*** schools educatiion Ukraine








European Schools: Ukraine

Ukranian schools 1970s
Figure 1.--During the Soviet era, Ukrabian children wore uniforms, especially during the opst-World War I period. Yhe girks wire dark dresses with white pinfores and commonly hair bows. This 1970s school ptrrait is a good example with an especially large hairbows. .

The Ukraine has only been an independent country since 1992. Before that it was part of the Soviet Union and Tsart Russia. HBC has developed some basic information on modern Ukranian education. Primary and secondary schools encompass 11 years. Uniforms were commonly worn in the Soviet period, but are no longer worn by school children.

Ukranian Education

Basic program

Ukranian school children pursue a basic program of 11 years. The first 3 years are at an elementary (primary) school. In an elementary school the basic subjects: mathematics, Ukranian (similar to Russian), spelling, and literature is conducted by one teacher. The following 5 years is "unfinished" education. [?HBC is not sure what our Ukranian reader meant here.] Then each subject is taught by a subject teacher. After these first 8 years, children can enter secondary schools and persue specialities. Considerable attention is being devoted to foreign languages and computer training. Secondary school lasts 3 years. After this the graduates can persue various levels of higher education. Ukranian authorities announced in 2001 announced that they were going to shift to a 12-year system. Children beginning to school in 2001 and subsequent years will study for 12 years. Others will finish school training under the old 11-year program.

Special schools

There are special schools focusing on specialized curiculum, including foreign languages. economic, legal studies, and other areas.

Higher education

In last stage of the 3 year secondary program, schools conclude contracts with higher educational institutions. The best students have the right to enter higher educational institutes without entrance examinations based on their academic record and an entrance interview.

Types of schools

Schools are operated by the state. The schools are practically free-of-charge, though they periodically collect money from parents to cover basic economic needs. Since the demise of the Soviet Union, some private schools have opened. The fees at these schools are very high and beyond the ability of most Ukranians to afford. Odessa and probably other Ukranian cities have a Jewish school, which is sponsored by Jewish organization abroad. In it only Jewish children can study. For them there are no school fees. The children besides standard subjects study Hebrew.

Chronology

The chronological assessment of Ukranianian schools is somewhat complicated by changing political situations. Poland and Russia fought over the Ukraine in the 17th century. For most of the modern era, the Ukraine has been part of either the Russian Empire ( -1917) or the Soviet Union (1917-91). This is complicated by changing boundaries, German occupation during the two World wars and a brief period of independence during the Civil War following World War I. Primarily the education system, however, was dominated by Tsarist and then Sioviet control. In both instances there was an effort to supress Ukranian nationaism and culture and education was used in this process. An independent Ukraine came into existence in 1992 affoirding the opportiunity to establish a Ukranian educational system free to promote Ukranian nationalism and culture, although for political reasons this may not have occurred.

School Uniform

Uniforms were commonly worn in the Soviet period. The uniforms varied over time, but were standardized throughout the country. We have developed some information on Soviets school uniforms, most of the information we have collected is archived in the Russian school section. Currently in the Ukraine only children in elementary school wear school uniforms. The next years of school depends on the individual school. The uniform now depends on administration of school. At many schools children go in the any clothes. The school uniform is reportedly not very popular with the children.

Activities

We are just beginning to develop information on activities at Ukranian schools. We have limited information on activities in Ukranian schools. There of course are all the standard academic activities. We are less sure about the extent of extra-curicvular activities. We note images of the childdren involved in class skits and presentations. We also do not know how activities varied over time. During tghe Soviet era there was the Young Pioneer program. There was also military training for the boys. I assume that no longer takes place, but am not sure at this time.

Gender

We have very limited information on the school uniforms worn by Ukranian girls. The Ukraine was part of the Tsarist Empire and the Soviet union until the disolution of the Soviet Union (1991). We have no information on the Tsarist era. Ukranian gir;s during the Soviet era wore the uniform mandated by Soviet authorities throughout the Soviet Union. This was a black dress, white pinafore, and white hairbows. We had thought that this uniform disappeared with the disolution of the Soviet Union. A HBC readers tells us, however, that Ukranian girls still wear this uniform on special occassions such as the first and last day of school. This is essentially the same pattern as in Russia.

Individual Schools

There were of course many schools in what is now the Ukraine before the Ukraine became independent (1992). The schools were administered by the Russian Empire, Austrian Empire, the Soviet Union and Poland. In many areas there were mixed populations. Through most of this period the schools were taught in other languages. Here regulations different from country to country and over time. One example is a rural school in what was then southeastern Poland--a Village near Stanislaw�w.





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Created: December 20, 2001
Last updated: 3:58 PM 5/7/2023