Strategy Advisory Group in Education: Development of a Concept and Draft Law on secondary education

June – December 2016

Project manager: Georgiy Kasianov

Background

Charitable Fund “Institute for Education Development” in February 2014 led the work of the Strategic Advisory Group, which aim was to create a roadmap of educational reforms.

Roadmap for Education Reform was developed and submitted to the MoES of Ukraine in October 2015. In October 2015 document posted on the website of MES http://mon.gov.ua/citizens/zv%E2%80%99yazki-z-gromadskistyu/gromadske-obgovorennya .html for public discussion. Discussion of the Roadmap has not been effective. However, the reason of such unpopularity was the discussion of the draft law “On education” which was based on the key provisions of the Roadmap that took place at the same time.

Further discussion of the Roadmap by educators at Lviv oblast Teachers In-Service training Institute showed that the document actualized most acute issues that have accumulated in the education sector: changing curriculum and textbooks (and approaches to their preparation and writing); training and retraining of teachers, teachers' working conditions, management  and funding of the system.

The project aim: to provide expert, technical and organizational support to the development of the concept and the draft law "On General Secondary Education".

Tasks:

1. To consolidate the efforts of experts and the public and draw up a document in which the public in an accessible form will describe the results of the reform of secondary education;
2. To elaborate a concept of law and the draft law "On General Secondary Education" and initiate the expert discussion.

Activities:

• Development of visions and approaches to the structure of the draft law "On General Secondary Education" - the new vision of Ukrainian schools;
• Work on the concept of the Law "On General Secondary Education" - to prepare a draft Concept of the Law on Secondary Education and submit it to an expert discussion;
• The draft law "On General Secondary Education" - to develop the first draft of the law; make a discussion at MoES and in the education committee of Parliament.

Partners: Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (http://www.mon.gov.ua/); NGO "Agency for Educational Policy" (https://edudevelop.org.ua/), "Center for Society Research" (http://www.cedos.org.ua/), ICO "Center of Testing Technologies and Education Quality Monitoring "(https://www.facebook.com/cttuaorg/); Association of Schools of Ukraine (http://www.usha.org.ua/), Association of Schools of Kyiv (http://aksk.org.ua/), the parental organizations – “Parents SOS” (https: // www. facebook.com/groups/1447547535497898/?fref=ts) and “Parental control” (https://www.facebook.com/groups/parcon.com.ua/).

Also involved international experts to participate in the project: Mihaylo Milovanovich (Italy) (Center for Applied Policy), which is also the main expert of the Project for OECD – Research the Integrity of educational system in Ukraine; Jan Herczyński (Poland) – Expert SKL International; Algirdas Zabulionis (Lithuania).

Public  discussion of a primary school curriculum

June – August 2016

Project manager: Olena Zaplotynska

Background

Renovation of the content of school curriculum and textbooks is one of the priorities of the reform of secondary education in Ukraine. The draft law "On Education" provides for the transition to 12-years secondary education and, first of all, it will mean a change for preparation philosophy of educational standards, curricula, new approaches to educational process at school.

In spring 2016 the new Minister of Education has identified a priority of modernizing the existing curriculum content. In response to numerous requests from parents, the Ministry of Education has launched review of programs taking into account children’s age features, present challenges and future needs. By the beginning of the new academic year 2016/2017 should be modernized and unloaded, especially primary school programs (grades 1-4). It is important to the process of updating the content of education to do open, active and engaging community of creative teachers, initiative parents and experts to discuss and update programs.

The project aim is to update (modernize) primary school curriculum by organizing professional discussions on a specially developed online platform; create a package of updated curriculum for grades 1-4 and an array of support materials for teachers.

Tasks:

1. To practice public discussions of the curriculum involving interested audience (teachers and the public) to improve the content of school education;
2. To increase the teachers’ awareness about modern training approaches – Program Update on the basis of competence approach and modern teaching practices;
3. To increase the teachers’ motivation to participate in such projects and assist the Ministry of Education in developing programs;
4. To promote unification around online platform teachers of elementary school, who will effectively work on their professional development;
5. To perfect the model of developing new standards and programs for the 12 year school (since autumn 2016)

Activities:

• Creation the online platform "Public discussion of the elementary school curriculum" (www.ed-era.com/mon), which contains the curriculum in the subjects taught in grades 1- 4 elementary school;
• Discussion / moderation programs, filling materials and technical support platform - development module, where you can comment on and suggest changes to programs;
• Training video tutorials to primary school: video lessons, text reader, tasks, etc.

Partners: On-line platform Ed-Era (https://www.ed-era.com), Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (http://www.mon.gov.ua/), Institute for the modernization of educational content (http://www.imzo.gov.ua/).

Platform for discussion: https://www.ed-era.com/mon.html

Public support for education reform in Ukraine. The second stage

July 2015 – January 2017

Project manager: Georgiy Kasianov

Background

Secondary education is currently a central educational sector, in which will be implemented major reforms: the transition to a 12-year school education and the formation of a new structure; reform the management and financing of school education; reform of teachers’ training and certification; updating standards and curriculum for secondary schools. Nowadays more active role at the segment of the educational system is played by parental organizations and activists trying to work out the mechanisms to ensure transparency and efficiency of the so-called "parent money" and to increase public influence on the decision of the organization and logistics of the educational process at school, competitive selection of school leaders and others. Such active parental organizations, professional associations of teachers and principals, communities are usually local, spontaneous, these actions have lack coordination, strategic vision and expert support.

During June 2015 - January 2016 Charitable Fund "Institute for Education Development" in cooperation with NGO "Parents SOS" (Kyiv), Lviv and Poltava oblast Teachers In-Service training Institutes and funded by the Support Program for Secondary Education "Open Society" Foundation have implemented a pilot project aimed at the activation  and consolidation of pro-reformist groups in society at the education sector of Ukraine. In Lviv (28 October 2015), Poltava (26 November 2015) and Kharkiv (25 January 2016) were conducted trainings for activists parental environment and of the administration of schools and established an informal network of pro-reformist groups and public organizations, united by common values ​​and approaches to change education that have shown an interest and ability in promoting reform program at the local level. In case of continuing the project, will extend the project activities to other regions.

The main goal – to consolidate and mobilize the pro-reformist initiative citizens to support educational reforms in Ukraine through trainings for community activists, networking, information exchange and a coalition of NGOs.

Tasks:

1. to extend the network of pro-reformist activist groups in cities and regions (Kirovograd, Odessa, Dnieper, Ivano-Frankivsk);
2. to create a system of regular exchange of information and mutual support between the project participants;
3. to create a coalition of pro-reformist NGOs and activists;
4. to extend effective experience gained by the project and other activists with a particular focus on the problems of the rights and obligations of the parties (teachers, parents, administration, local authorities), development of advocacy skills, dialogue between all interested parties.

Areas of activity: organization of educational trainings for activists of parental organizations and teachers in regions; coordination of information flow and communication between the participants and stakeholders; informal meetings to foster closer cooperation.

Partners: NGO "Parents SOS" (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1447547535497898/?fref=ts); Foundation "Open Society" (http://osf.org.ua/); oblast Teachers In-Service training Institutes.