Rada passes at first reading 12-year secondary school education bill
Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada intends to introduce 12-year secondary school education, set the minimum wage of teachers at UAH 4,400 and introduce the institute of educational ombudsman. A total of 277 lawmakers passed bill No. 3491d.
According to the document, full secondary education will last for 12 years and consist of four-year elementary education, five-year basic secondary education in preparatory schools and three-year profile secondary education in vocational schools. Children can go to school at six or seven.
When students finish each of educational levels they pass tests in the form of external independent tests, including for elementary school students for monitoring them.
Profile secondary education (senior school) can be of two types: general education and vocational education.
Students will start the 12-year education on September 1, 2018 for elementary schools, on September 1, 2022 for basic secondary schools and on September 1, 2018 for profile secondary schools.
It is proposed that the minimum wage for teachers is set at the level of three minimum wages (at present UAH 4,350).
The bill envisages the introduction of the ombudsman post to ensure the proper conditions for the implementation of rights to get education. The ombudsman is appointed by Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers for five years without the right to be repeatedly elected.
The document foresees the possibility of organizing public private partnership in the education sphere on the basis of agreements. It can foresee joint financing of educational institutions.
Voluntary certification of teachers is foreseen. The qualification certificates will be issued for five years. Teachers with the certificates would receive 20% more until the certificate expires.
The bill proposes to assign funds from the national budget, local budgets and sources not banned by Ukrainian law in the amount of 7% of GDP.