100 Days of the New Government: the Activities of the Ministry of Education and Sciences is Focused on Addressing their main Assignment—to Secure the Quality of Education at All Levels

Thursday, 1 July 2010

On June 25, 2010, at the Ministry of Education and Sciences (MoES) of Ukraine there was a press conference held by Dmytro Tabachnyk, Minister of Education and Sciences.  The press conference was dedicated to summarizing the work of his Ministry during the first 100 days of the new administration.  Ihor Likarchuk, Director of the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment (UCEQA) also participated in the press conference. 

The first 100 days of the new Administration, the Ministry was focused on resolving its main assignment—securing the quality of education at all levels. 

Not considering the fact that over the last two years all state programs aimed at creating the necessary circumstances for gaining an education (School Bus, School of the Future, 300 renewed Schools, etc) were halted, during the first 100 days the Ministry they managed to achieve quite a few positive results due to their persistent efforts.    

“Two points of the pre-election promises “Meeting the People,” made by the President of Ukraine were fulfilled.  Irregularities which were present in testing were corrected.  All hopeful freshmen in Ukraine gained the right to test in the language in which they were taught in school, all limitations placed on graduates from prior years applying to university were removed, and the procedure of issuing a European Standard supplement to Diplomas implemented.  The Ministry proposed and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine ratified: new regulations on who can use the titles Associate Professor and Professor, favorable terms for enticing foreign students to Ukrainian Universities, and most importantly, considering the desire to integrate into the European educational sphere, a new Ukrainian Law ‘On Higher Education’ was adopted,” noted Mr. Tabachnyk. 

The result of the MoES’s first 100 days of work also included: renewing full scale collaboration with the MoES of the Russian Federation, initiating the process of reducing the term of education in secondary schools, and also thanks to the support of the government, increasing the overall funding for education by 11 million UAH from last year’s budget. 

During the press conference the Minister underlined the main focus of the Ministry in the nearest future.  Overall, Mr. Tabachnyk emphasized the burning need to start programs such as Preschool in Ukraine, increasing the quality of natural & mathematical studies, computerizing the education process, etc.  He also emphasized the importance of increasing the prestige of teachers, optimizing the network of higher educational establishments (HEIs), and creating a new generation of electronic textbooks. 

The Minister answered all questions posed by the press on issues related to reforming higher and secondary education, and the strategic plans and goals of the Ministry.  Mr. Likarchuk provided factual and detailed answers to questions that dealt with the results of this year’s external independent testing (EIT).  

“Educational reforms always have and always will require years to complete.  In the President of Ukraine’s speech to the Ukrainian people and in the government’s activities it is apparent that there is a plan in place that is being executed.  We know what to do, and together will do it!” reassured Mr. Tabachnyk. 

The Ministry of Education and Sciences of Ukraine