At the meeting of the National Council of reforms on the theme of education, safety and welfare of the child was made to support the concept of a New Ukrainian school, and also to recommend to Parliament to accelerate consideration of the second reading of the law “On education” and on inclusive education, reported the press service of the President of Ukraine on Saturday.
“Education is the first priority for reform of the state. Ukraine inherited from the Soviet period an extensive network of educational institutions, which needs to be updated to meet modern standards”, – said the President Petro Poroshenko, opening the meeting of the national Council of reforms.
At the Council meeting were: the Minister of education and science, Liliya Hrynevych, who reported on the main principles of the concept of the New Ukrainian schools, the head of the Charity Fund Poroshenko, Maryna Poroshenko told about the implementation of inclusive education and the Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for children’s rights Mykola Kuleba has reported on the need to reform the system of institutional care and education of children.
The Minister Hrynevych noted that “the Ukrainian education, like 50 or 70 years ago, is still focused on the accumulation of knowledge. And this at a time when the civilized world is focused on the ability to apply knowledge in practice. Ability to learn quickly. Ability to work in a team. The ability to solve problems and not wait for ready instructions. We live in the 21st century. The country has changed, society has changed, the needs of the economy changed radically, and school approaches and attitude of the state to the school were deep in the last century. We have a chance to reverse this negative trend”.
She emphasized that to start the reforms necessary for adoption of key reforms of the law “On education”.
According to the President, the school must learn to take into account the individual characteristics of each child, which does not exist today. The issue of inclusive education requires the allocation in a separate reform.
The wife of the President M. Poroshenko noted that “the level of consciousness of the nation and the development of the society in which we live, is determined by the level of support, humanism and tolerance in relation to “not like yourself.” Now from the reform of inclusive education depends on the fate of more than 702 thousand children in Ukraine. And we should understand that “children who today make up 20% of our population, tomorrow will be 100% of our future.” And this is important to remember, carrying out education reform, which is the Foundation of a progressive nation.”
About 87% (56 528) children with special needs today are isolated from full-time study in institutions, from preschool to higher educational institutions of Ukraine.
Also Marina Poroshenko presented the program “Inclusive education – the level of consciousness of the nation”, which aims to help in the development of children allows them to realize themselves in the future to the profession.
The pilot project of implementation of inclusive education has started in 19 schools of Zaporizhzhya region. The success of the project led in 2017 to bring to the initiative of Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr and Khmelnytsky region.
“Albert Einstein, Franklin Roosevelt, Steve jobs, Stephen Hawking, Vujicic – all these people, despite their “feature”, achieved extraordinary success. Ukrainians have their own list of names. We are proud of our Paralympic team Champions, the first world champion in karate among women in wheelchairs in the category kata – Uliana the Tsarina. As well as the artist of the Sum Daria Boneless”, – said M. Poroshenko.
“106 thousand children are isolated and suffer in private boarding schools left Ukraine inherited from the Soviet system of education. 90% of children-orphans of boarding schools are not ready for independent life, unable to integrate into society and need constant care of the state,” said Commissioner President of Ukraine for children’s rights Mykola Kuleba. “Domestic experience and the experience of many countries of Europe and post-Soviet countries confirms the fact that only the child’s upbringing in a family environment has a positive effect on the formation of his personality, self-esteem, preservation of health and harmonious development,” he concluded.
The results of the meeting of the national Council of reforms was a series of decisions supported the concept of a New Ukrainian school, and also signed the recommendation to the Parliament to expedite the consideration of the second reading of the law “On education” and on inclusive education. The President stressed that the financing of inclusive education and education of children-orphans should follow the principle “money follow a child”.
However, in the near future the government together with the authorized President of Ukraine on the rights of the child, will have developed clear steps to reform the system of boarding schools.
