalization processes prompt the synchronization of Ukrainian education with the European one. The author determines that the transformational processes in the educational sphere of Ukraine fully correspond to the general European tendencies of reform in education, namely: globalization of education, unification of the national education system; introduction of a competent approach in education; integration of educational content; equal access to education; standardization of education; humanization of education; decentralization of education; europeanization; participation in international comparative studies on the quality of education; improving the quality of teacher training and work. The author emphasizes that one of the main trends is decentralized vector of reforms, delegation from the central government authorities more responsibility to local authorities for the management and financing of educational institutions and granting of autonomy to educational institutions. One of the main requirements for successful reform realization is the interest and active participation of teachers, educational workers and researchers. Implementation of reforms in education depends on teachers professional preparation and motivation. This process is multidimensional; all parties of the process should perceive the changes: from officials to teachers and parents. However, the real support can be expected after the financial providing improvement, the revival of the profession prestige, administrative pressure reducing, greater autonomy providing, the introduction of a new training and retraining teachers system. The new school concept provides all of these structural changes. Support of teachers, as key participants of this process, is aimed to lead to significant structural system alteration, and therefore to systemic transformation processes in education. The author concludes that studying and generalizing of reforms experience in foreign countries, the analysis of common European trends in the educational sphere are important for the further development of domestic schooling, in order to succeed in reforming the education system of our country.