Publication: Review of the Education Sector in Ukraine: Moving toward Effectiveness, Equity and Efficiency
Loading...
Date
2019-06-21
ISSN
Published
2019-06-21
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Education in Ukraine has played a significant role in economic and social development even before gaining independence in 1991. As a member of the Soviet Union, Ukraine’s education system was promoted strongly at all levels, and it was provided with exceptionally high funding and support for pedagogical innovation to meet the needs of a centrally planned economy. Outcomes included high literacy rates and basic knowledge, particularly in the sciences, and impressive scientific and technological achievements. Since independence, Ukraine has been able to sustain some of its comparative advantages in educational excellence, contributing to high levels of educational attainment and human capital development. Ukrainians want a modern education system for their futures and the future of their children. They want a system that facilitates Ukraine’s integration into Europe and the wider world. Low public trust in the system, years of national dialogue, and the Euromaidan Revolution all contributed to a consensus for change. With general secondary education, change was warranted to address: (a) outdated curricula emphasizing content knowledge over critical thinking and problem-solving; (b) low student motivation to learn with overly theoretical textbooks and outdated teaching methods; (c) low social status and low salaries for teachers, contributing to a demoralized teacher workforce and unappealing profession; and (d) unequal access to the quality education that has been guaranteed by the Government. In higher education, these reasons included corruption, non-recognition of diplomas of Ukrainian higher education institutions (HEIs) in the European Union and the world, divergence of higher education from the demands of the labor market, quality of learning environments and instructional methods, inefficient use of funds, and international isolation. The Euromaidan Revolution in 2014 generated excitement and optimism about the future, which brought forth some of the boldest and most ambitious efforts to reform the education system in Ukraine since independence. These reforms aimed to decentralize and democratize education, transitioning the system away from its Soviet past and towards a vision for the future. However, the context for reform and performance of Ukraine’s education system suggests that the vision needs to be better articulated across the sector. Reforms have proceeded at different paces, and there is the inertia of history that threatens progress. Without addressing persistent imbalances in the sector, positive results may not be achieved.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank Group. 2019. Review of the Education Sector in Ukraine: Moving toward Effectiveness, Equity and Efficiency. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/32406 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Ukraine : Education Reform Policy Note(Washington, DC, 2003-02)This note identifies major challenges facing the Ukrainian education system and suggests policy options for addressing them. It is intended to contribute to the ongoing policy dialogue between the Ukrainian Government and the World Bank about the key issues identified in government education policy development and implementation planning to date, and to offer the Bank's views on these issues for the Government to consider as it elaborates its reform program. The note's structure broadly follows that of the government's policy document. Section two outlines the political, economic, and social environment. Section three identifies some of Ukraine's strengths and comparative advantages in education, on which future reform policy can build. Section four discusses cross-cutting issues and challenges, including equity, relevance, efficiency, and accountability. In section five, the note provides recommendations for reform priorities and some policy options for realizing them. Section six identifies potential risks and threats that could hinder the reform process and suggests way to mitigate them. Annex one offer a brief overview of the education system, including quantitative trends and some international comparisons. Annex two provides a set of economic, demographic, and educational data.Publication Turkey - Education Sector Study : Sustainable Pathways to an Effective, Equitable and Efficient Education System for Preschool through Secondary School Education, Executive Summary(Washington, DC, 2007-12)This Education Sector Study (ESS) is the World Bank's response to the need for a comprehensive study of Turkey's education system, in light of the dramatic changes that are sure to alter the country's social and economic landscape over the next decade. The study was prepared in association with the Education Reform Initiative of the Istanbul Policy Center on the basis of research and dialogue with a wide array of education stakeholders and actors. The overall objective of the ESS is to provide an assessment of current challenges to the education system in Turkey and identify policy options that can complement the country's existing pre-tertiary education strategy. Volume one provides a complete description of challenges, conclusions, and policy options for the reform of pre-school, primary, and secondary education. It includes an Annex that summarizes the research studies and policy notes commissioned to inform the report. Volume II is a collection of the complete research studies and policy notes commissioned for the ESS report.Publication Republic of Sierra Leone : Higher and Tertiary Education Sector Policy Note(Washington, DC, 2013-07-15)Chapter one provides background and context for these policy notes. It includes information on the history of Higher and Tertiary Education (HTEs), learning structures, the economy, relevant legal frameworks, and the general education sector. Chapter two deals with quality assurance: the structures of administration, legal framework, monitoring Commissions, internal and external quality assurance, policies, accreditation and participants. Chapter three highlights issues of academic Relevance to economic, social and national development. It reviews the Government of Sierra Leone (GOSL) priorities, the labor market, skills and competencies and employment status and opportunities for Higher and Tertiary Education Institution, or HTI graduates. The chapter further explores the supply of programs and courses while identifying gaps in offerings. Recommendations are provided. Chapter Four provides insight into the Cost and Financing of HTIs. The report highlights the financing of institutions, public financing, subventions, scholarships and projected demand for HTE and associated costs. Policy recommendations are provided in each chapter, and summarized here.Publication Toward High-Quality Education in Peru : Standards, Accountability, and Capacity Building(Washington, DC, 2007)One of the principal challenges in reducing poverty and accelerating development in Peru is improving the quality of education. This book is a contribution from the World Bank to the debate over how to improve the quality of education. The book has three main recommendations that, to be successful, should be implemented sequentially. First, it is necessary to generate basic standards, quality goals, and quality measurement systems. Second, once quality can be measured a clear system of accountability should be implemented based on these standards and quality goals. Third, once there are standards and systems of accountability, investment is needed to strengthen the institutional capacity of the providers.Publication Arab Republic of Egypt - Education Sector Review : Progress and Priorities for the Future, Volume 1. Main Report(Washington, DC, 2002-10)This study assesses the educational progress of Egypt, especially in basic education and identifies the issues that still need to be addressed. At the level of basic education real progress has been made on narrowing regional and reducing gender disparities, reducing class size, eliminating multiple shifts, increasing class instructional time, and introducing technology in the classroom. While Egypt is to be lauded for its significant achievements, problems persist in the education sector. Of particular concern are the problems of the poor. The poor face numerous disadvantages in educating their children, mostly due to: more children per household, low parental education, very limited access to kindergarten, and a high private cost of public schooling. As a result, of all children age seven to eleven who are not attending school, 50 percent are from the poorest segment of the population. While Egypt has embarked on an ambitious and comprehensive education reform program, it faces numerous challenges to attain its educational goals. Foremost among the challenges are: a) improve the quality of schooling, from primary through university; b) strengthen management of educational institutions by decentralizing decisions, and promoting accountability; c) increase efficiency in the use of resources by reducing over-staffing, introducing new financial mechanisms, and given higher education managers increased autonomy and accountability in internal resource allocation; and finally, d) improve equity by ensuring the children of the poor are adequately prepared to begin school, reducing private costs of education to the poor, better targeting higher education subsidies, and initiate parent education programs to improve child development in the home. The reform program is affordable in the long run if recommendations on quality, equity and efficiency and carried out in tandem and regularly barriers to redeploy
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Lebanon Economic Monitor, Fall 2022(Washington, DC, 2022-11)The economy continues to contract, albeit at a somewhat slower pace. Public finances improved in 2021, but only because spending collapsed faster than revenue generation. Testament to the continued atrophy of Lebanon’s economy, the Lebanese Pound continues to depreciate sharply. The sharp deterioration in the currency continues to drive surging inflation, in triple digits since July 2020, impacting the poor and vulnerable the most. An unprecedented institutional vacuum will likely further delay any agreement on crisis resolution and much needed reforms; this includes prior actions as part of the April 2022 International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff-level agreement (SLA). Divergent views among key stakeholders on how to distribute the financial losses remains the main bottleneck for reaching an agreement on a comprehensive reform agenda. Lebanon needs to urgently adopt a domestic, equitable, and comprehensive solution that is predicated on: (i) addressing upfront the balance sheet impairments, (ii) restoring liquidity, and (iii) adhering to sound global practices of bail-in solutions based on a hierarchy of creditors (starting with banks’ shareholders) that protects small depositors.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.Publication The Journey Ahead(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-31)The Journey Ahead: Supporting Successful Migration in Europe and Central Asia provides an in-depth analysis of international migration in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and the implications for policy making. By identifying challenges and opportunities associated with migration in the region, it aims to inform a more nuanced, evidencebased debate on the costs and benefits of cross-border mobility. Using data-driven insights and new analysis, the report shows that migration has been an engine of prosperity and has helped address some of ECA’s demographic and socioeconomic disparities. Yet, migration’s full economic potential remains untapped. The report identifies multiple barriers keeping migration from achieving its full potential. Crucially, it argues that policies in both origin and destination countries can help maximize the development impacts of migration and effectively manage the economic, social, and political costs. Drawing from a wide range of literature, country experiences, and novel analysis, The Journey Ahead presents actionable policy options to enhance the benefits of migration for destination and origin countries and migrants themselves. Some measures can be taken unilaterally by countries, whereas others require close bilateral or regional coordination. The recommendations are tailored to different types of migration— forced displacement as well as high-skilled and low-skilled economic migration—and from the perspectives of both sending and receiving countries. This report serves as a comprehensive resource for governments, development partners, and other stakeholders throughout Europe and Central Asia, where the richness and diversity of migration experiences provide valuable insights for policy makers in other regions of the world.Publication World Development Report 2006(Washington, DC, 2005)This year’s Word Development Report (WDR), the twenty-eighth, looks at the role of equity in the development process. It defines equity in terms of two basic principles. The first is equal opportunities: that a person’s chances in life should be determined by his or her talents and efforts, rather than by pre-determined circumstances such as race, gender, social or family background. The second principle is the avoidance of extreme deprivation in outcomes, particularly in health, education and consumption levels. This principle thus includes the objective of poverty reduction. The report’s main message is that, in the long run, the pursuit of equity and the pursuit of economic prosperity are complementary. In addition to detailed chapters exploring these and related issues, the Report contains selected data from the World Development Indicators 2005‹an appendix of economic and social data for over 200 countries. This Report offers practical insights for policymakers, executives, scholars, and all those with an interest in economic development.Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.