Education in Ukraine / Образование в Украине

Education brings us new and better opportunities. That's why many young Ukrainians nowadays want to receive good education. John Kennedy said: "Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education". I think, that concerns every nation in the world. That's why education and research should be international. Ukraine has agreements on education with more than 30 countries and cooperates with more than 50 international educational organizations, programs and foundations.

The system of education in Ukraine has a long and interesting history. Literacy existed already in Kiev Rus. Christian monasteries became the first venues of literacy. They had their schools where monks and priests were first teachers. At the turn of the 18th century the level of public literacy placed Ukraine ahead of Western and Eastern European countries. Schools were to be found in most of the villages. The first universities appeared in Kharkov (1805), Kiev (1834) and Odessa (1865). Ukraine's system of education continues its development.

Present-day independent Ukraine has got a rather developed system of education, which many meets answers the standards of the developed countries. The system of education in Ukraine includes secondary and higher education. General secondary education is free and compulsory. The system of education also includes preschool institutions, like nursery schools or kindergartens, but they are not obligatory.

The basic element of the system of education in Ukraine is general educational school. This school has three stages: primary, junior and senior. Nowadays new types of schools appear. These are schools for gifted children. They are gymnasiums, lyceums and private schools in our country. The secondary school gives basic knowledge, necessary for every pupil. Besides, there are also optional courses, which reflect pupils' interests.

Post- secondary education includes two main levels. The first one is technical schools and colleges, they train young specialists. The second one is higher educational institutions. They usually offer a five-year course of study. Nowadays a new system of training is introduced: Bachelor of Arts — B. A. and Master of Arts — M. A. There are state and private higher educational institutions. Many state higher educational establishments have fee-paying groups or departments. Other students are on Ukrainian state scholarship. When students receive their diploma, they may study further. Post-graduate education and scientific research work are not very popular now among young people. But in some fields of science there are outstanding research papers and discoveries.

Словарь

compulsory — обязательный

a kindergarten — детский сад

optional — факультативный

a scholarship — стипендия

post-graduate education — аспирантура